Covid: Isolation and testing rules tightened at Isle of Man border

There are currently 620 active Covid cases on the island - but the Omicron variant has not been detected

Anyone travelling to the Isle of Man from outside the Common Travel Area will have to isolate and take a Covid-19 test, the chief minister has said.

Face masks will also now be mandatory on public transport and in all heath care settings, and will be "expected" in shops and schools.

Alfred Cannan said the measures were in response to the detection of the Omicron variant in the UK.

The changes come into force at 04:00 GMT on Tuesday.

The measures were discussed by the island's National Covid Response Group on Sunday, before being approved by the Council of Ministers.

Mr Cannan said the government was "mindful of the need for a proportionate response" to the possible threat the new variant of concern may pose.

'Heightened state of awareness'

He said a total of 22 people have been identified as having travelled to the island from southern Africa in the past 10 days, three of whom have since left.

All of the remaining 19 had agreed to undergo testing and the results received so far had come back negative, he added.

Under the new rules, fully vaccinated people who arrive from outside the Common Travel Area must self-isolate immediately on arrival, and take a PCR test within 48 hours.

Unvaccinated travellers will have to follow the existing seven-day pathway.

Those travelling from within the UK, Ireland, and the Channel Islands will be required to take a lateral flow test within 12 hours of arrival and report the result.

Mr Cannan said: "We have determined that, given the uncertainty surrounding this new variant, we should now raise the island to a heightened state of awareness.

"As Omicron has not yet been detected on the Island, we assess the greatest risk at present to be from those arriving on our shores."