Councillor Karl Love, the Cabinet member responsible for public health, has said that the news of a 4-week delay to unlocking the country from coronavirus restrictions is hugely disappointing and a bitter blow for local business and the Island’s hospitality sector in particular.
However, Cllr Love has said it is crucial everyone sticks to the good behaviours learnt over the past year to kick the virus into touch and keep the Island safe.
As previously reported by Island Echo, Prime Minister Boris Johnson has pushed back Step 4 of the lifting of restrictions due to the rise in the Delta variant. That’s despite the success of the vaccination programme which has seen over 80% of Islanders vaccinated to date.
Speaking this week, Councillor Love has said:
“I know everyone is feeling extremely disappointed right now but I am so proud of how Islanders have responded to the pandemic so far. This setback will not faze us.
“Over the past 15 months, the Island has pulled together and shown true community spirit. We must all keep on to ensure the safety and wellbeing of our Island.
“For our visitors, please make sure you pack face coverings, hand sanitiser and extra medication. You should also be testing yourself twice a week to help ensure you do not bring the virus to the Island.”
This week’s pushback means that limits remain on groups of people meeting, with groups of up to 30 allowed to meet outdoors and up to 6 people or 2 households allowed indoors. But the 30-person cap for wedding ceremonies and receptions, as well as wakes, will be lifted from 21st June.
Even though the majority of Islanders have now been vaccinated and cases are low, as are hospitalisations and deaths, the Council is still heavily pushing locals and tourists alike to take lateral flow tests.
Simon Bryant, the council’s director of public health, has said:
“We can’t afford for cases to increase. That’s why, even when everyone wants to get back to normal, it’s more important than ever that we remember hands, face, space, fresh air.
“Running alongside these daily actions we need to get regular LFT tests when we don’t have symptoms, self-isolate and get tested immediately when we do, and take up the vaccine when it’s offered.
“Every single act of care and caution keeps the virus on the back foot and every time someone does those simple basic things they are playing their part in countering COVID. Please keep it up.”
What utter and complete rubbish. The point is, even though the rates might be low on the Island, who knows for sure, the rest of the country, London and the North are not, so it makes perfect sense in extending the restrictions. We all know Londoners and Northerners are down here, so restrictions are still needed.
Oh well even if we can keep it under control for now, all hell will break loose after the Festival arrives, if it goes ahead. Always greed will try and win out over sensible precautions. Let’s hope the new council will be on the side of normal, hard working Islanders, and not the entitled few.
Holding the Festival this Year will be irresponsible
Sure will. If the government don’t change the number of 4000 people max in an outdoor event, it won’t go ahead.
Jack, yes of course it makes perfect sense not to open up fully as every responsible adult with a brain should understand. The Indian variant has now spread from the North of England where it was rife to down South through London and into the home counties, the shires. Travellers should never have been allowed to fly out to India and come back completely unchecked or quarantined. Yet another big mistake made by you know who.
Gee wizz, let’s all panic about the possibility of catching a cold. Can’t all you numpties see that the vaccine has broken the effect of the virus? The elderly will no longer die from it, the younger people do not get affected badly anyway. The hospitals are hardly being inundated are they? What are all you idiots worrying for? It is time to end all this rubbish and get on with life again. If you want to panic, buy yourself an iron lung and leave the rest of us to get on with our lives.
Join the resistance and ignore it then. World beating VACCINATION program, last to open up.
Tony it is all part of the plan
There won’t be any “kicking the virus into touch” as Mr Love so eloquently puts it.
This is now part of the coronavirus family that circulates the globe – there are five now and there will be no eradication of it, ever. It is here to stay, just like flu – live with it in the same way.
the only way it will vanish, is if it does so of its own accord, as have other viruses in the past.
humans arrogance at messing with viruses in a lab and arrogance at thinking they can control everything is the only real mistake here.
Very good post. The Chinese have a lot to answer but as yet, have evaded blame. Cover up for sure.
I don’t see the problem, we can still meet up to six people indoors, my house wouldn’t hold that many, we can meet up to thirty outdoors which is far too many for me. and the one thing I have enjoyed about the lock-down is not having to hug all and sundry. I’m not a hugging sort of person and like to reserve it for really close family and the odd friend. I like the new system and as for masks I think they are great, no one knows what I’m really thinking and I don’t have to get into conversation unless I choose to.