Day seven Covid testing is to be reintroduced for patients who travel to the UK for regular treatment.

The announcement was made by Chief Minister Howard Quayle at the weekly coronavirus briefing today.

He revealed he was suffering the effects of ’long Covid’.

’I’m more than happy to share my experience. I personally have probably lost 95% of my taste and 95% of my smell,’ said Mr Quayle.

’I’ve had it now for six months so it’s been getting gradually worse. I hope maybe those cells will repair and come back but yes that’s a long Covid impact for me personally.’

Health Minister David Ashford said the island was seeing evidence of cases of long Covid which was around the low level of symptoms such as taste and smell and some people who still remain breathless.

Seven-day testing was suspended following the resurgence of the virus in the UK.

Mr Quayle said some patients who regularly travel to the UK for medical appointments have been in ’perpetual isolation’.

He said the Council of Ministers has agreed that patients with two or more appointments over a rolling two week period will be able to get a Covid test on day seven of their isolation.

Seven day testing will also be available to key workers resident in the island who come and go to the UK for work purposes.

The press briefing took place as one new case of Covid has been detected in the island.

This new case involves an individual who became symptomatic during their self-isolation period having recently returned to the island.

Their period of isolation has been extended. Contact tracing has identified two close contacts who are awaiting their results following a test today.

The current number of active cases is five.

Mr Ashford said he was disappointed to hear of patients being rude or even aggressive to receptionists at GP surgeries.

He said while Covid has been kept at bay it has not gone away altogether and it was important that reception staff put their questions to patients before booking an appointment.

Mr Ashford was asked about the resignation of Dr Rachel Glover, who was one of the island’s leading scientists in the Covid-19 testing lab.

He read out a letter from a member of staff who said they were demoralised at the implication that the test regime was down to one person and would not function without her.

’That could not be further from the truth. It’s left me feeling why do I bother?’ the letter writer said.

The Minister said he agreed with Dr Glover about the merits of surveillance testing but he was not in support of mandatory tests.

He was asked whethe the Manx government should be more ambitious in its approach, given that jurisdictions like Guernsey has introduced testing at the border.

Mr Ashford said Guernsey had spent about £4m on introducing border testing but such a system would only pick up about 7% of infected cases.

’You would have to do later testing, day five, day seven and we were doing, or day 10 which would expect to get about 98% of cases,’ he said.