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Covid-19: New cluster detected on Isle of Man

BBC Airport sign about self-isolationBBC
People arriving on the island must pay £50 for two Covid-19 tests or face longer in isolation

A new coronavirus cluster has been found on the Isle of Man.

It involves two people who had been out in the community after completing their 14-day self-isolation period before one developed symptoms.

Both had travelled to the island before border restrictions and quarantine rules were tightened on 23 December.

Public Health Director Henrietta Ewart said the risk to the public was "small".

The first case had travelled to the island under an exemption certificate to start a new job.

The second case was from the same household and both had completed the mandatory period of self-isolation after arriving.

Following that, they visited several busy locations in Douglas over the Christmas period before the first person developed symptoms.

The second individual was tested as part of the contact-tracing process and also returned a positive result. Both are self-isolating.

DAVE KNEALE Aerial view of the Isle of ManDAVE KNEALE
There have now been a total of 380 cases of coronavirus on the island since March

Seven other close contacts were identified, all of whom tested negative. They are also in self-isolation as a precaution, the government said.

Dr Ewart said, although the start date of the cluster was "not clear at this stage" and "may not become clear" it was thought to be travel related.

While the risk to the public was "small", anyone who was at the locations the new cases visited and develops symptoms should contact the coronavirus 111 hotline "immediately", she added.

The locations were:

  • A Café in Duke Street on 23 December between 12:30 GMT and 13:30
  • Terrace Chippy on Prospect Terrace on 23 December between 19:40 and 20:40
  • Majestic Chinese Restaurant on Central Promenade on 24 December between 19:30 and 20:30
  • 1886 in Regent Street on 26 December between 23:00 and 02:00

A third new case - a returning resident who tested positive after undertaking a day one test - is not related to the cluster.

It takes the total number of active cases of coronavirus on the island to seven, all of whom are in isolation.

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