The decision to open schools despite Covid fears was based on ’verbal updates’, it’s been revealed.

Schools were allowed to reopen on March 1 amid concerns of unexplained cases in the community.

And even after a positive case in a pupil was confirmed that evening, it was not until Wednesday that all schools were closed.

Onchan MHK Julie Edge said she could not believe the decision was made without written evidence.

Mrs Edge tabled a question to Chief Minister Howard Quayle in the House of Keys this week, asking if he would publish the advice received on Sunday, February 28, which led to the decision that it was safe to open schools on March 1.

She also asked who in Council of Ministers voted in favour of this decision.

In a brief written reply, Mr Quayle said ’Council of Ministers met during the weekend of February 27-28 and noted verbal updates in relation to testing data and emerging positive cases of unknown origin.

’The Council of Ministers made the collective decision during that weekend to not put the island into lockdown, therefore all services were delivered as normal, which included schools remaining open as usual on Monday, March 1’.

Education Minister Dr Alex Allinson told Tynwald that he had considered his position but insisted none of the decisions about schools were taken lightly.

After it was confirmed on February 11 that a Steam Packet worker based in the UK had tested positive, schools closed for half-term as normal on February 12. Then on February 18 it was made public that an Isle of Man-based Steam Packet worker had also tested positive.

Close contacts with a number of households including some school-aged children were traced.

One child was found to be infected and contact tracing identified three close contacts of school age who had attended the Rock Project and who later tested positive.

A case of a pupil at Ballakermeen High School was confirmed on February 17. Ten high risk contacts were traced, all of whom tested negative. The public was informed on February 19 that Ballakermeen School on February 12 - and the no 31 bus serving it - was a low-risk location.

Public Health advice was that it remained a low risk of onward transmission and schools reopened on February 22.

Testing of an out of hours worker at St Ninian’s Lower School (Bemahague) found them to be positive on the evening of February 26. There was no obvious link to the previous cluster.

With two cases then believed to be of community transmission, on Saturday, February 27, the government called on the public to cancel events that day while the cases were investigated further.

But the next day, with no new cases, the government said business could return to normal and the schools could open on March 1 - but urged vigilance.

On that Monday evening a pupil at Bemahague tested positive - with no link to any previous case. Late that night the message was put out to year eight pupils and their families to isolate.

CoMin subsequently decided to start a 21-day circuit-breaker lockdown from midnight on Tuesday night - a decision announced that morning after the schools had opened again.