Covid: Allowing support bubbles between Manx households 'too risky'

High Covid-19 infection rates mean it is "too risky" to allow household support bubbles to be formed on the Isle of Man, the chief minister has told Tynwald.

Howard Quayle said the mixing of households was the "largest way" the virus was spreading at present.

Support bubbles would be reviewed once the "likely length" of the current lockdown became clearer, he added.

The island's third lockdown has already been extended to the end of March.

There are currently 872 active cases of the virus on the island, with 19 people receiving treatment in Noble's Hospital.

Douglas Central MHK Anne Corlett said "many single parent households of all ages" were struggling and online support could "never replace human contact", while Garff MHK Daphne Caine said the lockdown extension had caused "significant" mental health issues for "many people already at the end of their tether".

Douglas South MHK Paul Quine said allowing children to form a support bubble with someone who regularly cared for them, such as grandparents, could have "immense benefits" for the child, and assist some key workers during the closure of the island's hub schools.

Howard Quayle said while he was "not ruling them out", the current spread of the more transmissible Kent variant of the virus meant "it was felt that now is not the time".

He said that although "everyone across the board" was missing loved ones, "the last thing we want to do is increase the infection rate by trying to be kind and making it worse".

"The minute we have advice that it is safe to do so, we will set up these bubbles," he added.

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