Jersey Farming Conference 11 November 2021 - COVID concerns

 

I attended the Jersey Farming Conference today 11 November 2021 and wore a face mask.

I was the only person there who did wear a mask for this all-day event which ran from 9.00 am to 3.45pm. Presumably all attendees received similar emails a few days before the conference date that  the event was to run “adhering to Public Health guidelines on events and gatherings.”

This further stressed that attendees were “strongly advised to wear face coverings” and increase their lateral flow testing.

 Several speakers at the conference had arrived from the UK especially for this event, which was also attended by ministers Senator Farnham, Deputies Morel and Guida (who all spoke) besides other States members who sat among the audience and generally circulated.

 The seating provision at this conference was very closely spaced (as my video indicates) and I thought (from memory) there were only 80 tickets available and others wanting to attend should do so “on-line.”

 

I have no idea if the farming community habitually ignores safety precautions in their working life, but it did seem extraordinary that I was the only person present in any capacity who was masked.

An organizer even explained to me that a box of 50 masks had been made available at the entrance for anybody who wanted one, but this had “disappeared” by the end of the day.

 

During the course of the day’s presentations I attempted to ask a question from the floor about the lack of masks being worn but was told that questions were only being allowed on-line.

 I raised it again with several speakers and an organizer and was told that the “strong advice” was only a recommendation and could not be enforced.

 

It is a pity that this instructive and important conference was allowed to proceed as described here whereas “COVID” supposedly remains as a very real and dangerous threat to our well-being.