Covid: Eight in hospital as IOM virus cases rise by 56

Eight people are in hospital suffering from Covid-19 on the Isle of Man, including one in intensive care.

The number of new infections rose by 56 overnight, a fall from the record high of 81 that were recorded on Sunday.

There are now 369 active coronavirus cases on the island, with public health director Henrietta Ewart warning the total was still set to rise.

She said many people would have "caught the virus in the community before the circuit breaker began" last week.

She said the Isle of Man had still not reached the peak of the current outbreak, but the numbers should "drop down" this week.

Health Minister David Ashford said the healthcare service would be able to “adapt” if there were further ICU admissions and up to 18 beds could be made available “if necessary”.

Infection rates among young people and children remain high compared to previous outbreaks, with 135 of the active cases being recorded for those aged under 19.

Because of this, the government announced it would not reopen a hub school for the children of critical workers on Tuesday as previously planned.

Schools were closed to all pupils, including vulnerable children and those of key workers, on Friday and remained shut on Monday.

Education Minister Alex Allinson said any provision would need to be done “safely” and concerns about “gathering children from multiple households” remained.

The government was “working around the clock” to establish a solution and a further update would be made later this week, he added.

A total of 811 people have tested positive for Covid-19 on the Isle of Man, 25 of whom have died.

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