An Isle of Wight councillor has described the latest wave of coronavirus cases hitting the Island like a tsunami as every single aspect of the authority has been impacted.
In an effort to get the Island up and running again after the first lockdown, the council set out key actions it would take, in partnership with others, to secure a successful recovery from the pandemic.
Since the plan was first proposed, which featured schemes like the Island Gift Card, creating co-working spaces and the approval of plans at Branstone Farm, the nation has been in two more lockdowns with the Island going from the lowest tier to the highest in a week as the new variant strain spread.
With more than 4,000 COVID-19 cases recorded on the Isle of Wight, council figures are now facing a challenging environment to sort out its recovery priorities.
Cabinet member for the COVID recovery, Councillor Stuart Hutchinson said:
“When we set up the plan we were looking at several phases. We have now reactivated those responses to this new wave.
“We were hoping to have moved towards the emergence phase by this time … With this second phase, which appears to be significantly worse, we have got very little capacity left, we are not going into the recovery stage anytime soon.
“I think we are probably in lockdown for at least another month … the practical issue is that everything will now be pushed back by several weeks while we do our damnedest to contain this phase.”
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The council’s director of regeneration, Chris Ashman, said some actions were able to start during ‘brief windows of opportunity’ but others will be put aside to wait out the latest lockdown. He said:
“The normal approach to an emergency is you have the issue, you deal with the immediate impacts and you coordinate the effective recovery from that. Clearly, the pandemic is an ongoing incident and continues to be a challenge for us all.“We have had to reactive all of our previous response arrangements and while we may be better placed this time knowing what we are facing it does not lessen the challenge that all services face in responding and providing support to the community and businesses.
“Trying to bring forward some semblance of recovery from that agenda is quite a challenging task.”
A ‘significant step forward’ was the Island being awarded for the government’s kickstart programme, which helps provide more employment opportunities for young people.
The Island Gift Gard scheme was also launched before Christmas, putting money back into the local economy, but just 70 cards were bought.
Cllr Hutchinson went on to say the latest wave hit the Island like a tsunami, with council staff being redeployed to help manage pressure points due to the need of the Island as well as filling gaps where people have had to self-isolate. He said:
“I would like us to get to a point where we can say we have done this and done that but at the moment every single aspect of the council’s operation has been affected by this wave. I am worried about some of the council’s staff; they are very tired.”
were in the mess because of you and the money you waste in things we don’t need or want
Interesting, and not a little disappointing to see how many previously reasonable and thoughtful people have finally succumb to the brainwashing by the UK Govt.
Many now saying that there are no alternatives to lockdown, and if only we could rush the vaccine out even faster
This, despite overall mortality being no different to any other year.
I guess everyone has their breaking point.
I too am an islander born and bred working as a senior nurse on the front line dealing with the COVID epidemic
I’m sad to be associated with people like yourself coming out with bigoted and frankly unfounded comments
I’ve worked for the NHS for 26 years and NEVER experienced anything like this
We now have nearly 150 pts in the hospital with COVID 19
As for blaming Londoners for all of this again an unsubstantiated comment
It’s not Londoners in Tesco spitting and coughing in the face of others when they challenge them not wearing a mask
I just hope you or any of your family suffer the dreadful effects of this plaque
Well said just me.
just me- do you have any evidence to back up your assumption that it is not londoners spitting and coughing in the faces of others when they are challenged about not wearing a mask….did you ask them, did you get proof of residency?
if not, then your comment is clearly unfounded also – make sure you are above reproach if you are going to bad mouth someone else.
“The shaming of lockdown sceptics as friends of the plague eerily echoes past outbursts of hysteria during times of transmissible illness. Witchcraft panics exploded during times of plague.” – Brendan O’Neill
My apologies o meant to write I hope you or your family Don’t suffer from this terrible disease I wouldn’t want to wish it on anyone
Of course it higher this year
On dear poor council workers! Least they get paid for being off sick ! Everybody’s tired !
TIRED, bloody TIRED. They dont know the meaning of the word. The NHS they Know what tired is. Gift cards, what gift cards? Sounds like that could have solved all of our problems. Put planning permissions on hold and that would have given the council far more time to, Mmmm, oh yea, put up the council tax AGAIN.
The council members should be looking closer to home. for the blame, their leader for instance. Talk about self denial.
how can they be tired…they are still doing monday to friday 9 to 5 – nothing has changed for them – no weekends or evenings.
tired – yeah right, I smell someone doing the ground work for sympathy
There are many – perhaps most – council jobs that in practice, (not theory), involve getting in by 8am and leaving about 7pm or later. (Pre-virus times).
It’s a shame the work force at the council have to carry the brunt of this virus. If their bosses had just had the balls to step up to the plate and stopped second home owners and other infected mainlanders coming over then we wouldn’t be in this mess.
All vehicles should have been checked and if its not registered to an island address or for deliveries then they get turned away.
Easily done, but sadly profit takes priority over life. Now innocent islanders are paying the price for these pirates gains.
Sounds like a load of clap trap, we all know they don’t know what they are doing and this jumble of words really just confirms this. Council workers are tired, I would suggest most workers are tired and the NHS are probably exhausted.
Sure are tired they have been very busy bless them spending all our money
What about the NHS staff, prison officers, police officers, probation staff, shop workers, delivery drivers, posties, bus drivers-the list is endless. All exhausted but keep going so that people are kept safe, can eat & keep their lives as normal as possible.
What about the rest of us who have worked through all this? Don’t we matter as much as the poor old council staff?
You have the completely incompetent Dave Stewart and Bob Seeley to thank for the mess we are in at the moment. Guernsey on the news yesterday showed how things can be done, be prepared for an influx of idiots half term week.
Tsunami which came straight down the M3 when London went into tier 4.
The police are now patrolling the ferries – too little too late. The number of Londoners already here who broughtt he virus with them is massive.
Still, at least its cold out. No half sausage BBQs to spread it even further. Just second home owners stocking up in Tesco.
Same old comments “let’s blame the Londoner’s” sorry but it irates me that Londoners always get the blame. I think that the island muppets that repetitively make these comments may be suffering from their shoes being too tight for their 6 toes. Inbred fools.
Maybe take a look a bit closer at the idiots coming over from Pompey and Southampton just to use our pubs.
That is so true
Small island, small brains
Always blaming good old Londoners. They need to try get off this rock and see the real world.
Fragile Londoners, LOL. Go sit in a corner with your stab-proof vest on.
Pepe fragile Londoners???
Hardcore Londoners is more like it, you small minded muppet
so hardcore londoners, come running down to the island scared – funny how you do not see islanders scuttling away to london when things get tough
You’re obviously one of them that shouldn’t be here. You only have to look at the votes on here to see what people think.
Obviously butthurt because you’ve come here during a pandemic then and feel attacked. It’s obviously not just londoners but i can’t tell you how many people told me they were down from London in the pubs when the tiers began.
No actually I’ve lived on the island for years and have not travelled to see my family in London nor have they come here during this pandemic. I just get annoyed that it is always Londoners getting the blame. Myself and my Family have been very careful and considerate throughout this pandemic. Unfortunately given the fact we were advertised as one of the safest places in the UK in addition to the ferry companies offering discounted travel we were then basically inundated with people coming over from higher tiers (not just London) therefore bringing the virus with them.
you are not an islander and as such cannot complain about londoners turning up here – you are part of the problem for moving here in the first place
Well I’m proud to be a Londoner but moved here to better the lives of my children. Don’t worry we are not on benefits or even occupy a council property. How dare you have the cheek to suggest I shouldn’t have moved here in the first place.
I’ve not complained at all but feel no one should be traveling here , hence why I’ve not seen my family in nearly a year.
what a disgusting comment.
The hordes of Londoners getting on trains just before London entered tier 4 made national headlines, yet you have the audacity to make comments about islanders being inbred?
get back under your bridge you dirty little troll.
I think you’ll find it’s islanders blaming Londoners for every little problem on this island
Londoners were most definitely to blame. The hordes of Londoners getting on trains in the hours before London entered Tier 4 made national headlines.
Instead of making outrageous comments about Islanders being inbred, I suggest people take some responsibility for their own actions.
What about the Islanders who travel on to the mainland to work?
I would imagine mixing with people on the mainland and over here isn’t a good idea.
At least they have an essential reason for travel. Not holidaying or escaping the cities. Some don’t have a choice but to travel to the mainland for work reasons .
Sounds so plausible what the Council say they did, except for one thing,
they did all the wrong things, and why can i say that, the infection rate went up mainly because people travelled from and to the Island.
It had to come across the water and travel was NOT restricted but encouraged by you know who!
The most terrible co un cil EVER. Greed, and uncaring about this Island we voted to ‘entrust’ them with.
Yet they have just used their term to turn this into a massive building site, to their gain, like some fly by night, cheap, cunning property developers.
Unless people remove them at the next election, then life will grow ever more intolerable here.
The massive building of Ryde and other areas, will ensure that as many occupants won’t be from the Island, that unemployment will rise, and along with it, more serious crime, more traffic, longer waiting time for doctors, dentist, hospital appointments, schooling choices.
Ryde beaches and surrounding areas will be intolerable for parking in the Summer, and anti social behaviour and ‘mainland’ crime will become Island crime
God help our children and their future, as whilst they ‘may’ get a shoe box to rent, the quality of life for ALL will suffer greately.
It is NOT as though more houses mean lower council tax, as we have seen huge building already YET huge council tax rises.
Vote this most destructive and uncaring council out, which care nothing for the wildlife and trees, hedgerows and just the ‘beauty’ they will destroy for THEIR gains.
Ensure YOU vote.
We are tired of your poor running of affairs!
Who would have thought the island was in Tier 1 on Christmas Day!
Had you have stopped people visiting the island we probably would have still been in
Tier 1
WHAT A TOTAL SHAMBLES!, IW COUNCIL COULD NOT RUN A BATH, YET ALONE AN ISLAND!
Have a permanent rest and give us all break.
Well said John…
Now let’s wait for the comments about Londoners start pouring in again
Unfortunately they won’t police the ferries , so half term will be like ground hog day. Hopefully the lady who wrote about the lsland in the Guardian yesterday could do another piece on non essential travel to and from the mainland that is still happening.
Quit f moaning! Youv had handouts…use it wisely for once.line your pockets with material instead
They should have shut the island down at Christmas, the ferry companies brought people from tiers 3 & 4 over jus for the money and now we’re all having to pay for their stupidity.
Its Tier 1 + the resulting influx what done it
Try working 12 hours for the NHS in ICU you really have no idea about working hard, shop staff putting up with rude customers, bin man and postworkers working in the cold & rain and many others. Look forward to your very nice pensions, what have others to look forward to unemployment
?
My heart bleeds purple p*ss for our valiant council and all the measures they put in place to keep us safe…. ‘We’re good to go!’, ‘Isle of Wight in tier one; safest place in THE UK!,’ and many more buzz statements. Half of our governers, and trust me for they run the locals as they would children in a school, have money in many properties so they hate to see the laws of the land implemented. Run ragged is what anyone in Ryde will be if he wants an hospital bed when Ryde fields mega estate starts. Poor council had a bad day. It’s a magic act convincing you people that you have a say… Absolute cunning stunts.
The council are to blame for advertising the island ‘open for business’. Other islands like Isle of Man and Scilly Isles, shut down ferries flights etc to protect residents. We are still seeing people coming off the hovercraft and ferries with suitcases. Plus people mooring yachts off Cowes coming to 2nd homes. Many councillors have leisure interests outside of council business that rely on visitors.
We have family living on the Isle of Man. As soon as the pandemic started, nobody was allowed onto the island unless they went straight to a hotel, dictated by the authorities to which hotel they went, and the visitor had to stay thee for two weeks at their own expense. The result was that they had no Covid, and so could carry on life as normal, with food fayres, theatres, pubs shops all open.etc. A lesson our council should learn.
Don’t think it matters where people have traveled from but at the moment it should be stopped. And unless something is done about half term travel we will be back to square one.
More lies
Hahahaha ,Tired lol, welcome to the real world, no doubt another pay rise is on the cards then
I think I know why they are so ‘tired’.
obviously used up a lot of energy running around and around in circles in a state of panic because they didn’t have any idea what to do or how to do it.
mind you, typical of a lot of Councils, can push pieces of papers around aimlessly, avoid dealing with anything specific due to the fact that if someone actually makes a decision they can be blamed when it is not right.
So tired…
but still found time to approve the purchase of derelict buildings in Shanklin and Cowes etc.
Still found time to help these greenfield housing estates developments gain traction.
Still found time to whinge on about how skint they are.
Still found time to threaten us with more Council tax rises.
If Cllr Hutchinson spent less time loving the sound of his own voice and boring us to death with his sleep inducing waffle we’d all be better for it.
WTF is the preferred nomenclature… Am I wrong. Am I wrong here!
Why did you allow the “booze cruises” from places like Manchester?
I wonder how many Londoners travelled down from Manchester ??? Lol
Oh dear another silly comment from a councillor most council staff are working from home they are fortunate that they can front line key workers like NHS work a 12 hour shift with little or no breaks council workers do 7 hours five days a week or part time there is no comparison but this is not employees of the council fault they are providing a service,it is silly comments from a few councillors pity you don’t think before you publish a comment don’t make yourself look stupid
Not going to lose their paycheck or the roof over their heads though are they.
Tired they should go and do one shift. Just one shift along side the nurses and doctors not only would they learn about hard work and stress then they would know the meaning of the word tired
For a moment I almost thought it was April the first and this was the April fools story…. What a joke
The problem is People should be taking responsibility for their own actions ie washing hands wearing masks staying 2 metres distance and not just popping to a supermarket because they are bored and want to get out for an hour as that’s probably where most infections occur ie lots of people in an inclosed building, or a certain factory near cowes as most don’t social distance wear a mask or even wash hands total disregard of rules or other people that work in the building and management let it happen.
@marriott_rodger to find out where the virus is coming from, that’s if you really want to know instead of blaming each other