IOM GOV UPDATE – 12TH NOV

HOWARD, DAVID & HENNY

THANK YOU FOR TAKING THE TIME TO WATCH US TODAY

COVID UPDATE

AT THE WEEKEND THERE WAS A DEATH FROM COVID, WE EXTEND OUR CONDOLENCES WITH THE FAMILY

THAT BRINGS THE TOTAL NUMBER OF DEATHS TO 25

THIS REMINDS US OF THE DANGERS COVID POSES TO OUR ISLAND

CASES

SIX NEW CASES THIS WEEK

NINE ACTIVE CASES IN TOTAL

HQ – WE USE THE DEFINITION OF COMMUNITY TRANSMISSION FROM WHO (WORLD HEALTH ORGANISATION)

‘BUT I ALWAYS SET OUT TO BE HONEST – LET’S NOT GET INTO SEMANTICS. SOME OF THE CASES CAME FROM ISLAND TRANSMISSION’

BUT SPORADIC CASES AREN’T A SURPRISE

CLUSTER

WE HAVE HAD A CLUSTER SIMILAR TO GUERNSEY

BUT

UNLIKE THEIR CLUSTER WE CAN TRACE ALL THE CASES BACK FROM THE SAME CHAIN

THE ORIGINAL TRANSMISSION IS FROM SOMEONE WHO TRAVELLED TO THE ISLAND

ALL HIGH-RISK CONTACTS HAVE BEEN TRACED AND ARE IN SELF ISO EVEN CONTACTS WHO GOT A NEGATIVE TEST

HOUSEHOLDS

AT THE MOMENT EVERYONE WHO VISITS THE ISLAND MUST ISOLATE

WHAT HAS NOT BEEN REQUIRED HAS BEEN WHOLE HOUSEHOLDS TO ISOLATE

WE HAVE NOT SEEN ANY SPREAD THROUGH HOUSEHOLDS, BUT GIVEN THE RESURGENCE, INCREASE OF CASES IN UK AND NUMBER OF STUDENTS RETURNING – ‘WE SOUGHT ADVICE: WHOLE HOUSEHOLD ISOLATION.’

FROM ONE MINUTE PAST MIDNIGHT, THURSDAY 19TH NOVEMBER WHOLE HOUSEHOLDS WILL HAVE TO ISOLATE

THE COM (COUNCIL OF MINISTERS) THINK THIS CHANGE IS THE BEST WAY TO KEEP THE GREAT MANX PUBLIC SAFE

GOV WILL PROVIDE ONE-OFF PACKAGE FOR PEOPLE WHO NEED TO ISOLATE SEPARATELY

GOV PACKAGE

• CONTRIBUTION UP TO £250 A WEEK ON ACCOMMODATION

• AMOUNT MORE THAN THIS HAS TO BE COVERED BY INDIVIDUAL

• THIS PACKAGE IS A ONE-OFF AND CAN ONLY BE USED ONCE

VACCINE

ENCOURAGING NEWS ON VACCINE FRONT

SOME WAY TO GO, BUT A MILESTONE TOWARDS A SAFE AND EFFECTIVE VACCINE

A MASS IOM VACCINATION PROGRAMME IS SOME WAY OFF, BUT WE ARE PLANNING TO PROVIDE AN EFFECTIVE AND EFFICIENT SCHEME

DESPITE THIS PROMISING SIGN, LET’S NOT BE COMPLACENT

ADHERE TO BASICS:

• BE AWARE OF SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS

• PRACTICE SAFE HYGIENE

• ISOLATE WHEN TOLD TO DO SO

THIS WILL HELP PROTECT THE GREAT MANX PUBLIC

QNS

SAM: THE NEW RULES REGARDING WHOLE HOUSE ISOLATION: WILL THIS INCLUDE THE FAMILIES OF PEOPLE WHO GO TO OFF-ISLAND MEDICAL APPOINTMENTS REGULARLY? THIS COULD HAVE A BIG IMPACT ON THE FAMILIES.

HQ -THIS CONCERNS A SMALL NUMBER OF PEOPLE, BUT WE WILL EXTEND THE 7 DAY TESTING FOR THE WHOLE HOUSEHOLD. WE CAN’T HAVE WHOLE FAMILIES IN CONTINUAL ISOLATION.

BBC ALEX: WHAT’S THE IMPACT OF THIS NEW ISOLATION POLICY ON STUDENTS? WILL YOU BE DOING EVERYTHING YOU CAN FOR THEM?

HQ – WE’RE OFFERING TO WORK WITH PRIVATE SECTOR, PAYING A SIGNIFICANT CHUNK OF ACCOMMODATION COSTS. WE’RE NOT FORCING THEM TO ISOLATE AWAY FROM HOME. WE ARE DOING SOMETHING THAT MANY OTHER STUDENTS HAVE DONE: IT’S A SENSIBLE PRECAUTION.

LEANNE: COULD YOU CLARIFY WHY YOU MADE THE DECISION FOR THE NEW SELF-ISO POLICY TO START NEXT WEEK?

HQ: WE WANTED TO GIVE PEOPLE NOTICE, SO THEY CAN PREPARE.

THERE’S THE 250 QUID A WEEK FOR PEOPLE ISOLATING, BUT ARE THERE ANY OTHER INITIATIVES FOR PEOPLE HAVING TO ISOLATE?

PEOPLE WILL HAVE TO HAVE CONSIDERED THESE THINGS IF THEY HAVE DECIDED TO GO AWAY. IF THERE IS A NEED FOR SUPPORT, THE MEANS ARE THERE WITH SOCIAL SECURITY.

PAUL: RUMOUR IS: THE GOV KNEW ABOUT THE ON-ISLAND TRANSITION ON TUESDAY, BUT DID NOT COMMUNICATE THIS TO THE PUBLIC ON WEDNESDAY. CAN YOU CONFIRM THAT YOU KNEW ABOUT THIS ON TUESDAY?

ASHY – PAUL, WE DON’T GIVE INFO OUT TO THE PUBLIC ABOUT CASES UNTIL WE HAVE DONE CONTACT TRACING. I DID NOT KNOW ABOUT THE CASES UNTIL YESTERDAY

HENRIETTA – WE WERE WORKING ON CONTACT TRACING UNTIL LATE EVENING ON TUESDAY NIGHT, AND COMPLETED CONTACT TRACING THE NEXT MORNING. THERE WAS NOTHING OF PUBLIC INTEREST TO COMMUNICATE OF PUBLIC INTEREST AT THAT POINT.

PAUL – SHOULD THE INFORMATION HAVE BEEN SHARED BEFORE?

HQ – IT WASN’T A COMMUNITY TRANSMISSION (AS DEFINED BY WHO) SO WE WENT ON ADVICE ON OUR MEDICS

WE DON’T HOLD BACK ON INFORMATION, WE GIVE IT OUT WHEN WE CAN