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Changes To Covid Testing Come Into Effect Today

From today (Tuesday), Islanders who do not have symptoms and test positive for Covid-19 using a lateral flow test will no longer need a follow-up PCR to begin their isolation period.

If you get a positive result on a lateral flow test you will still need to self-isolate immediately and report your result on gov.uk. This applies to everyone, vaccinated or not.

After reporting a positive LFT result, you will be contacted by NHS Test and Trace so that your contacts can be traced. You must continue to self-isolate.

People experiencing the three main symptoms of Covid-19 — a high temperature, a new, continuous cough and a loss or change to your sense of smell or taste — will still be expected to isolate immediately and book a PCR test online or call 119 as soon as possible.

Those who return a positive PCR result are required to isolate immediately for up to ten days — reduced to seven if they return negative results on day six and seven of their period of isolation.

Cllr Karl Love, cabinet member for public health, said:

"Islanders must remain vigilant — please get vaccinated if you have not been.

"(This can) save lives and protects our key workers who are working incredibly hard in difficult circumstances for you, our Island people." 

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