Public views crucial to Isle of Man Covid review, lawyer says

Kate Brunner has called for members of the Manx community to get in touch with the review

Public input is "crucial" to a review of the Manx government's handling of the coronavirus pandemic, the lawyer heading up the probe has said.

Kate Brunner was appointed to lead the independent review last August.

The team is calling for members of the public to share their stories after it already gathered documentation and verbal evidence from the government.

Ms Brunner said hearing from the community was vital to be able to write a "robust and accurate report".

The review, which will cover the period from December 2019 up to the removal of restrictions in April 2022, was approved by Tynwald in November 2021.

It will investigate aspects of the government's handling of the pandemic including border closures, quarantine procedures, online learning and support schemes.

'Both sides'

Drop-in sessions are set to be held on 29 and 30 March, and written submissions can be sent via the review team's website.

Focus groups will also be set up to concentrate on specific areas of the pandemic and people have been urged to get in touch with the team to join one or arrange their own.

Ms Brunner encouraged people to "think really actively about whether they might be able to bring a group of people together and then get in touch".

While it was "obviously important for the government to evaluate itself and to look back", she said she needed to hear both sides.

"What's really important to me is to hear the other side of that, so not just from the decision makers, but also from the people on the receiving end," she said.

"An absolutely crucial part of my job in writing a robust and accurate report is to hear from both sides.

"The really import thing to remember is that I don't have your contact details Manx public, but you have mine."