The Enterprise Minister has confirmed that every effort is being made to ensure the TT will go ahead as hoped next year.

The annual motorsport festival has been unable to take place for the last two years because of the ongoing pandemic.

However, Dr Alex Allinson has confirmed the 2022 TT will go ahead, despite the lack of the usual ’official’ launch at MotorcycleLive - the bike show held at the NEC in Birmingham.

Dr Allinson said: ’I and Government are committed to the event going ahead as planned in 2022.

’As this will involve moving the current swabbing and test centre from the Grandstand, Manx Care will need to identify an alternative location should there still be the need for widespread PCR testing at that time.’

At the moment, the grandstand testing centre is contining to see a significant amount of traffic.

Undoubtedly, it may see more as the Isle of Man was moved into ’Alert Level 2’ over the weekend, with a warning that a new strain of Covid-19 will arrive here ’sooner rather than later’.

A number of other sites are being looked at to move the Covid-19 testing centre from the TT grandstand so the motorsport festival can go ahead, if the need for testing is still present by next summer.

Elsewhere, preparations have begun to help organise the major festival.

Last week, the clerk of the TT course, Gary Thompson told Manx Radio that work to make sure the course is in top condition for the 2022 races is on track to be finished on time.

He emphasised that making early decisions regarding road closures around the course during the race is key.

He said: ’There’s a number of reasons for that.

’I want to obviously minimise the disruption to the public as much as possible.

’Obviously we don’t want marshals stood out on points any longer than necessary getting cold and wet, and obviously we need to communicate as early as possible so that the riders aren’t left [stood around at the start line] wondering what’s going on.’

Meanwhile, talks are ongoing to work out how the Manx Grand Prix will look next year.

Like the TT, the event has been absent for the last two years. See back page for more.