Manx Care has reiterated that the requirement for people to wear face masks in health and social care settings - unless they are medically exempt - will continue for the time being.

This includes all visitors and patients attending outpatient appointments, community clinics and GP surgeries.

It said: ’Manx Care has worked with Isle of Man Government on their proposed change from pandemic to endemic but, at this time, is choosing a cautious and proportionate approach.’

In a briefing held last week (Thursday, February 3), the Isle of Man Government set out its plan to treat Covid-19 as an endemic disease similar to other illnesses such as flu and norovirus, with a target date of March 31.

A disease is considered endemic where there are persistent, low or moderate levels in the community.

At the briefing, chief executive of Manx Care, Teresa Cope, said that the overall stay in hospital for patients with Covid-19 is ’less’.

She said: ’These patients are generally less sick.

’So we are in support of the plan [to move to an endemic approach].

’Manx Care has carefully considered the wearing of masks in the context of the island plan and moving down to Level One, and whilst Level One deems that wearing of face masks is ’recommended’ and not mandated, we are of the view that we need to take a cautious approach to maintaining mask wearing in a health and social care setting in order to protect the most vulnerable individuals within our care.’

In a follow-up statement, Manx Care added: ’This position will continue to be reviewed regularly, with the ultimate objective that face masks will not be required in health and social care settings unless this is required for clinical reasons, or for personal choice.’

Fresh masks are provided free at the entrance to all of Manx Care’s health and social care settings.

They should be worn to fully cover both the nose and mouth, and disposal of masks should be into bins situated at all sites.

Meanwhile, Manx Care has updated its visiting policies so there is no longer a need pre-book their visit or complete a visitor registration form.

To minimise congestion across patient areas, it is encouraging one person at a time to visit a friend or relative, although additional visitors may be accommodated at the discretion of the nurse in charge (in a hospital setting) or a registered manager (in an adult social care facility).

All members of the public are being encouraged to voluntarily take a lateral flow Test (LFT) around 45 minutes to one hour before visiting any health and social care setting in order to detect individuals who may be infected with the Covid-19 virus, but who may be asymptomatic - this is in order to protect staff, service users and other visitors from contracting Covid-19.

The LFTs in use on the island are able to detect the Omicron variant.

normal

Signalling a return to the ’new normal’, some services based at Noble’s Hospital will return to their original locations over the next few weeks, for example the blood clinic.

A number of services were re-located as part of the Covid-19 response.

Further details will be announced in due course.

Mrs Cope added: ’We will continue to work with Isle of Man Government and relevant parties to monitor the situation with the aim of returning our health services to normal when possible but at this time we are working to protect all of the vulnerable people in our care and so face masks and the use of LFTs before visiting any of our sites will continue for now.

’The virus has not gone away and the pandemic is not over yet hence the need for us to continue operating with caution at the moment, albeit we welcome the transition towards an endemic approach.’