Questions to @GovJersey Ministers on their covid response are beginning now, thread of the main points to follow: https://twitter.com/BBCJersey/status/1339541804396531719

On no longer allowing partners to attend pregnancy scans:

Health Minister: It follows assessment of risks in workplace, to keep it safe and free as possible from risk of spread of covid. Agree, it's always helpful to pregnant women to have their partner with them.

Health Minister: This is not a policy, it’s a decision taken on risk based assessment in light of current circumstances. We’re seeking to balance harms, in the UK there have been cases of staff working in clinics who’ve got covid due to spread from patients or partners attending

Health Minister: Recognise the harm and upset this might cause, and why mothers might wish to have partners with them, but it’s important to bear down on the spread of covid in hospital, this is a perfectly proper, safe and appropriate measure to take

Dep Rob Ward: Fathers an integral part of pregnancy & want to be involved, can't they take part wearing PPE?

Health Min: At times extra support is needed during scan - if pregnancy is high risk / complicated - in appropriate cases, what Dep Ward has suggested may be implemented

Sen K Moore: How will that work?

Health Min: Staff will have established relationship with mother, will be aware of difficult pregnancies, those discussions will be had with mothers to be

Sen Mezec: Outside appointment partners will be spending time together..

Health Min: People most infectious before symptoms, some have covid & are asymptomatic. Mother-to-be may have covid & not know. Service will continue to bear that risk, but 'risk doubled' if partner there

Dep C Alves: There is a contradiction when pregnant teachers are being allowed to have contact with potentially hundreds of people.

Heath Min: Every business runs on risk assessment, if an unsafe environment, action would be taken, as we’re doing in this hospital scenario

Dep L Doublet: Minimal risk of 1 person from same household attending scan vastly outweighed by huge toll this will have on pregnant women, it cannot be predicted if at a scan the news might be bad, even with mitigations & allowances stated

Dep L Doublet: NHS document published this week says support partners are not just partners, they’re a vital part of providing care for pregnant women and babies, will Health Min reconsider this decision?

Health Min: Can’t accept this is minimal risk, staff are not unfeeling, will be on hand to offer all the support they can. Will revert to previous practice as soon as it’s safe to do so.

On plans to offer covid vaccine at Fort Regent:

Health Min: Don’t imagine it’s possible to have drive-though vaccination, it’s a clinical operation, people need to get out of vehicle. Those administering vaccine need to gauge capacity, ask questions, respond to concerns.

CM: Not focusing on a number. This weekend, maybe just after, will see if trend starts changing due to hospitality circuit breaker. Was expecting slight uptick in cases today and tomorrow due to anecdotal behaviour we saw just before hospitality circuit breaker.

CM: STAC meeting now. Competent authorities to meet soon to consider advice. Crucial thing is what trend is, are figs today from events prior to measures being in place? If trend continues, will have to do further announcements in fairly short order, need to act on medical advice

CM: We have v good test and trace system, between last week and week before, number of tests increased from 10k to 14k – a 40% increase – has an impact on number of results we’re seeing. We take account of all factors, keeping eye on Xmas and likely impact on Jan and Feb.

CM: Press release going out later, vaccination programme working well. Priority is maintaining health service in good capacity to look after islanders.

Health Min: Current R number estimate is 0.9-1.1, following discussions with experts yesterday. R number is complex, not a definitive number, it’s an estimate in all places, compiled by use of quite a number of data sources.

CM: All patients tested when they come in to general hospital. Nightingale Hospital categorically does not have a rat infestation, following investigation

Dep K Morel: Do the Chief Minister or Health Minister consider themselves to be holding the States Assembly in contempt by not having published STAC minutes?

Chief Min: No, all want to see minutes published

Chief Min: Some members of STAC are in hospital theatre etc, the priority is the time of clinicians in getting minutes finalised. Resource has been put in, it gets raised very often. The people providing all this are operating in hospital, which is their priority.

Chief Min: Expecting to see some more STAC minutes put up on website today. Also more later this week, intention is to shift logjam.

Chief Min: We always work on advice. Measures in place for Xmas already represent a tightening of restrictions, compared to what we have today. If trend suggests we need to take further measures or further action to support where we need to be in Jan or Feb, we will do so.