After 10 days with no new cases and preparations to reopen in place, the end of the Covid-19 circuit-breaker lockdown is in sight.

There have been no new cases confirmed in the island in the last 10 days - the longest run of clear days since September 2020.

Crucially there has been no evidence of transmission in the community for 16 days, leading public health officials to express confidence that the virus is contained.

Today’s figures will be released this afternoon.

ENDING THE LOCKDOWN

Following a meeting of the Council of Ministers, Chief Minister Howard Quayle said on Thursday last week that the island was ’on track’ to proceed with the lifting of all circuit-breaker restrictions on Monday (February 1).

An announcement is expected to be made at 4pm today (Friday) to confirm the decision on reopening, but there is a catch: plans may be halted if any unexplained cases or clusters arise in the meantime.

If nothing changes over the weekend, the social restrictions imposed on January 7 will be lifted:

*Residents will no longer be required to stay at home.

*Pubs, bars, restaurants and non-essential retail outlets can reopen.

*Social distancing and the wearing of face masks will not be mandatory, though they might still be required in some businesses, workplaces and healthcare settings.

*Gatherings will be permitted and members of different households can mix indoors.

*Those identified as clinically vulnerable or extremely clinically vulnerable will no longer be advised to shield.

*All of the island’s school sites will reopen on Monday and pupils are expected to return immediately.

Staff and pupils at the island’s ’hub’ schools, which stayed open to accommodate the children of key workers, returned to their schools on Thursday to prepare lessons and facilities.

The island’s border restrictions will remain largely in place but some exemptions, including applications for compassionate travel to the island, have been restored.

The updated quarantine procedures for new arrivals will continue: returning residents must complete either 14 days of self-isolation with three tests, or 21 days if they do not wish to be tested.

If everything goes ahead as planned, the island will have reverted back to the relative normality of December: a more-or-less ’normal’ life within a firewall of controlled borders and quarantine measures.

THE UNITED KINGDOM

As confidence grew that the virus had been contained in the island, the UK reached a tragic milestone of its own: more than 100,000 people have now died after testing positive for Covid-19. Half of these deaths have taken place since November 8 and a quarter of them since January 3.

VACCINATION PROGRAMMES

The island’s first purpose-built mass vaccination centre, located at Ronaldsway airport, opened its doors yesterday (Thursday), with over 400 residents receiving a dose of the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine.

However, conscientious residents arrived up to an hour early for their vaccination appointments, leading to a queue forming outside the airport.

The Department of Health and Social Care asked patients to arrive no more than 10 minutes ahead of their appointed time.

Residents have also been urged to beware of scam phone calls relating to vaccination programmes.

’The 111 service will never cold call you about a vaccine,’ Health Minister David Ashford said on Tuesday. ’Those eligible for a vaccine will receive a letter that allows them to make contact with 111 to book an appointment.’

Between the hubs at Ronaldsway and Newlands, and the rollout in the island’s care homes, vaccinations are now taking place seven days a week.

However, the vaccination programme is limited by the supplies arriving in the island.

Unlike the United Kingdom, which is racing to deliver as many ’first doses’ as possible and delaying the second dose, DHSC is maintaining its policy of giving the second dose within the time window originally specified by the manufacturer.

On Monday the first group of patients received the second of the two doses required for vaccination.

At the time of going to press, 6,022 patients in the island had received at least one dose, with 1,022 having received both doses.