Covid: Manx residents react to third island lockdown

The new measures mean people are once again required to stay at home except for exercise

People on the Isle of Man have described their "disappointment" at entering a third Covid-19 lockdown but have vowed to beat the virus again.

All social distancing was scrapped for a second time in February, but a rise in cases has brought fresh curbs.

Chief Minister Howard Quayle said the 21-day circuit-breaker would "stamp out" the outbreak.

A total of 17 new cases were identified on the island overnight, the highest daily rise since April 2020.

Some positive tests have been linked to a ferry crew member, while others remain unexplained.

'Huge blow'

Island resident Cathy Clucas said she was "disappointed" with the decision to enter a lockdown.

She said it was unfortunate that, due to a minority, "the majority are to suffer again".

"Repeated lockdowns are forcing decent, law-abiding and hard-working people towards debt."

Pub owner Andy Saunders has had to pour away much of his stock due to the lockdown

Andy Saunders, owner of the Quids Inn pub in Douglas, said another lockdown coming so quickly after the last one in January was "a real threat and I'm concerned whether this business will survive".

"We have got beer in the cellars that will have to go down the drain," he added.

"It is a huge blow for any small business."

'Only way out'

Shauna Power, of Douglas, said the restrictions had come as a "relief" and the island "should have been in lockdown two weeks ago".

"We have been very lucky and because the community has done what they are told, we have been able to come out of lockdown quickly before", she added.

Restrictions came back into force at 00:01 GMT on Wednesday

Fellow Douglas resident Katie Kitchener said she believed the restrictions were the "only way to get out of the situation we are in now", adding that she felt less strict measures could have been taken earlier.

"I do feel quite optimistic and think we can definitely do it again and we can be back to normal in three or four weeks," she said.

John Garrood, of Braddan, said the lockdown was a "pity", but it "felt like it was coming for a few days".

"We are so lucky here to have been in a better situation than in the UK," he added.

'Greater financial challenges'

Measures brought in during the 21-day lockdown to limit the spread of Covid-19 are:

• People must stay at home other than for essential travel or exercise

• Schools and nurseries must close to most pupils, except for vulnerable children and those of key workers

• Non-essential businesses must close, though pubs, restaurants and cafes can offer a takeaway service

• Face coverings must be worn on public transport and are "strongly advised" elsewhere

• Household mixing of any size is banned

• The island's border remains heavily restricted

A total of 494 people have tested positive for the virus on the island

Financial support schemes, which were available during the two previous lockdowns, have been reactivated with increased payments for applicants.

The Manx Earnings Replacement Allowance has risen from £200 per week to £230, while the salary support scheme has gone from £280 to £310 each week.

Treasury Minister Alfred Cannan said he was "concerned" that two lockdowns in quick succession would "cause greater financial challenges".

In addition to schools closing to most pupils, some children and teachers at two sites have been told to isolate after several students tested positive for the virus

There are currently 70 active cases of coronavirus on the island.

Analysis: Alex Bell, BBC News Isle of Man reporter

If pride comes before a fall, the Isle of Man's three-legged emblem is surely nursing a grazed knee.

Less than a month after basking in liberation - with schools, shops, cafés and nightclubs full - the shutters have once again come down.

The previous circuit-break lockdown carried a certain jingoism. People had banished the virus once, and we were ready to do it again.

This time there's beleaguered resentment, a sense that this setback could have been avoided.

Ministers have been accused of dithering and failing to act decisively as cases began to rise in February. The island's long-term exit strategy, due out last week, has been pushed back indefinitely.

There's also uncomfortable equivocation over a ferry worker who slipped the virus back across the border.

As spring-like optimism grows in the UK, winter lingers on the island; back in lockdown, cases on the rise and the end of the pandemic feeling more distant than ever.