Covid: Isle of Man ferry crews 'owed apology' over isolation confusion

The report said poor communication contributed to the island's third lockdown

Isle of Man ferry workers are owed an apology from the government over confusion about isolation rules, the operator has said.

A recent report highlighted poor communication between the government and Isle of Man Steam Packet Company regarding isolation between shifts.

An inquiry was launched after a Covid outbreak linked to a ferry worker led to the island's third lockdown.

Steam Packet chief executive Mark Woodward said crews were "vilified".

He said crew members had "selflessly put themselves in harm's way every day" and the impact of the confusion on them had been "considerable".

He said: "It is my firm belief that the company and the crew, in particular, are owed an apology for these statements."

The inquiry found a number of failings by both government officials and the ferry company prior to the outbreak.

'Good faith'

Although the government had said publicly that a corporate direction notice issued to Steam Packet bosses obliged all crew members to isolate outside working hours, the wording of the document itself meant that was not clearly extended to those who were island-based.

The investigation found the documentation issued by the Cabinet Office to allow Manx ferry crew members to return to the island each day had not been valid at the time after changes to regulations for key workers.

However, the report concluded staff had "acted in good faith" with the information they had been given at the time, and it was unlikely any action against them would be enforceable.

It also stated there had been a "lack of prioritisation" in resolving issues with the ferry operator throughout the pandemic.

In the House of Keys on Tuesday, Chief Minister Howard Quayle apologised for "missed opportunities" to prevent the island's third virus outbreak but stopped short of apologising to the company.