The Isle of Wight could be one of the first places in the country to see lockdown restrictions lifted, the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster has told MPs.
The UK’s Islands could play a role in trialling changes to social distancing rules to see how such changes effect small communities before rolling out the easing of restrictions elsewhere.
Michael Gove yesterday told the House of Commons public administration and constitutional affairs committee that he would prefer that the country changes as a whole but there is specific scientific justification for using Islands, such as the Isle of Wight, for pilots schemes.
Mr Gove said:
“My own personal view is that it’s preferable that we do it as one United Kingdom but there is a specific scientific justification for saying that island communities can be areas where you can pilot some measures – contact-tracing in particular – in order to combine that with relaxing measures at a progressively greater rate.
“And that can help you judge what is right for the country overall.
“Different European countries are adopting regional variation – my belief is, overall, it’s better if we do it as one United Kingdom but there are specific opportunities in island communities to conduct trials.”
As previously reported by Island Echo, the Isle of Wight has already been earmarked for a contact tracing app trial. Mr Gove says if that did go ahead then the Government might be able to use the Island as an opportunity to see how they can relax the lockdown measures.
Gove has raised some concerns about how to Police lockdown measures – but that’s something that is easier to achieve locally due to the Solent separation.
Trying to kill the island off 1st….we arnt lab rats we are human being….just remember that
Nige, your not lab rats…..but you are subservient,
Guinea pigs in a ward.
Guinea pigs
What a great idea
No doubt half the island population will moan because that’s what they are great at
The government needs 50,000 islanders to download the tacking app. I’m telling you now 50 % of Islanders don’t even have a smart phone they still have Nokia 3210s
What’s a 3210 ?
Smart phones are not much good anyway as the memory gets full very quickly and then they are just scrap. This App would just speed this process up even faster..
I know quite a few elderly ones who don’t have the internet at home, let alone mobile internet.
This App proposal will just be a bit of fun for the young and of little practical value.
I am one of the many on the island that don’t have a smart phone. I don’t need one. There is nothing wrong with still having a Nokia 3210s.
What’s a Nokia 3210s 🙂
or two paper cups and a piece of string
String…..luxury!
Love my Nokia!
Using the island for testing purposes.. not as many to deal with if it goes wrong.. I certainly won’t be going out whilst our island becomes test pilot.
Let me get this right. The vast majority of you don’t want to help our country to get out of this terrible situation? I bet you support the key workers though. Selfish.
WHY do YOU think the Army arrived to fit hundreds of beds, and refrigeration units to house the dead?
This was a plan conceived a time ago.
I kept telling you the Governments plan is to get enough beds so we STILL die in the same numbers, BUT in privacy of a ward, NOT at home.
As then, we become just another number added to the daily tally, whereas IF we could not gain admission to hospital, then we would just die at home, with the worlds hungry media watching and interviewing relatives etc
This way the Government will suffer far less damage, as nameless people die in the same amounts BUT over a longer time span and in hospital.
Makes some sence…. As long as we don’t allow the ferrys to start up again and we have an influx of mainlanders coming for a mini break lol!!!!
The uk has now over taken Spain in the death toll-now they wanna use us a test rats and lift lock down- shouldn’t the lock down be tightened so we STOP dying and STOP spreading the virus ???????? They can F off I’m still staying in apart from going to work
+1
So am we
Some years ago, the Isle of Wight were told to pre-test water meters, and ended up paying a higher price than on the mainland. Hope there is no “similarity” here.
Now then we see WHY our council has been ‘given’ 9 million sweetener.
I guess that is the ‘equivalent’ of the 30 pieces of silver given, in todays inflationary times.
We can be sure that the top councillors living and keeping well away from the masses will be safe, richer, and happy to see the builders back destroying our green fields as mass building continues to gain them ever more council tax to engorge themselves upon, whilst many vulnerable and senior workmen will now die doing so.
I shall not be taking part, and I guess many others won’t.
As names of those who have sadly died are kept quiet, not a cat in hells chance of people admitting on an app that they have had the virus.
Would be like a child at school, having an app to tell anyone approaching that they have had ‘nits’ but are cured now.
NOW we can ‘see’ why the Island has had the Drone, as well.
All planned ages ago, the top ‘bods’ have know it all the time, you’re learning it these days….
Me and my other half will be staying under lock-down and isolation until three weeks after the last case is announced on the Island. I don’t care if I will be the last one going shopping with a mask on. I got some stupid comments the first time I went shopping with a mask on, but I am still here. My mate who is older than me and on the high risk list is still waiting for a call back, 5 weeks after phoning a help line.
We will be joining you… 3 weeks after the last case is a good margin of safety. Unfortunately, not everyone will be able to follow suit… and there the plan falls over. But at least we will remain ‘safe’.
…’Safer’ perhaps, however each time you go shopping, buy fuel, or pass downwind of someone on the pavement, you are at risk.
-For ‘At Risk’ people, I hope you can get these tasks done for you, as even a mask offers little protection..
The ‘Good margin of safety’ needs to be applied now, rather than after the event.
-Take care.
This has been planned the whole time, the extra hospital beds, the fridge units to house the dead, and now low and behold trialling a new app too track and trace to see if it could help ease lockdown. I’m sorry but this was all planned from the very start.
People of the IOW if you value your life and the lives of your family, friends and the general island population do not go out and and ease the lockdown as we have not even come close to being safe enough too, trials are almost always going to have aspects of failure to them and in this case the failure is deaths.
We are not Guinea pigs or lab rats, the trial can get stuffed.
That is WHY we have the new expensive drone and the Army here then.
People are so naïve, they ‘think’ HMG, the council and our MP is ‘doing something for us’ but, in reality it is just an experiment which NONE of the top people will be at any increased risk from at all, and IF truth be told, some will gain financially from the increased ‘risk’ of us all by happily accepting Government payments which will be audited by the obliging.
I shall not be helping in any way possible unless I see the top councilers, our MP and all the others who ‘make’ such secret agreements living alongside and working with the masses.
As it is these people experimenting with our lives are living in some huge home, or often homes, well away from the masses, and finding self isolation an easy option, when the ‘hardship’ is having to pull ones ‘own weeds out of the drive’ until the damn gardener fellow returns, before leaping into the pool, or the hot tub, riding ones horse, or taking the spaniels down the leafy lane for a stroll.
See it how it IS
Completely agree, problem is you’ll have a flock of sheep following not seeing it how it really is.
I for one will not be downloading nor participating in any app trial.
People need to remember were MEANT to be living in a democracy where everyone should have a say, where is the vote BOB? Who does Bob Seely and ofcourse HMG think they are using us as lab rats.
f**k them all.
Why not go into politics yourself – you`re eloquent enough!
Based on the quoted figures of confirmed cases and deaths attributed the Island’s death rate of around 25% is already nearly twice the national figure so we are hardly a typical community.
Say no to the vaccine…Bill Gates (Micro-Soft) is pushing for worldwide vaccine with a microchip in so you can be tracked always …no to big-brother…wake up sheepies !!!
https://id2020.org/
Real islander your spot on!!! Shame most of the iow are brainwashed.
Does anyone know how to start a petition against this proposal?
https://www.change.org/p/bob-seely-mp-no-to-isle-if-wight-to-leave-lock-down-early
Anyone on fb, twitter, etc, any other platform, needs to share this around, get as many signatures as possible. Not everyone reads these forums here.
Do we get any kind of say in this? I’m assuming not. Is this legal? Can we stop it happening? Mind you anyone who is under the impression that the ferries are not bringing people onto the island on nonessential journeys am, I’m afraid, sadly mistaken – I know this to be a fact and after writing to Bob Seeley had a reply from his office telling me the ferries had “no legal power or obligation to prevent passengers travelling”. As an MP who is there to look after our interests he has obviously failed and hopefully in his role as such in the future his days are numbered.
I have an overwhelming urge to eat dandelions.
Best put a rubber sheet on the bed tonight then. Lot about now, may be better to make wine out of them when lockdown ends. Least you may die mildly cheered.
There seems to be no logic in what people are saying here.
This is a dreadful plague created (that’s my theory) in China that has devastated the world!
We are all paying for the consequences and whatever people may say things need to be tried!
I do see the logic of using the island for some of these measures and, really, I want things for my grandchildren to return to ‘normal’ and I am not too bothered for me!
The only downside is that, if things go wrong, the Labour Party who have sat back and picked holes in everything that our government has done whilst not joining it in the fight as we have all done will have a ‘field day’ if any errors are made!
Instead of assisting in concentrating on our massive climb back into stability and prosperity I see Labour are already talking about increasing foreign aid.
Lets all fight together on our island to eradicate this terrible virus!
I agree something needs to be done to get out of this virus but not the island why not try in Houses of Parliament all they do is sleep
Is Gove or Seldom Seen going to be here to experience the mahem?
They will be tucked up in their mainland residencies!
We should at the least hold a vote on this for us Islanders to give our thoughts, or are the frightened of the response?
Why should we be used as Guinea pigs I for one certainly wont be down loading the App they cant make you down load it surely it would be better tried in an area where the population is Higher & there has been more cases It would be nice if people were asked if they minded & not told as far as im concerned the government can shove there App where the sun don’t shine. while numbers are on the up still on the Island why are they even considering this any easing of the lockdown would see the number of cases rocket sky high & if they do trial it is our MP going to come & live on the island & take part instead of sitting in his comfy big house on the mainland I very much doubt it & before all you moaners start jumping on the bandwagon talk to the hand cus the face don’t want to know I SAY NO TO THE TRIAL OF THE APP & im entitled to my opinion & if you don’t like it then skip past it
It makes sense to trial it,if required, on the Island as borders are controlled by water. I’m over 65 and am pleased to assist to fight this virus. We have nothing to lose unlike some of the other trials.
Naivety comes with years of trusting Governments, thankfully the younger although usually more horrid are more enlightened.
Only your life!!
As they will not have a version of the app for my phone (Windows 10 OS) I cannot take part and I am certainly not going to buy an Android or an iPhone. I am not against a trial on the IOW as I think that the concept is valid.
i watched a care two care workers walk out of my elderly neighbours house yesterday and as they walked out they both pulled down there masks and then rubbed there faces with there hands and they still had there gloves on.
Im just saying that we all have to do our bit properly or we will never get over this.
Also why are there there so many cars in chapel street carpark today.
IS THE LOCK DOWN OVER ALL READY ?????
Its not all the government’s fault!!!!!
Guinea pigs
Hope bloody not we aren’t Guinea pigs we are just as much human as the rest of the U.K.
I have read all these posts and the one that makes the most sense is LARRY – I was born on our island and hope that I always have its best interests at heart!
I agree that we should slash foreign aid to the very bone, as we are keeping half of the worlds poor here now, and getting mugged, raped, blown up, stabbed, shot, acid attacked in way of thanks.
Whilst the undoubted good newcomers are pushed to the fore in these times of fantastic work by NHS and carers, it MUST be remembered that such ‘came’ to the UK to better their lives NOT ours, and when they did they never knew, as no one did of this vile virus would make their jobs so risky.
Yet still less risk for many than IF they had stayed put, for when this virus takes off in third world lands, the UK will still be the ‘better option’.
You have made several good points.
So this was suggested a week or so ago our MP and Council leader said it would not happen. Who remberd some one saying SOS (save our summer).
Well people again we are told it would not happen and now it sounds like it will.
Should we not have a discussion or vote on this as this, we have more care homes here than most places.
So they test everyone on the island one week, lift the restrictions and test again 2 weeks later.
So how many ICU beds do we have…??????
I’m sure you’ll all agree, this is excellent news and just what we need. Brilliant!
Just had a thought, how many visitors who came to there second home will go back now
If you don’t listen to the news or read it the fear goes away in a day
If you wash your hands as you should be doing from a small child
Leave lots of space and don’t push and shove
Don’t keep hugging and kissing people
Wait your turn in a shop
Chat across a road
Walk more
You might just be ok
Oh and help others .
The only way this is a good idea is if the goal is to free up several hundred nursing home beds.
All or not at all.
I’d be interested to know how all the policitians you see in the news have neat and tidy hair? (with possible exception of BJ?)
Not all of them can have spouses or partners that are hairdressers. Some must live alone. None of the men have pony tails. Nicola Sturgeon today had her usual – not a hair out of place.
I see the Echo not quoting the full story and just trying to scare people again.. especially where they said they want to test every islander because it is easier to segregate.. they never said anything about letting us all out in the open again and use us as lab rats.. This media needs to be destroyed.
Tell the Chanel Islands you are going to use them as Guinea pigs or any others come to that, see what sort of reaction you get. This is being done because too many people are losing out in their shares in the ferry companies and gift shop profits. Think about it for Christ sake, No visitors, no ferry fares, no gift shops or cafes open no profits. Work out who owns most of the cafes and gift shops and who has shares in the ferry companies and who wants the early lock down, it’s not rocket science and it’s not the local people that will be at risk. The Corvic cases will triple. Gove needs to think again as HE will be the one to blame.
It is then in your option of little coincidence that a councillor owns several seaside businesses in Ryde and is rumoured to prefer, let us say low paid employees.
Authorities outside the Islands limited and likely inward protective boundaries are aware and will be watching closely when working life in such establishments resume, rest assured.
Oh yeh, and they can poke their corrupt app too,no bloody way am I going to download it
sounds like a great idea, gives something for the corkheads to moan about.
This man knows his stuff
We maybe an island, but unless ferry control is part of the relaxing of lockdown, it won’t work. On Tuesday we had to shop at Waitrose, we saw backpackers walking from the ferry and 2 cars embarked with canoes on the roof. The 2nd home owners have already arrived because of the lower risk here. Relax the rules and the holiday makers and their families will appear and cases will increase; they seem to have forgotten the reason why they are off work and the kids are not going to school.
Yes, I saw backpackers and cars with canoe on one and a dinghy on another going up the hill from the ferry in E Cowes last Thursday as well. I have to go again later to shop, so wonder how many there will be today? They’re still coming here regardless.
The Government: “Yay, let’s kill off the Isle of Wight first! Full of old people and chavs. All a drain on the economy. May as well make use of them. Most of them are too thick to know if they are being used anyway and will believe we are doing it for their own good and if not, well what a glorious sacrifice they are making for the good of not just the Nation, but the Whole World!”
Though, truth be told, you’d hardly know there was a lockdown in place anyway, the way some people are just going about as they always do, no thought to social distance, so for some it won’t even make a difference because they have been ignoring the lockdown anyway.
God, just when I thought all this couldn’t get any more depressing, as if we are not vulnerable enough, now they want to use our Island as a bloody experiment
I wonder how many comments on here are from true islanders. Lived here and worked here all their lives. If you are you would know the island only survives o summer trade. As a previous business owner and having a father that had a business for 80 years here I know that for fact. If we trial this and your not happy don’t go out … easy. Tired of this constant Island moaney mindset
We ONLY have one life.
What people are objecting rightly to is we are NOT all in this together. We will be used to ‘see’ if our hospital can cope with the increase in dying. As we have a large elderly population here, then HMG think if our tiny hospital can cope, then so can mainland ones.
YET the risk is that more will catch this more rapidly, then although MORE DIE than leave our hospital once admitted, if we can no longer be found room for, then even more than now will die hideously at home.
You may care more about a business and it may buy you a better tombstone, but most of us don’t wish to end up in a mass grave with some false MP and equally false unaffected council officials unveiling a plaque with OUR name on it once this is over.
I am a “true Islander” and so were my parents and grandparents, and this plan stinks! Let them trial it on the Isle of Man or the Channel Islands, *if* they are allowed to, which they probably wouldn’t be! Bloody cheek!
Was the Chancellor of theDuchy of Lancaster ripped off by one of our charming Landladies or does he think the government could save a lot of money by getting rid of the oldies on the Island.
Perhaps the trial should take place in Lancaster
Our island MP is a dirty low down ‘fraud’ if he has agreed to this experiment. I have heard people call him “sit on the fence Bob”. All he is interested in is kissing arse in Westminster to keep in with his Tory cronies. Shame on you Bob Seely, you really do not think very much of your island constituents do you. How many people on this island will have to die before the light goes on and some pompous twat in Westminster says “we think it was too early to lift the lockdown”. Yeah, this will be at the expense of the people, US on the Isle of Wight. How many deaths are too many or too few to pass the test????
So, a few Islanders will die. Will anyone notice? Do we not count? With our aged population this would be a disaster and we should have the final say in whether it happens or not, not our incompetent politicians.
Not ‘incompetent’ just false and uncaring, as they and their loved ones will be very unlikely to be effected adversely.
Similar to many here not caring too much over a drought in Africa, a few give a few pennies, some raise large funds, others go out to help, but most just switch channel.
It would be nice to think politicians care for their electorate but that is likely untrue in many, but not all cases.
This is frightening news for the island. How dare this decision be made without our input. Such a high percentage of the elderly here, including myself and my husband. We have adhered to all lockdown measures so far, I cannot believe our lives are going to be put at risk with a stroke of a pen. I just pray this will not be allowed to happen.
I don’t live on the island, nor do I have any connections with anyone on the island, but that is not the reason why I think this is a good idea. The solent makes for an excellent, natural barrier, so that if you folk do all start coming down with this terrible disease, then the rest of us will be safe. Thank you Isle of Wight for taking one for the team. Good luck!
What a nice decent fella you are, if that is the case that you have no connections to the island then why are you reading news stories on ISLAND ECHO? f**k off
Twat!
Were you abused as a child?
I live in Portsmouth and I have family and friends on the island, I want them to stay safe as well as everyone else. I wouldn’t put myself first as that is a selfish attitude.
I thought it was already lifted judging by the number of cars on the roads.
Omg.. just because we live on an Island they think they can use us as guinea pigs….no thanks
I wonder if the DFL’S would still stay on the island if it was used as a trial island , or would they all flock back to London
Fred – the best petition to all this corrupt crap is for us all to refuse to pay our council tax until the halfwits that want to do it backs down. THEY wont be the ones affected by it, they will make bloody sure of that, and sneak into their safe zones and all hold out their hands to receive their brown envelopes like they do also to allow the shipping over here of over spill low life because the mainland council are fed up with moving them about over there and every place they get moved to they cause trouble
Has anyone else noticed that every time a tory minister opens their mouth, they tell lies or talk shit