ISLE OF MAN: FROM ROLE MODEL TO LOCKDOWN
Corona Falls on the island again.
8 March 2021
Just a few days ago, all of Europe was looking longingly towards the Isle of Man. The reason: the island was the only area in Europe to live entirely without Corona measures and was slowly starting to get used to life again before the pandemic to get used to it. But in the blink of an eye, everything changed. Because suddenly again registered active covid cases.
Back in the lockdown
After a Corona-free period on the Isle of Man, the virus struck again. Within hours, numerous new cases of Covid were reported. The kingdom reacted quickly and announced another - this time already the third - lockdown. Schools, non-essential businesses and service providers were forced to close once again. Pubs and restaurants, which were finally looking forward to full premises and a boisterous atmosphere again, are now only allowed to offer food to-go. This was also confirmed by the Government of the Crown Estate in the Irish Sea.
Instead of strolling through town and enjoying the spring air, it's now back to distance rules and mandatory masks. These measures apply in a first step from 03 March for three weeks and are to be constantly reviewed.
The island as a model
So far, the island has coped relatively well with the pandemic. Fewer than 800 Corona cases, 25 of which were fatal, show that the Corona measures in the kingdom have borne fruit. Entry regulations into the kingdom are also very strict. Hence, it also came to pass that the island with a population of about 85,000 ended all measures regarding the Corona virus as of February 1, 2021, and islanders were able to resume a largely normal life. Fun pub evenings with friends, an exclusive dinner in a restaurant, sports in a gym: still sounds pretty utopian to us. On the Isle of Man, that was everyday life again.
But the joy of it did not last long. Just a month later, a ferry crew brought about 40 acute cases of corona to the island. Gradually, the numbers rose again, even in an environment unrelated to the ferry. The only logical consequence for the government: to bring the outbreak under control, the island between Great Britain and Northern Ireland goes back into lockdown.
Picture Credits: James Qualtrough / Unsplash
