Covid-19: Eight new cases identified in Manx cluster

A total of 470 people have tested positive for Covid-19 since the start of the pandemic

Eight new Covid-19 cases have been identified on the Isle of Man taking the number in the latest cluster to 33.

All were close contacts of infected individuals and had been in self-isolation, the government said.

The outbreak originated from an island-based member of ferry crew, who tested positive for the virus last week.

Chief Minister Howard Quayle said on Tuesday that he believed outbreak had been "contained" but it could still require a "heightened response".

The figure is the highest daily rise since the cluster was discovered.

There are currently no social distancing measures on the Isle of Man, though anyone arriving must self-isolate for at least 14 days.

Several venues around the island have been identified as places visited by people who went on to test positive for the virus.

Most have been deemed low-risk but customers at a noodle bar in Douglas were told to self-isolate after a second case was linked to the site.

Contact tracing is under way for the new cases who would remain in self-isolation with their households, a government spokeswoman said.

Some 470 people have tested positive for coronavirus on the Isle of Man, 25 of whom have died.

There are currently 35 active cases on the island, two of which are unconnected to the recent cluster and were identified through the testing regime for recent arrivals.