The Falkland Islands government issued a release on Tuesday announcing the “clean” conditions vessels entering territorial waters for the 2021 fishing season must meet, basically a minimum of two weeks quarantining at sea, no Covid-19 cases on board, and no crew members with Covid-19 symptoms.
The government of the Falkland Islands and officials from Mount Pleasant Complex held on Sunday an extraordinary meeting and decided that access to the Complex will remain restricted for the next fourteen days given the sanitary situation at MPC.
The Falkland Islands Government confirmed on Thursday that a military medic involved in quarantine surveillance swabbing has tested positive for Covid-19 as a result of displaying symptoms.
The Falkland Islands Government has offered an update of Covid-19 swabbing results as of Tuesday 26 January, indicating that of 6,685 processed tests, seven are currently positive, completing quarantine, but none of them has required hospital admission.
The Falkland Islands government and local industry have given reassurances following cases of Covid-19 identified on Loligo fishing ships due to the Falklands from Galicia. Penguin News investigated reports of positive cases on vessels bound for the Islands and asked for comment from FIG, who responded in writing:
The departure of several fishing vessels scheduled to leave from Vigo, Galicia to the Falkland Islands' squid season, has been delayed because a few crew members tested positive for the coronavirus. Companies involved have undertaken the necessary and isolation measures, reports the local media.
The Falkland Islands government, FIG, announced on Monday measures to provide greater stability to the fishing industry by offering holders of Individual Transferable Quotas an optional extension for a 25-year period of their current rights beyond the expiry date of 2031.
Falkland Islands Chief Medical Officer Rebecca Edwards has said there is already a “plan of attack” formulated to vaccinate Islanders with the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine for Covid-19.
The Falkland Islands has been exempted from new UK regulations regarding pre-departure Covid-19 testing for international travelers to England. The new testing requirements, announced by UK Secretary of State for Transport, Grant Shapps, will be in force from 4 am on January 15.
The Falkland Islands Government will be extending the Tourism Recovery Incentive Program (TRIP) by two months. The scheme, which was due to end on March 31, will now remain in operation until May 31. Falklands residents will have until that date to redeem their vouchers.