Caution over when to start encouraging tourists back to the Isle of Wight is being discussed as part of a gradual easing of restrictions.
As COVID-19 infections drop across the country, government officials are expected to make an announcement on 22nd February with changes to restrictions, which will come into place from 8th March – if not sooner.
Following the national trends, the 7 day case rate for the Isle of Wight has dropped in a month from its peak point, 1,187.1 cases per 100,000 people on 5th January to 123.4 on 5th February, which the Island’s public health director, Simon Bryant, has said is “absolutely brilliant”. As of Thurday, that number had fallen further to 112.9.
Speaking after a meeting of the Local Outbreak Engagement Board, Mr Bryant said any easing of restrictions needs to be done very slowly and steadily, balancing up the need of society and the economy alongside managing the spread of infection in an effort to prevent the sudden rise in cases the Island saw over Christmas.
In the space of a week in December, the Isle of Wight jumped from the least restrictive Tier 1 to the highest, Tier 4, as the more infectious strain of COVID-19 spread through the community.
Mr Bryant said:
“We will see a very carefully opening up of society, as we saw in the summer – it was not just everything open. We were very careful about that so I think we will see some of those measures, rightly, to enable society to get to some kind of life that we were used to before.”
Following the dramatic increase of cases over Christmas, Isle of Wight Council leader, Cllr Dave Stewart said the pandemic became much more personal and he is more cautious now but he could not see how we can continue how we are, spending our lives in our houses, forever.
Cllr Stewart said he had no doubt tourists would come over if restrictions were eased and an advertising campaign went out, saying the Island was safe for the Easter and summer, but it was not a message that could be sent out yet.
He said:
“We have got to manage this now. I think if we do it the right way we could safely be in a place where you could genuinely enjoy a summer – not just for people coming over but also people who have been locked in their house for long time.
“You will hear me being cautious, unless the government tell us they have got a magic wand. It is a steady as you go approach, get it right, let’s not cause us more pain than we need to.”
With a raft of tools against COVID-19 including the potential introduction of community testing, the vaccinations and continued hand, face, space protective measures, officials are hopeful infections and transmission of the virus will stop.
Cllr Stewart said he was still cautious about whether it would be safe to open up the Island for Easter yet after advising tourists to stay away over half-term.
This is a decision that the Council should be asking the residents. It is our lives and we should have a say in it.
Last time the restrictions were relaxed it caused a massive surge in cases.
Going by shopping home delivery sites why is it half term week has suddenly sold out on available slots. It shouldn’t make any difference if no one is going anywhere, Unless, of course, it is the holidaymakers and second home owners coming over and ignoring the still ongoing restrictions.
Just because were dropping in cases let’s not forget it’s a serious horrible virus, I lost my job due to covid and I feel so sorry for everyone affected but if you seriously think getting holiday makes over this summer is a good idea then you are clearly very stupid, with all the islanders in lockdown let’s slowly open up things for us as we all will spend in our towns and most places will be busy pretty much everyday..inviting people from the mainland to help the businesses and ferry companies who haven’t stop unnecessary travellers is madness, I know a few people who have had the vaccine and then caught covid and had worse symptoms than the first time….
Agree 100%
It is most unfortunate that those c l l r s who have the most sway to encouraging visitors here, that ONE is the main business advisor, and who privately owns several seaside businesses in Ryde, so stands to personally ‘gain’ from allowing the influx to swamp us once again.
It is most unfortunate that those c o u n c i l l o r s who have the most sway to encouraging visitors here, that ONE is the main business advisor, and who privately owns several seaside businesses in Ryde, so stands to personally ‘gain’ from allowing the influx to swamp us once again.
Akin to allowing a child the decision as to whether sweet shops should give out free sweets to cheer up children in these troubled times.
Someone in such a position will be naturally under pressure to sway comrades to aid what is much needed business for the Isle, but when one of the main persons involved has a ‘vested interest’ then it is, sadly not a decision BUT a ‘forgone’ conclusion from the start.
Lets hope most at risk have been jabbed by that time.
Chivy an accurate assumption of what will likely occur. It’s reputation is most well known here. I have suggested before that the ‘lockdown’ will end for Easter, be back on a few weeks later UNTIL the ‘main’ cash rinsing Summer Hols season when ‘once again’ all will be low numbers once more.
I know businesses need to earn, we have our own here, but full testing should be enforced on all ferry ports and private harbors and air ports here.
Never forget that the ‘well heeled’ are MORE likely to have international pals traveling, thus risk variants spreading more than the common people.
before the tourists come over we need to get the children back into school once it is safe for them and the people living on the iow so stay away tourists until there is more normality on the island
Timmy is so dumb.
How bloody childish you covidiot
We are not even out of lock-down and he’s (DS) is thinking about letting tourists back in for Easter! The man really is a fool. Letting people move from one area of the country to another area should be one of the last things that opens up if lockdown is eased not the first. Secondly he really will have no say in the matter he is after all just a councillor not the leader of the free world.
Lockdown? Do you not mean Mockdown? As far as i can see only pubs, restaurants,hotel and a few cloths shops are closed. B&Q open, Currys open Do what you want, go anywhere and spend more time in big supermarkets browsing at all the non essential crap they sell.
No No No
What the hell are these people thinking of? Perhaps they have nothing better to be other than be utterly stupid, and at that they are brilliant.
In front of me right now are 2 pieces of paper from the council saying “STOP. STAY AT HOME. IF WE STOP MOVING THE VIRUS WILL STOP MOVING” One is actually signed by someone called Stewart who describes himself as Leader (of what or who I know not).
There is also a lot of self praise around this morning regarding quick test locations, but they seemed to have failed to list the ones at the mainland ferry ports.
Come on you lot, get a grip and protect our health.
you stay in, we are off out
Meanwhile Red funnel are running online ads to “Discover the Isle of Wight”….
If tourism doesn’t open this Easter and summer, then there will be no Isle of Wight holiday trade left! Like it or not, the tourism trade effects everyone’s standard of living on the island, some directly and others indirectly. Without this trade the island would become a black spot for employment,and that’s just the start. If your scared or feel at risk to this virus, stay in!!
Exactly, Mr Justice. Well said
Not every one can stay in, work etc
No,we don’t need invading again to quickly,slowly ,slowly,let’s keep our health and save lives,no one has mentioned those poor soles that have lost their lives since Christmas ,we all need to get out ,from tier 1 to 4 just for a weeks holiday over Christmas ,let’s learn from it and give ourselves a few weeks grace,
I feel another lockdown coming if this is done.
Teir 1 before 1 day easing restrictions then we were number 1 in the country for infection cases.
Why the so-called officials can’t or don’t want to see the damage to our lives if opening up for the holiday makers & economy?
The economy with time CAN recover, the poor souls who pass away with virus will NEVER recover.
About time our officials grew a pair & protect us & our Island as this is what they are paid for!
As a mainlander with family on the island and having spent over 50 years regularly visiting i have invested in holiday home on the island before comments it is one that cannot be lived in all year so I am not taking an island home away. By visiting I support the island economy. This virus has no boundaries and the logic its was brought by mainlanders is crazy you only have to look at how many islanders leave for shopping or holidays or to get airports to travel or mainland hospitals for appointments to see how it got there I saw first hand when in tier 1 island people ignored rules went to pubs and restaurants or shopping without ppe stop blaiming visitors and look at yourselves but more importantly work together to get out of this young island residents need work and money to exist or they will leave and your lovely island will not exist or survive
Ian why is it crazy that the virus may have travelled with visitors? It is just as logical as your logic that islanders brought it back from visits to the mainland. The main point is that travel on and off the island was allowed, so it wasn’t in effect a proper lockdown. I think most islanders would agree that travel (both ways) should have been adequately monitored to ensure all visits were essential.
And imo the biggest risk to tourism is excessive building of housing estates, not people leaving.
Unfortunately. We have a lot of self centered bigots living here. What they don’t realise is there has been a large amount of Londoners moving here in the last 8 months to escape the city ,because they can work from home permantly now but still get paid London money .they are spending large amounts doing up the property they have bought here .
pushing up house prices and pricing the locals out of their own market as wages are lower here – work it out for yourself rusty nuts – it isn’t that difficult.
WELL SAID, no name. Being here two weeks a year contributes NOTHING to the island; only takes aeay.
The island has survived far worse things than this we will survive its people like you who have two homes and you wonder why we have a shortage of houses for people who was brought up here stay home we dont need you we will survive
You need to read i don’t own a house which can be lived in all year I own a holiday home on a holiday park island residents can buy one but choose not too I can trace my family on the island back 200 years can you or the others chirping in here and as for surviving worse than covid I doubt that very much but then most people don’t take covid serious I do and have stayed away like it or not the island needs tourism and it needs the mainland so suck it up
When in tier 1 people went to pubs, restaurants shopping?
It was all shut
We need a face palm emoji. 500 years of deevolotion from now, really shall be ‘Idiocracy’.
Probably the most accurate future predictive film I’ve seen. Cant believe even being considered. Concerned ?!
Unbelievable !
Just a few months ago they encouraged people to come to the Island and we went from a Tier 1 with very few cases at all to tier 4 within days and the highest number of cases.
Don’t they learn?
You have to have a semblance of a brain cell to see that, “Head in sand ostrich Stewart” and all his “concerned councillors who have shops dotted in tourist areas” have had that ability bred out of them! !
It wasn’t just holidaymakers spreading the virus, it was locals not abiding by the guidelines. It’s still spreading now so who is spreading it, not masses of people coming over from the mainland. A chain is only as strong as it’s weakest link so take a look at yourselves instead of bickering on here.
NO.NO.NO.
I do have to say that I find some of the comments from our illustrious Council Leader is making regarding being cautious towards not encouraging visitors when restrictions are eased/lifted.
He has OBVIOUSLY chosen to (selectively) forget that he and Mr Myles were actively encouraging people to come to the ‘safe’ Isle of Wight last summer. Do you think there may be the slightest hint of ‘perhaps “we” got it wrong last time?
Having said that, the Island desperately needs the revenue from visitors.
Many Island businesses are dependent upon this revenue, and, with the fiscal aptitude of our wonderful Council, who are only too ready to take more and more from Islanders financially whilst giving less and less back in services this is very important.
I work within the Tourism sector of our Island economy, and found last year that when visitors came to the Island on the whole they were polite and courteous. There were many compliments regarding the way Island businesses were handling hygiene and monitoring social distancing.
One thing Mr Stewart, and some Islanders too, have to realise, is that when restrictions are eased/lifted, there is NOTHING that can be done to prevent Visitors coming.
the only thing that prevents visitors is a government mandate to prevent travel to the island, by having the transport police at the ferry terminals checking reasons for travel – if that doesn’t happen, then we will see visitors
Islander lives matter
Got to open up at some point. Covid is not going away. It’s here forever ,the same as any other disease ,we just have to live it .Its not natural living this way .
No, forget Easter, wait until the summer…… more people that get the vaccine the better. Wait until the summer before the island opens up.
Too soon and we’ll have another crisis. I hope the half term is going to be monitored. There will the the COVID idiots who can’t wait to step foot on the Island.
Yep – summer is far more realistic. Look what happened last time we opened up too soon. If we stop overseas holidays and travel, we can really get the virus down in the UK, and move freely again internally, as they do in NZ. Our tourism will benefit massively from increased ‘staycations’, and we won’t import any more na sty fore ign ‘variants’.
Why are people voting you down you are so so right well said
Easter should be Cancelled for Holidaymakers and 2nd home owners.
If Easter goes ahead we will be back in Lockdown and Christmas will be
Cancelled again!
Excepting Councils and Housing Associations, ownership of more than one home should be illegal.
All Holiday sites and Hotels should be closed to prevent the spread of covid.
This will never go away if we don’t beat the Virus 1st
You will never beat the virus, but you will destroy the tourism on the island. Then watch the island decay. Just my opinion, like my opinion, may 2020 freedom passports. Have a good day.
IOW should have followed Guernsey from the very beginning. Look how they handled it all. Just like people coming over from the mainland they are also people leaving here going back/forth working etc. It comes from all angles and situations.
Red funnel already taking bookings for camper vans and doing deals with accommodation at campsites around island for Easter its ridiculous why would they care its only about the money
Remember the pictures of the packed beaches in Bournemouth? Have a look at the national data about 10 days onwards for infections rates, negligible. I say nationally because not everyone on those beaches were from the surrounding area. As long as us (yes all that live here) do hands, face and space lets get some money into out local economy and save our jobs. You can only get infected by getting too close to someone. You get infected, your fault.
Please do not put all Islanders into this great perilous position after all we’ve been through.
I know it’s hard on business but surly nothing is worth the increased risk of dying from this disgusting virus.
No half term visitors and no Easter visitors for SURE. Summer should be the earliest the island welcomes visitors. If it is opened up too soon, we all know what will happen, infection rates will soar again. WAIT, let more people have the vaccine before vast numbers of people start moving around the UK.
ISN’T THIS OBVIOUS IOW COUNCIL????
Visitors are already here. There’s nothing to stop them. Councillors can’t, won’t stop them.
Anyone who hasn’t been affected by loosing a loved one or been seriously ill, have a vulnerable loved one, its easy for you to say. For some it’s a living bloody nightmare!
“Rapid community testing” might be a good idea to introduce this at the ferry ports
What about all those people that are going to come here who haven’t had the vaccination and all the island residents who haven’t had it yet either. Don’t be surprised if there is a rise in case numbers again and we end up with another lockdown. From what I experienced in the summer, people said they were coming here to escape the virus (when it now appears they were probably bringing it with them).
There are a lot of comments about visitors but not many about Islanders going away and then coming back. Do we A) stop them going? B) let them go and stop them coming back? or C) just keep moaning? I’m sure the ferries will be just as full heading for the mainland. Just for the record the flat above me is a second home and the owner hasn’t been there since last March.
Great logic all hoiday home owners get treated with the same brush its such a shame some islanders don’t think about the fact that most island residents go to the mainland either to holiday 0r get to an airport to go away. You 0nly have to see how many island residents own motor homes or caravans to see that yes these equal a portable second home and when lockdown ends will make their way to the mainland for a break.
I love the island and spending time there but wouldn’t want to put its people at risk or vice versa
I am totally appalled at the attitude of some people . The comments being left are so vile and disgusting. I think people should remember the Island is not owned by people who live on it and should be made welcome to all that visit or live there. Yes of course there needs to be a careful approach to opening up the Island but of course the Island needs tourism. The same as so many towns and cities across the Britist Isles who livelihoods of many people absolutely depend on visitors and who lives have been devastated by this pandemic. We should be grateful people want to visit the Island and enjoy what is a totally beautiful place.
and it is that attitude maria, is the reason the place is deteriorating – and look at the other towns and cities …overrun with immigrants sleeping in the streets, piled up in hotels, when they should have claimed asylum in the first country outside of the one they left.
fed up with do gooders
The Government have made it very clear that nothing will change before the 8th of March . Why imply it may change before ??
Selfish people are travelling here this week, half term. Second home owners probably who do what they want and don’t give a fig about the rules. Tesco is very busy with additional people and their kids.
Masses of people already here. The fishbourne ferry was full at the weekend. WHY ARE THE POLICE NOT THERE TURNING PEOPLE BACK???? Nothing is being done to protect island residents AGAIN. I am going to email our MP, hardly seen, Mr Bob Seely. It’s happening again.
May be you should stop listening to the BBC and form your own opinions on this virus. Matthew Hancock is the most hated man in Britain right now.