There are no plans to speed up the vaccination process for over-50s in the island, despite the UK making changes in the face of the threat from new Indian variant of Covid-19.

But Health Minister David Ashford said it was still anticipated that all over-50s in the island will have received their second dose ahead of the revised schedule for UK residents.

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson last week announced the gap between first and second doses for those over 50 would be reduced from 12 weeks to eight, but Mr Ashford told Tynwald the island would not be following suit.

Julie Edge (Onchan) queried why the island was not following the JCVI recommendation to bring forward to eight weeks.

The minister said his department had reviewed the options for second dose vaccinations for the over-50s.

’The Isle of Man vaccination programme is much further ahead, with over 82% of all adults having received their first dose, with the second doses for all over-50s already booked to be completed in early July,’ he said.

’The options to bring forward the over-50s second dose have been considered against the supplies that we have.’

With expected supplies, there was ’little scope’ to bring forward second doses. But, he said, it was expected vaccination of island’s over-50 population would be completed ahead of the UK and that, coupled with what would be a requirement to change manually 18,000 appointments, meant the decision was taken not to reduce the gap between vaccinations.

Earlier this week Chief Minister Howard Quayle said the rise of the Indian variant in the UK had meant a pause on the aim to allow non-resident mitigated travel to the island from May 29.

However, the target for unrestricted travel between the island and the rest of the British Isles by June 28 remains the same.

A reduction in the isolation restrictions for those who are allowed to travel here - family, property owners, people with an offer of employment and returning residents - will still take effect from Monday.

Anyone travelling to the Isle of Man who has not been outside of the UK, Guernsey or Jersey in the 10 days prior to arrival will no longer be required to isolate for seven days. Instead, they can opt to undertake a £30 test within 48 hours of arrival and isolate until they receive a negative result. A second test will also be required - free of charge - six days after arrival.

The only restriction will be the requirement to avoid health and social care settings - except to seek emergency treatment - until 10 days after arrival.

Anyone who has been outside of the UK, Guernsey or Jersey in the 10 days prior to arriving in the island will only have to isolate for seven days instead of 10, if they opt for a £60 Covid testing package, within 48 hours of arrival and on day six, and both the results are negative.