Our commissioner, Emma Martins, made the following statement on 17 March 2020:
"The current public health situation presents our community and the world at large with extraordinary and fast evolving challenges which are increasingly affecting every aspect our lives both from a personal and professional perspective.
In recent weeks at the ODPA, we have been working hard to ensure our business continuity plans are updated and strengthened in response to developments. The safety and wellbeing of our staff is a priority. We are part of the community we serve and owe it to ourselves and the wider community to conduct ourselves responsibly. We are also committed to delivering on our statutory duties as best we can but recognise that, as a small team, this may become more challenging if staff need to self-isolate or become unwell.
It is impossible to predict what the next few weeks and months will bring but we will continue to work hard to fulfil our responsibilities, as an employer and a regulator, as best we can. If this means we are more difficult to contact or take more time to respond to communications, I want to offer my personal apologies in advance whilst reassuring everyone that we are doing everything we can to minimise possible disruption.
Situations like this will inevitably bring out the best in people, but it will also bring out the worst. You will likely come across ‘fake news’ and you may well be targeted by scammers as they seek to exploit the current uncertainty and fear. Choose your news and information sources carefully and don’t click on links unless you know they are legitimate.
For updated information about the Bailiwick of Guernsey please see -
https://www.gov.gg/covid19resources
The word ‘community’ comes from the Latin ‘
communis’ meaning ‘common, public, shared by all or many’. We are all part of a global as well as local community and share the challenges and concerns. We also share the commitment to get through this difficult time by working together in a responsible and practical way."
Emma Martins Data Protection Commissioner (Bailiwick of Guernsey)
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