IoM Gov Briefing 1st July

David, Dr Al, Dr Henny

Good afternoon everyone

Howard is busy so Dave is stepping in 

Borders eased on Monday 

The latest easing and new pathway mean people can come with no testing or iso, if they tick the following boxes;

• Must be travelling from the common travel area
• Must be double vaxxed with a legit jab
• Two weeks since you’ve had your second dose

Numbers on the visitors;

• 4k have applied
• 600 arrived on Monday 
• 358 on Tuesday 
• 552 yesterday 
• 1000 booked ahead of the bank hol 

48 hour turnaround time on applications

The team are working hard to get through the application process, patience, please

Dr Henny 

Border changes are good news for travelling BUT there’s obvs a risk of imported cases. We’re already seeing them 

2+2 people have a good level of protection 

Vaccination = significant protection BUT it doesn’t eliminate the risk

Test + Release pathway still an option for those without 2+2

The risk of Covid moving around the community does exist 

Vax programme = Firewall 

Still a risk for those not fully vaccinated 

MESSAGE: Be careful and take responsibility 

HANDS, FACE SPACE, FRESH AIR

Thanks

David

Nice one Hen, ventilation is a good point. Let that fresh Manx air in where possible 

Stay home if you have symptoms – call 111 even if fully vaxxed 

You’ll remember Princess Peaches from Gef’s helpful understanding of border level 2.5 – Like Princess Peaches, you can’t visit healthcare settings within 10 days of returning if you are in the test and release pathway 

Turn up for your Covid test on the time allocated please, if you turn up early, you won’t get your results quicker. Only turn up at your booked slot 

It can take up to 48 hours for results to return, be patient, don’t be a pest 

Dr Al

*Nice striped shirt 

Good luck with your exams and grades kids

Exciting times, but it’s also a nervous time for some kids who are going on to big school 

Thanks to St Nin’s for staying cool and calm with the recent cases

I know parents are concerned. Four kids across two schools have tested positive. Focussed contact tracing underway 

Mitigations = lateral flow tests, face coverings (if you wish), hands, face, space messaging and fresh Manx air 

We need to look after our own health and encourage others to do the same

David

We should all do our part and monitor symptoms 

If you have symptoms, isolate and call 111

New phrase: DON’T GUESS, GET A TEST 

Let’s talk about VAX baby, Let’s talk about you and me. Let’s talk about E-FIC-ICAY. 

All good things: Less likely to be hospitalised

All the bad things: Well you might end up in hospital 

Smashing through the jabs 

James Redmond had the 100k vax

Half of the adult population are double vaxxed 

Don’t forget your 2nd jab folks. Two doses are highly effective. Makes sense

Side effects are minor and less severe than C-19 

JUST GET JABBED

NHS APP

Optimistic it will switch on shortly 

But it won’t hinder the application for vax exemption for travel. Check out the website 

Don’t talk to your GP for a vax certificate, blocking the phone lines for people who need to speak to their GP for medical reasons

Vax certificate is through a hard copy certificate or App 

Questions 

Paul: Symptoms – Headaches, Other countries adding them, UK Gov is listing headaches. What’s the craic?

David: Well there are loads that aren’t there. We’re focussing on the MAJOR ones from ECDC

Dr H: ONS study flagged headache and cough main symptoms. ZOE app-based study is not a formal paper but it presents data that people who’ve tested positive and people who’ve had 2+2 jab may get non-specific symptoms like runny nose etc. But this may be from causally related symptoms like hay fever etc. 

Paul: Dr Al, some school kids and parents being told to iso, but some of these parents are 2+2 and are being told to iso is that normal?

Dr Al: Thanks. Kids aren’t being told to self iso. If we get a positive case, we’re taking a nuanced approach. We haven’t sent entire classes or year groups homes, just close contacts are being asked to self iso. Fully vaxxed people will be assessed by 111. Trying to target this, rather than a blanket ban.

Paul: Some people want to keep their kids off school as they are worried…

Dr Al: Totally get it. But we’re out of the state of emergency, should send your kids if you can. If you’re super concerned, discuss it with your headteacher. We’re not gonna send parents to Jurby for being worried

Ewan: Fastyr Mie. Cronk Y Berry. You didn’t name the school, but you want people to be informed?

Dr Al: Thanks Media, I love you. I know most people read the Gef updates rather than watching the stream. The first priority in comms is making sure the headteacher, students and school community know what is happening. We needed to chat to the school first rather than broadcasting it. 

*Steps up the Sass* We’re trying to make sure that those directly affected knows first 

David: Not about cases anymore. There will be circulation in the community. We won’t be rushing out with press releases, we’ll be dealing with things individually 

Ewan: Lateral Flow Tests… Some travelling to Northern Ireland can’t get them and don’t know where to get access to an LFT?

David: Private PCR tests are available for private travel

‘My crystal ball is foggy’ (unlike Mystic Chess’s)

Paul H: Is another lockdown ruled out?

David: Initial lockdown was based on health service pressure. It’s about wellness moving forward and monitoring serious illness and hospitalisation. Focus on health service capacity rather than case numbers. 

Sam: Let’s turn to the issue of travel. What’s the craic with green zone countries? What happens when people have topped up their tans and want to come back to the rock?

David: Seven-day isolation. Test day one and test day six. 

Sam: Staying with travel. What happens if someone is returning on a flight, but someone is positive on the flight?

David: If they are 2+2 they are sound

Leanne: What is the tipping point for closing schools?

Dr Al: Great Question. If one kid tests positive and everyone else is negative, then you’re confident it hasn’t spread further. Trying to do it in a proportionate way.

Health implications for young people are relatively small. Trying to resist the temptation to overreact. 

Leanne: When you jabbing kids?

David: Waiting for the experts to tell us. Wide scientific debate. No official guidance yet.

Henny: Kids are usually asymptomatic or have mild disease. So have to ask, what are we trying to achieve? As risk is low. 

Closing

Sharing our pretty little Island with people and new border loosening can make people nervous

We’re keeping an eye on things 

HAPPY TYNWALD WEEKEND 🇮🇲

This coverage is not intended to be a verbatim transcript and should not be treated as such, you can listen to the full briefing here.