Falklands: 80 days with no coronavirus positive tested cases; 14 days quarantine for all arriving passengers

Thursday, July 23rd 2020 - 09:54 UTC

Full article

The law requires that all individuals arriving in the Falkland Islands must quarantine for a period of fourteen days

Failure to comply with the regulation is a criminal offence for which an individual can be fined £ 200 pounds or imprisoned for up to three months.

The Falkland Islands government, FIG, reported on Wednesday that 1816 coronavirus tests have been processed, with no positive results received for over eighty days. FIG also announced new quarantine guidance issued to arriving passengers. In effect following the introductn of Quarantine Regulations a new document is being issued to provide simple guidance on how to meet the requirements of quarantine.

The law requires that all individuals arriving in the Falkland Islands must quarantine for a period of fourteen days. Quarantine requirements are set out in the Infectious Diseases Control Regulations 2020. Failure to comply with the regulation is a criminal offence for which an individual can be fined £ 200 pounds or imprisoned for up to three months.

In order to satisfy these requirements, suitable accommodation is required to quarantine in. There are some simple steps to decide on whether your accommodation is suitable for your quarantine.

If you live alone, quarantine at home. If you share a home and can self isolate effectively from household members, then quarantine at home.

Effective self isolation means you need to be able to live separately from the others in the same house, which means being able to have a separate bedroom and bathroom. Always being able to be two meters apart from other people if you are in the same room.

Clearing all surfaces after having touched them.

But if you share a home and cannot effectively self isolate from household members, then either contact FIG, who will facilitate the provision of alternative suitable accommodation for the individuals required to quarantine.

If you made the personal choice to stay together as a household and cannot effectively self isolate, then in the interests of protecting friends, family and the community as a whole you should all follow the quarantine guidance together as a household and isolate yourselves from the wider population for the fourteen days quarantine period.

This info is being issued alongside a supporting document from the Chief Medical Officer providing guidance on undertaking quarantine at home.