The British Army have arrived on the Isle of Wight this weekend as the coronavirus crisis continues, with 25 confirmed cases and 4 deaths locally.
Soldiers, believed to be from the Scots Guards, have taken up residence on the Island tonight (Saturday) and are expected to help local authorities in managing the developing situation, which could include building field hospitals, distributing personal protective equipment and other logistical activities.
It’s thought that up to 40 troops have been mobilised to the Isle of Wight but it is unclear if they will be here for days, weeks or months. There has been no official word from the Isle of Wight Council, the Ministry of Defence nor the Isle of Wight NHS Trust.
As previously reported by Island Echo, military planners have been working with the Isle of Wight NHS Trust to identify ways of significantly increasing bed capacity at both the St Mary’s Hospital site in Newport and at other locations around the Island.
The Army’s first job is expected to be converting parts of the hospital into wards. Work has already taken place with local resources with the Intensive Care Unit increased from 6 ventilated beds to 18, with further plans to increase this to 45.
Island Echo revealed yesterday that several large mobile refrigeration units have been shipped to the Island to act as a temporary mortuary in order to deal with a rise in deaths locally, should it be required.
It was confirmed earlier today that another person has sadly died from coronavirus on the Isle of Wight, bringing the total number of deaths locally to 4.
The latest victim is said to be a man in his 90s. He had underlying health conditions. All 4 deaths on the Island have been men aged in their 70s, 80s and 90s.
Official figures from Public Health England show that there are a total of 25 confirmed cases of coronavirus on the Isle of Wight as of 4th April. Nationally, the number of people who have tested positive for the deadly virus has reached in excess of 41,000 and there have been 4,313 deaths.
It has been revealed that 5 people treated at St Mary’s Hospital, who had tested positive for COVID-19, have now recovered and have been discharged.
They would be more use breaking skulls of the low life here making normal people’s lives even worse, as they do.
Martial law, shoot thieves and those damaging property or drug dealing
Let’s get society decent by force, as it doesn’t happen by ‘giving’ more or being kind, seen as what it is, weakness in times of crisis.
Oh dont worry,your wish will be the governments blessing. Watching with interest
Well said. Not island I grew up on.
Scaring people into being good I’m sure that’ll work out well on the island
Well scaring the world that we are all going to die seems to have work! Watching with interest
I’m delighted it’s the British Army. Would hate it if it was a foreign invasion so soon after leaving Europe. . So we should use force and start shooting people should we. I would say get out more but you can’t. Stop reading right wing propaganda press
Bullshit…. We’re is the army based on the island
Cowes
Newport Football Club
Looking at the photos probably in the Riverside Centre on Newport quay.
So happy to hear of 5 recoveries at St Marys Thanks to the Staff for their part in that.. RIP those who didnt make it.. And thank goodness we have some back up re milatary now. Scary to see the refrigerators.. but preparation includes that. Keep Safe everyone, Stay home as much as possible.
It’s a scam wake up!! Watch David Icke and learn b4 too late!!
I think one really has to be incredibly stupid to believe this virus. London hospitals are not overcrowded, they are lying blantly. It’s actually shocking how much the gov lies and doesn’t get their stories straight about the virus. What’s more shocking is that many are just sheeple and will never wake up, some even queue up volunteeringly to be vaccinated. Shocking is understatement, government knows that vast majority are sheeple and will allow to be fooled regardless. The ones who know truth won’t achieve much because there is safety in numbers. Lost case
Ann
Perhaps you would like an all expenses paid, no PPE allowed tour around one of the hospitals in London, then after 14 days give us the real story, it would be really interesting to know if you still have the same opinion you have now. Or more to the point if you are still breathing on your own.
Yes its difficult to wake up and hear this l.0.W news but it has to be…l still saw in cowes groups of 10 men cycling together stopping for chats and not keeping a safe distance.lt begs believing..let’s hope they read today’s news and see hope vital lt is a all help each other by observing all precautions…have a good day everyone and when this is over l hope millions of people will rethink their lives for the better and our planet .
Hopefully they will go sort out trouble in Sandown
A warm welcome to anyone who is here to help, who knows they may well help with the idiots in Sandown too.
Yes it is a warm welcome but this island has 1000s of locals that are willing to help so why not ask the locals first?
The locals have been asked to assist with community support and 400 had signed up by last weekend. I’m sure there are more now.
Hopefully there will be an explanation forthcoming soon.
I’m sure they are only here to help with logistics but the unexpected and unexplained arrival of armed forces during a time of emergency can cause people to jump to conclusions and panic.
Why didn’t the IW Council say at the very beginning, to turn Camp Hill into a hospital for the people with the virus. That way they would be away from the main hospital & the nhs could’ve had a rota with staff who had been only staff allowed in or out. Then it would be contained in one place.
They should setup a couple road blocks. Catch the people going for a drive when they don’t need to. Seen a group show up at their friends house and go in. “Hello mate how you doing? Yer good mate, glad you could come over….come in……”
You can not do this. Say in YOUR home.
Better still let’s all have I’d papers(ww2) we could all get micro chipped, that’s fail proof. That will stop em. If they try to drive through the road blocks,well they are the army,they have guns. Watching with interest.
Ok, I will try again,see if they take my post down again! Seems someone doesnt like my opinion, and doent post my comments. But then again I suppose we all better get use to being told to be quiet.
There appears to be a shortage of correct PPE across the Island in all areas including GP surgeries,Nursing and Residential homes ,District Teams and voluntary organisation and of course our front line services many of whom are relying on donation of kit from builders and those wonderful people who are making face guards.
Come on get this kit out now,there is a chronic short of nurses and carers and we can not afford to lose them from form there roles because there is no others able to take their places. Who is going to look after our old and vulnerable if we lose these dedicated people.
Quite right..km sure l had this awful virus back in November. Never been so I’ll so lf people like me could be tested l could help..so worried for frightened elderly people who could feel so much better with a cherie chat or any help…
Well done the Scots Guards or whatever unit is deployed to assist the Island Community. We support our NHS and supporting organisations 100%
May God bless you all and keep you safe.
Yes, keep you safe.
Do you really need the army for that? That’s a job literally anyone else could do.
Ummm I don’t think so
So you are saying the Isle of Wight doesn’t have a single builder around? Or anyone that can hand someone some PPE?
Anyone can set up a field hospital can they?
Don’t think was an invitation from the public mate.
Its likely the troops are there for a later phase…….probably to organize the mandatory vaccinations when they decide to roll them out. guard the supply, protect whoever will administer it etc…….possibly ‘help’ reluctant folks make the ‘right’ decision….the government is always thinking ahead.
If that happens I’ll hang myself.
Got the rope right here
My friend in these hazardous times its senseless to harm yourself, why not let things play out instead?, you lose nothing by doing so, this is an historical event, the world is changing, don’t you want to know how the story ends?. I do 🙂 don’t give in.
We have builders, carpenters, plumbers, electricians and architects sitting idle on the island already so slightly confused as to why the army is needed for a fairly simple building job.
Ha ha,has the penny dropped yet? Watching with interest.
Was trying not to alarm people by suggesting they might be here to support the police when the government make the announcement that is coming just after the easter break.
Original Mark.. yes but think of the drama.
Sad to think that people’s loved ones will be put into a modified shipping container in a car park. Must be a better way we have had plenty of time to plan this
With a bit of luck the scum bags who vandalised the war memorial will bump into these guys
Very well said
This could have been avoided. Lock your Island down, keep visitors out! Stay safe please xx
lock I o w down no body in or out unless they swim
Everyone off who wasn’t born here.
what a stupid thing to say
Yes Val, we’ve just had a truckload of visitors dressed in camouflage!
I agree why didnt they..l have a friend who dashed to her elderly parents on an lsland ln Greece where they live..no virus until last week and no hospital…she is so worried..its a lesson to us all not to live too far away from amenities when we get older or others end up having to look after us and put their lives on hold…we are an lsland it could have been isolated for the sake of the residents…
And so it begins…
Maybe some can be deployed to the Ferry ports to check essential travel..the cases are increasing and still the ferry is bringing over 2nd home owners. Ridiculous. Our hospital and hard working staff will not cope . People are selfish inflicting this on residents, mostly elderly population here.
Yes I agree, hopefully there here to assist the police if needed also.
jolliffe I did watch them “assist” the police during the miners strike, I didn’t like what I saw!
I didn’t much like the miners slashing horses with razor blades either!
mollify, Cavalry charges into crowds of Men women and children Wasn’t a very brave tactic. And even your queen was discussed at one point.
I would like to say thankyou to all our hard working dedicated nhs. Even though you must be afraid of catching this terrible virus yourselves you still carry on regardless. SHAME on the people in parts of the UK who went out in the sun yesterday to meet up with friends or family. Do you think your immune to catching it? Think again!!!
The last time we had a contingent of Scots Guards drafted to the Island, was, I believe, on the orders of Queen Victoria, in the 1800’s, to ” pump some fresh blood into the Island population”. So she did have a sense of humour!!
Hahaha so funny
The soldiers will not be mixing with their families as would electricians, builders, etc.
Hopefully they will sort out the cunt neighbours I have underneath me, proper scummy chav pricks constantly slamming doors ,banging on ceilings, unnecessary NOISE.
The Island is full of them, sadly. They’ve increased their scummy numbers in droves for decades now.
We just need to keep 5G off the Island.