Isle of Man ready to declare virus ‘endemic’

For an ‘appropriate period’ of time a travel declaration will be required from those arriving on the Island, but isolation/testing requirements for both the vaccinated and unvaccinated will be removed and there will be no public health checks on arrival. Travel restrictions will also cease, with the exception of those on the UK Red List with the government continuing to provide a service for PCR testing for international travel. Mandatory isolation following a positive test will no longer be necessary. 

The plans are outlined in the document, ‘Living with COVID-19 - Moving to an Endemic Approach’, and focus on four key areas: borders, community measures, positive cases and contact tracing.

The changes are set to unfold from March 31.

A five-step approach

Five areas will be monitored over the next month, with the government's plans to undo restrictions dependent on their result. They include: That health services are operating normally; vaccines remain available and effective; there is no new variant of concern that may lead to serious consequences; the situation with COVID-19 is stable on the Isle of Man; COVID-19 in the British Isles is also stable. 

Government to take a step back

‘The proposed strategy also highlights that the government will take a step back as society moves further towards normality, but will be prepared to intervene, if necessary,’ said chief minister and member of the House of Keys for the Isle of Man, Alfred Cannan.

’Whilst previous plans have focused on the need to control the spread of the virus, the need now is to focus on the future, to ensure that the Island continues to emerge from the pandemic in a safe and carefully considered way.’

He went on to add, ‘Taking on board advice from Public Health and the latest COVID and vaccination data both locally and internationally, the Council of Ministers feels that the Island is well-placed to move to an endemic approach. This means our community will need to accept that the virus will be here for the long term and that it will be treated in the same way as other communicable diseases such as flu or norovirus.’

Over 90% of the Isle of Man’s population has received two doses of vaccination against COVID-19 – out of that figure, more than 70% have had a booster. The one-month delay in reversing the island’s measures is aimed at ensuring those who are vulnerable have time to build protection against the virus, with residents urged by Cannan to ‘come forward for third doses, boosters and first doses.’

‘The virus has not gone away’

The chief minister nonetheless emphasised that ‘the virus has not gone away and the pandemic is not over yet,' adding, 'the Council of Ministers will closely monitor the situation, and if it continues to remain the same we will look to adopt this approach on March 31.'

The Isle of Man’s director of public health Dr Henrietta Ewart also noted, ‘The current situation in the Isle of Man and the British Isles suggests that we are in a position to change our approach to an endemic one, however I encourage everyone to continue following public health guidance of increased hygiene measures, testing when symptomatic and choosing to have the vaccine when offered.’

She stated that ‘the risk to public health is considerably reduced’ owing to less severity with the omicron strain of COVID-19 and said the availability of antiviral treatments means there is ‘another level of protection’ for those who are vulnerable if they contract the illness.