Coronavirus Isle of Man: Lockdown 'to be eased in six phases'

The coronavirus restrictions will be lifted in six phases

The reopening of the Isle of Man's border is still a "considerable time off", the chief minister has said.

Restoring free travel to and from the island would be the last phase of a six-stage plan to lift the coronavirus restrictions, Howard Quayle told Tynwald.

The framework will see a gradual return to work for all sectors, including the tourism industry.

No firm timeline has been set for the rollout of subsequent phases.

Decisions will be based on the latest data on the spread of Covid-19 and its impact on health services, along with the economic and social pressures of the lockdown measures.

The first phase was rolled out on Friday, when the government lifted some travel restrictions and limits on exercise time, Mr Quayle said.

The next steps are:

• Phase two - reopening non-essential retail shops and services

• Phase three - reopening restaurants and cafes

• Phase four - reopening lifestyle and tourism businesses

• Phase five - reopening bars and nightclubs

• Phase six - reopening the island's borders

A decision on when the second phase might be rolled out will be made "on or around" 8 May - two weeks after the implementation of phase one.

Any relaxation of the border closure "may well be in incremental steps" and will depend on "clinical advice and the viral load of the UK", Mr Quayle said.

"Nearer the time we will of course look into - once we've seen how phases one to five have worked - how best to implement the sixth stage."

More detailed information about the plans is set to be published by the end of the week.

The island's border was closed on 27 March.

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