The Economic Development Minister says Jersey will look to create travel corridors this summer with smaller countries, islands or regions that have low numbers of Covid-19.

During the first States sitting of 2021, Deputy Inna Gardiner asked whether Senator Lyndon Farnham would consider that as a way to help the hospitality industry, whilst also allowing islanders to travel.

He called it an excellent idea.

"We want to try and attract visitors to Jersey, but only if it’s safe to do so, and I think when we look to our neighbouring Channel Islands and the Crown Dependencies and perhaps some other regions, with very low levels of Covid-19, there are certainly opportunities to do that.

"We are also seeing vaccination programmes ramping up in many of our countries so I very much hope that we will start being able to safely see a return for our visitors probably towards the middle to the end of the summer."

Deputy Gardiner suggested engaging with smaller jurisdictions, given that the UK and mainland Europe 'may not be out of the woods' by the summer.

England remains in lockdown, Scotland has extended its shutdown, and France and Germany are still under heavy restrictions.

All other jurisdictions, bar Guernsey, are currently rated as red on Jersey's safe travel list, requiring ten days isolation on arrival.

Jersey's hospitality industry is still closed down, apart from for takeaways, because of the spike in coronavirus cases before Christmas.

Details on a new package of financial support for struggling businesses, that was originally expected last week, is now due to be revealed this week.

Ministers are meeting today to receive STAC recommendations on whether to ease Covid-19 restrictions further.

If agreed, non-essential shops, indoor recreation and close contact services could be allowed to resume from Monday 25 January.