MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Extent of Falklands' “increased vigilance” and quarantine arrangements

Track and trace arrangements are in place to help identify people who may be infected after contact with someone with a positive result

Following the announcement of the first civilian case which tested positive to Covid-19, the Falklands Islands Government imposed what it defines as increased vigilance. This is basically voluntary and there is no intention of additional legislation given the cooperation of the community. Anyhow, ExCo did approve changes to existing quarantine arrangements.

This is a summary of the current position

• People at the greatest risk of severe illness MAY be asked to self-isolate
• Social gatherings can continue with enhanced public hygiene measures
• Nurseries and child minders will be supported to stay open in the safest way
• Schools, the library and college are all open and staying vigilant
• Businesses and services remain open and are encouraged to work in ways that limit the risk of spreading infection
• Track and trace arrangements are in place to help identify people who may be infected after contact with someone with a positive result
• KEMH continues to carry out surveillance swabbing across the community
• Routine health services MAY alter to reduce the risk of spreading infection
• Regulated quarantine remains in place and the number of people able to travel to the Islands from overseas is limited

What this means:

• That Falklands' quarantine surveillance swabbing program is working
• That people are following the rules and doing what they can to keep others safe
• That our emergency plans are robust and can be implemented swiftly

What this does not mean

• This does NOT MEAN that we are going into ‘lockdown’ or that we intend to instigate a period of lockdown in the near future
• This does NOT MEAN that there has been a breach of process or protocol – on the contrary all of the regulations have been met and the guidance has been followed
• This does NOT MEAN that we have any cases of Covid-19 within KEMH, although we do have a ‘hot ward’ this exists not only to help control the transmission of infectious diseases, it is also designed to separate urgent cases from planned care

All of the latest government guidance is available on our website, including the latest questions and answers regarding the current situation. Please visit: www.fig.gov.fk/covid-19

Quarantine arrangements

On November 10th the Falklands Executive Council considered changes to the existing quarantine arrangements. Following approval, these will be implemented swiftly, with intention that they will come into force from Monday 16 November 2020. The guidance is currently being updated to reflect these changes and more information will be publicized once they are finalized.

For the moment, the key things to remember about quarantine are that:

• During quarantine you are restricted to your home and your garden and you should remain there unless you require medical assistance or there is an emergency
• During quarantine do not meet friends, go to work, school or public areas, or use public transport until you have completed your 14 full days of quarantine
• You can order groceries, electricity cards, fuel, other shopping or medication over the phone and the delivery instruction needs to state that the items are to be left outside or in the porch, as is appropriate for your home
• Do not invite or allow visitors to enter your property or garden, only those who live in your household should be allowed to stay
• You cannot go for a walk, run or drive, even to a remote place

How the community can help

The best defense that we have against coronavirus is to remain vigilant and to follow the government regulations and advice in order to keep ourselves, our families, our friends and the wider community safe.