IOM Covid removing restrictions

[Banker]

1 minute ago, the stinking enigma said:

Well thats a relief

What is ? Been to toilet?

[the stinking enigma]

Though there's been no mention of long covid for a while. 

[manxst]

5 minutes ago, code99 said:

and the rest of us are in a pretty harsh lockdown.   

It’s not really though, is it? You can leave your house, exercise, shop, work (unless it’s at the amenity sites), go where you want, not have to wear a mask if you don’t want...Most people seem to be doing nothing different to normal, other than there being a lack of socialising and having to do distancing. 

[Gladys]

10 minutes ago, code99 said:

My view is they should not have rushed to issue this 'waffle', this so called 'exit strategy'.    

Last year the Island was hailed as one of the few well governed 'Covid-free' countries in the world. What few people seemed to appreciate is that, at that time, we were spared from the virus becasue in one crucial way, we were lucky. The 'success' in managing the pandemic was down to the borders strategy working, keeping the virus out.

Becasue we had been successful at eliminating the first 'outbreak', nobody seemed to appreciate that, other than keeping the borders largely shut, our government/ our medical authorities had only a minimal action plan if the virus got through. Our luck has now run out and the virus is well imbedded here, on a par with some other European countries where the positive cases are high. Albeit that we are ahead of Europeans with the vaccination roll-out, hundreds of our residents are infected, thousands of our residents are in self isolation and the rest of us are in a pretty harsh lockdown. This is where we would have been previously if the borders had not 'held'.

It is sad to observe our politicians scrambling to placate the public with platitudes like 'be reasonable', 'no witch-hunt', 'no time to allocate blame', but equally sad is their 'exit strategy' document, which makes nothing clear at all, except that the IOM government will keep changing the rules every time circumstances change. It seems to me that, becasue the UK and the CIs produced their exit strategies, our government felt pressured to produce one of it's own. The big difference is that at present the UK and CIs are seemingly getting control of their situation, whilst we are not. 

Because we have no idea when and how the current lockdown is going to evolve, let alone end, my opinion is that they were better off not to release any 'guidance' about the future until there was much more certainty about this outbreak. Instead, they released a document that mostly widely attracted criticism (including from the MHKs), as well as occasional derision and mockery from the general public.

In a couple of weeks time or so, when things are clearer, they must issue a more specific exit plan document, something that includes a timetable and is backed-up with facts. Let's hope they do a better job next time.   

All very true, but I think that you will find that many on here months ago attributed our covid success to three things:-

1. Limited points of entry

2. Our small-size and population 

3. A largely compliant population 

But you're absolutely right, the opportunity missed to come up with contingency plans while covid-free is lamentable, reprehensible and, now, damaging. 

[Banker]

4 minutes ago, Gladys said:

All very true, but I think that you will find that many on here months ago attributed our covid success to three things:-

1. Limited points of entry

2. Our small-size and population 

3. A largely compliant population 

But you're absolutely right, the opportunity missed to come up with contingency plans while covid-free is lamentable, reprehensible and, now, damaging. 

Also why have department of enterprise drawn up this exit strategy, surely treasury who are finding money to pay for these lockdown should have been involved but listening to Shimmins comments apparently not!

Also CM says it’s been well received, well received by whom ? I don’t know anyone who thinks it’s any good 

[Annoymouse]

2 hours ago, Gladys said:

Would it be too easy to send the consent form with the letter?

There is two separate forms, one for the Astra Zeneca and one for the Pfizer. When they send out the letters they don’t know which one you’ll be booked in, it would be a complete waste to send both forms (4 sheets of paper, 2 for each vaccine) when only 1 set would be used.

Edited March 13, 2021 by Annoymouse

[Cassie2]

47 minutes ago, TerryFuchwit said:

''In what world are over 60s not done by the end of May? ''

 

The answer Terry is 'In any world except yours''. People need TWO doses of Pfizer or Oxford. They are administered now 10 weeks apart here. In no way can that be done by the end of May for the over 60s when the letters are actually only going out in the week ending 26 March!

Also, some weeks are needed for these two vaccines to be at their maximum effectiveness AFTER the vaccinations (which as everyone knows is around 95% at the very best)

Edited March 13, 2021 by Cassie2

[TheTeapot]

14 minutes ago, Gladys said:

 

But you're absolutely right, the opportunity missed to come up with contingency plans while covid-free is lamentable, reprehensible and, now, damaging. 

And sadly predictable

 

[piebaps]

57 minutes ago, CowMan said:

I haven’t said Guernsey is miles ahead on anything as I simply don’t know how other islands are doing. We are sending out the letters to the over 60s next week and the letters only go out in batches. I really can’t see that they'll be done by the end of May when it’s taken us 2 months to get to this stage with full vaccinations. The UK really seems to have got it’s act together which makes the IOM opening the borders argument for September nonsense. Most of the over 50s in the UK will be done well before then so the risks will probably start to drop around July if we start ramping up vaccinations here too. 

Jesus. And you reckon we're pant wetting.

[The Voice of Reason]

2 hours ago, Boris Johnson said:

When I went to Chester St for mine it struck me that I was about the only person who had filled out the consent form prior to getting there.

I was in and out in moments, there was a lot of people sat down filling forms out and a lot of empty booths waiting for them to fill their forms. 

Could be more efficient if everyone got a bit more organised before they turn up?

I too did my form before going.  Also took identification as requested but that wasn’t asked for.

[doc.fixit]

16 minutes ago, Annoymouse said:

There is two separate forms, one for the Astra Zeneca and one for the Pfizer. When they send out the letters they don’t know which one you’ll be booked in, it would be a complete waste to send both forms (4 sheets of paper, 2 for each vaccine) when only 1 set would be used.

When I had my first at Chester Street I had taken the precaution of printing off and filling in both forms. A rather officious lady with a clip board told me I had to fill in one of hers because mine were no good! ( She didn't even look at them.)

Make of it what you will.

It was easier to just fill it in than argue, so, that might explain why there were lots of form fillers?

[Gladys]

20 minutes ago, Annoymouse said:

There is two separate forms, one for the Astra Zeneca and one for the Pfizer. When they send out the letters they don’t know which one you’ll be booked in, it would be a complete waste to send both forms (4 sheets of paper, 2 for each vaccine) when only 1 set would be used.

Thanks, but couldn't a generic consent form be devised to cover both?

[piebaps]

Meanwhile in Europe https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-56382608

Looks like we're not the only ones with problems

[Banker]

21 minutes ago, Cassie2 said:

The answer Terry is 'In any world except yours''. People need TWO doses of Pfizer or Oxford. They are administered now 10 weeks apart here. In no way can that be done by the end of May for the over 60s when the letters are actually only going out in the week ending 26 March!

Also, some weeks are needed for these two vaccines to be at their maximum effectiveness AFTER the vaccinations (which as everyone knows is around 95% at the very best)

Well it’s 80% efficacy after one dose which has been shown by results and also in stopping spread of virus which is why cases , deaths & hospitalization have plummeted in UK since January 

[TheTeapot]

Just now, piebaps said:

Meanwhile in Europe https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-56382608

Looks like we're not the only ones with problems

It's going to happen elsewhere too. The understandable urge to get things open is massive and sadly it is only going to go one way. The vaccines will get us out of it but it's going to need a lot more of it and time.