The towns of Brading and Sandown are the worst areas on the Isle of Wight for COVID-19 infections, with 109 cases recorded in the 7 days up until New Year’s Eve.
Data from Gov.uk shows that the certain areas of the PO36 postcode – which include Brading, Alverstone, Yarbridge, Yaverland and Sandown – are well above average for infections, with a rate of 1155.9 per 100,000 population. This makes the virus more prevalent in these small communities than most places in the UK.
Neighbouring Lake and Shanklin are not faring too well either, with 89 cases in the 7 days up until 31st December – a rolling rate of 994.5.
Other areas which are particularly struggling with COVID-19 at the moment include Ryde South with 76 cases (a rate of 866.7) and Cowes West, Gurnard and Northwood with 72 rases and a rate of 836.4.
The Island’s average infection rate is 687.7 per 100,000. The lowest rate of infection can be found, unsurprisingly, in Yarmouth and Freshwater with just 18 cases (189.7).
Many Islanders have been questioning how the Isle of Wight has gone from being one of the safest places in the country to one of the worst in just a matter of weeks. Some commentators have blamed an influx of mainland visitors when tighter restrictions were imposed elsewhere, whilst others have said that the Island community simply became too complacent.
It’s evident that the new variant of COVID-19 has well and truly reached the Island with 1,104 cases confirmed in just 5 days. 1,679 cases had been recorded from the start of the pandemic until the end of 2020.
My daughter a hospital worker in Portsmouth is on the Fishbourne ferry right now 8:00 going to work. It is busy with families with children how can that be happening. When are ferry companies, police or local authorities going to do what the law now requires. Also what are they thinking.
Hopefully these families are going home.
It’s so easy to be an islander. You can just blame everything wrong on the island on the mainland and the people that live there or that have a second home here.
Imagine, just once, taking a long hard look at the people in your island community and realising they are not the Kings and Queens you seem to think.
Nobody gives distance when walking down the street here. People cram into aisles and push past each other in the supermarkets, and it’s clear that nobody showed a cautious approach to Christmas Day by the numbers of strange cars outside homes.
Get over yourselves. Maybe, just maybe, the Island mentality of “We’re alright, Jack” is to blame.
Or maybe its mainlanders coming to the Island ike drowning rats climbing on a piece of driftwood.
I think when the Island went to tier 1 most of us knew exactly what would happen, we never thought l’m alright Jack. Those are the thoughts of the idiots that decided to travel here during a pandemic, why is it so hard to just stay where you live.
It would be surprising if the influx of visitors were not the biggest contributing factor, putting that to one side I think there are too many selfish people who do not think the common sense rules apply to them, take shopping we all need to re-stock but lose all sense of responsibility. When they arrive to go shopping people revert to a hunter gatherer mentally, moving into other peoples personal space instead of waiting a few seconds, dragging the whole tribe around including major vectors of infection sent to rampage ahead of the tribe. Supermarkets although putting in place measures, still ensure bottle necks of people, lots of goodies to hold your attention as you enter so people do not disperse easily when they get through the doors.
I would like a dedicated person to walk behind people who do not wear a face covering with a bell so people are alerted to ensure these high risk people have a bubble to move around in, and the rest of us can avoid these super spreaders (Provision should be made to allow time slots for people who do have mental issues of covering their faces).
Do not get me started on the local Council and Local MP, they have done little to nothing to keep the Island community safe.
Good point about the face masks. But would it not be easier, unless they have a medical reason, to not let them in in the first place? Screws up my human rights and i dont believe in it would not count as an excuse. Yea the stopper on the door could also remind people who have just forgotten to put one on. Easy to do ive done it a couple of times.
Have to agree
Must have been shoved in the back at least 4 or 5 times while doing our weekly shop. Mostly by elderly when I asked if one wanted to get any closer, I got the reply don’t worry I don’t have anything!
What really annoyed me was whilst giving someone else space and time to pick another decided to dive between us!
Interesting how the worst hit areas seem to follow the commuter route from Ryde along the train track to Shanklin, it cannot be a coincident.
Maybe because it’s the most populated part of the island (apart from Newport)?
The train was struggling to run throughout December and when running was only once a hour with just 2 carriages.
Also checking the map the main route from ferries, cats or trains. are….Cowes….and Ryde to Sandown and Shanklin. and they are the most viral at present.
The new alert levels seem to suggest social distancing won’t end until there is no COVID in the UK. This is completely insane. Vaccines can mitigate severity in the vulnerable, but an endemic virus cannot be eliminated.
“Lockdowns,the crushing of individual rights, the inflicting of inhuman and degrading treatment on the population have become legitimate tools of governance in western society.Those who contributed to this legitimisation should be ashamed of themselves”
Typical covidiot comment.
Just because someone has a different opinion to you .Does make them an idiot .
So its ok for covidiots to call the ones that dont follow their beliefs sheep then is it, get a life.
When are you moving a Eastern society, like China.?
You forgot to scream ‘Vote them out’ with which you punctuate all your other drivel.
Why does it comes as a surprise that the areas are worst hit.
They cover the most deprived areas on the island and a lot of the people in these areas couldn’t careless about anybody but themselves.
Since when as the Bay been one of the most deprived…..That’s news…..
Here we go again with the game blame. Viruses spread with contact with other people, be it contact with carriers or sufferers . This only happens with the mobility of people and gatherings. Do you remember the UK letting all and sundry in from abroad without any checks? Haven’t the island done that? And then telling incomers to self isolate for a number of days, Yea dream on.
The advice is so woolly from above that people think its all voluntary, and in a sense it is. The ” Rather you didn’t ” and the ” If you dont mind ” instructions dont work with some people, ask Cummings.
Having said, that most people on the island DO make the effort. Of course there are the virus denier’s in all their forms, and of course they are entitled to their opinions. Personally i have a work mate whose wife has died from the virus and i have not seen my old mum in her care home for 10 months.
But as they say, its always darkest before the dawn. So lets get those vaccinations rolled out and renew our efforts.
Dont think thats been proven that you catch a virus like that its a theory
Quote
Do you remember the UK letting all and sundry in from abroad without any checks? Haven’t the island done that?
No the island did not it was the so called people in so called power that let them in. We had no choice in the matter.
Just to clarify, probably bad grammar on my part I did mean that the island also did no checks. Sorry for the confusion
thats ok and we both got our point across
Bob Seeley bragged about getting the Government to place us in Tier One. Read back on the comments then and see how many there were stating it was foolish and would lead to our numbers swelling over the next month and us being raised to Tier 4. Exactly what happened. We should have had security on the ferry gates when Christmas week approached and New Year, checking essentials, like in Cornwall, the other tier one, they had police stopping people from the main entry points. As did the Welshs borders. Us, they even advertised on TV and Radio come to the Island for a break when we were in tier one and the most of the south east etc., was in 3/4….If you wanted to escape where would you go?. Also Portsmouth and Southampton are hot spots Where do most of our mainland workers come and go from….
The week before the last lock down we saw five holiday coaches coming from the ferry port. On checking where they had come from – all five had come from highest tier areas on the mainland.
Did you stop the coaches and ask where each passenger had come from??
Not suprised with the come & go as you like over the Christmas period!
About time the authorities manned up & start protecting the island.
Ferry’s, police & council must start checking who comes & goes from Island.
This shows the incompitance of authorities.
Should have been a ban on all people travelling outside of their own areas (unless on official business). Not just here!
I think the biggest problem is we cannot survive as an island but the government and most who live here pretend we can.
We had no control of this outbreak:
We couldn’t shut the ferrys etc as they bring everything we need, food, fuel, medicine etc it has to travel to us as we are not self sustained.
Even if it was deliveries only on ferrys it was proven at euro tunnel lorry drivers were positive.
We don’t have the structure or man force to deliver a testing system with instant results at every port-this should of been in place years ago (stop and search style to protect us from drugs trade let alone a virus as a community.
I just hope all the ones who have had there cake and ate it now sit back and suffer with us all.
a lot of we should this and we should that ….what exactly are you doing to solve these problems you have highlighted, apart from sitting at home, expecting everyone else to work and provide solutions to you. Another bone idle, armchair expert.
Supplies and freight could easily be allowed here, also Medical supplies etc., They do not come in a saloon car with a family and a beach ball so to speak….