Covid: Manx Hospital and care home visits to restart next week

Visits and face-to-face appointments were scrapped last month over Covid fears

A suspension to visiting at Isle of Man government-run hospitals and care homes will be lifted next week, Manx Care has said.

Pre-booked visits will be permitted from Monday, along with the return of face-to-face outpatient appointments.

It comes after restrictions were put in place at the end of December following a surge in community spread of Covid.

Manx Care chief executive Teresa Cope said it had been deemed safe to reopen following a review.

The "difficult" measures were needed to protect patients and keep staff absences to a minimum, she added.

Director of social care Sally Shaw said Manx Care was "incredibly grateful to those individuals who stepped in to cover extra shifts" over the two-week suspension.

The island currently has 1,571 active Covid cases, while 10 people are in hospital.