Charter Flight Update

The Titan Airways Charter Flight arrived to St Helena Airport from London Stansted, via Accra, at 11.25am on Monday, 30 November 2020.

Arrangements for Testing on Arrival

It is now mandatory to be tested for COVID-19 on arrival to St Helena. This is applied to all arrivals apart from:

  • Transit passengers who overnight on St Helena in separate quarantine facilities and therefore pose minimal risk;
  • Children aged 10 or under. This is because young children travel as part of a family unit. The risk that the family has contracted COVID-19 can be assessed by testing the parents. Young children are only tested on arrival if other members of the family unit they are travelling with tests positive.

The arrivals involved were made aware that even if they tested negative for COVID-19 on arrival, it is still possible to present with symptoms of Coronavirus up to 14 days. Therefore, even if a passenger tests negative for COVID-19 on arrival, they are not released from the legal requirement to quarantine for 14 days. Arrivals are released from quarantine following a negative COVID-19 test on day 14.

Quarantine Arrangements

The crew and transit passengers were transported to the Mantis Hotel where they stayed overnight before departing for Ascension Island on Tuesday, 1 December 2020.

All other arrivals have begun their mandatory 14 day quarantine period at Bradley’s, with the exception of the four journalists who are quarantining at Longwood House, and those who have been allowed to home quarantine by a Proper Officer due to:

  • Having a medical condition whereby Bradley’s Camp would not be appropriate accommodation
  • Having travelled with children aged 10 years or younger

In two extenuating cases, a family member was approved by a Proper Officer to   Home Quarantine with passengers who arrived on the Charter Flight to enable the passengers to receive support deemed necessary on medical and welfare grounds. This was not a political decision, it was made by the Health Directorate on medical grounds having considered medical advice. The Proper Officer used their authority under Regulation 4 (2C) of the Public Health (Prevention of Formidable Diseases) (Coronavirus No. 2) Regulations, 2020, to impose conditions of quarantine on the two passengers in question. The family members were directed to remain in quarantine by the Director of Health, subject to certain conditions, in accordance with Regulation 5 of the Public Health (Prevention of Formidable Diseases) (Coronavirus No. 2) Regulations, 2020, as soon as they came into contact with the passengers. Therefore both the passengers, and the family members, are legally required to quarantine.

All arrivals from Ascension, who had properties pre-approved by a Proper Officer, were also allowed to quarantine at home, or other approved property, when they arrived to the Island.

In total, 38 properties are being used for Home Quarantine – 10 for arrivals from the UK and 28 for arrivals from Ascension Island.

Please look out for the ‘Home Under Quarantine’ notice outside of these properties and respect the privacy of those in Home Quarantine. If you see or suspect that someone has breached quarantine, please call Police Headquarters on tel: 22626 to inform them.

#StHelena #TitanAirways #TestingOnArrival #QuarantineArrangements

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SHG
2 December 2020

St Helena Government Communications Hub

Telephone: 22470
Email: kimberley.peters@sainthelena.gov.sh