Covid: Mixed reaction from Isle of Man public as restrictions axed

There has been a mixed reaction from the Manx public to the scrapping of the Isle of Man's remaining Covid laws.

The biggest change has been the removal of the legal requirement to isolate following a positive test.

Douglas retail worker Jane Barton said she was worried that the virus could be passed on to someone with "underlying health issues".

But shopper Therese Kinrade said as an immunosuppressed person she wanted life "to get back to normal".

Reflecting on the lifting of restrictions, Ms Kinrade said: "It's good for the economy, it's good for the island."

However, mum-of-two Ms Barton said she had only recently come out of isolation after having Covid and was worried about the potential impact of the virus on vulnerable people.

She said: "They may not be able to recover the way I've done, but I know we all can't be locked up as well."

The changes, which came into force at 00:01 BST, mark the first time in two years the island has been free of any coronavirus measures.

Welcoming the changes, Brian Rooney said it was "a long time coming".

"If you're vulnerable look after yourself, but the rest of us just need to run amok," he added.

Despite the lifting of legal restrictions, healthcare settings and private firms can still set their own policies on precautions required at their locations.

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