Surveillance testing is being carried out of the Bus Vannin workforce after nine drivers tested positive for Covid.

In the House of Keys this week, Chief Minister Howard Quayle ruled out making the drivers a priority for the vaccine.

MHKs were told that Bus Vannin continues to operate to the emergency timetable although 40 permanent staff are absent from work for Covid-related reasons including a positive test result, precautionary isolation or shielding.

Mr Quayle said casual staff and others in the department who are qualified to drive were being used to keep services running.

He said the Department of Infrastructure had worked hard to protect the 100 bus drivers by providing them with hand sanitisers, disposable gloves and masks and packs of cleaning wipes.

All buses are fitted with temporary screens.

Mr Quayle said surveillance testing is being carried out and the results would be known in a few days.

Some drivers had already returned to work after testing negative and contact tracing,’ he said.

We all have a role to keep the drivers safe, he said, adding that passengers should only travel if it’s essential and pay using contactless cards or by Go-card.

Douglas South MHK Clare Christian called the Council of Ministers to consider a strategy for continued surveillance testing and vaccination of key workers such as bus drivers, police officers, firefighters, taxi drivers and essential retail workers.

Mr Quayle said there had been surveillance testing of Steam Packet staff, while teachers in hub schools had been offered it too, previously.

He said the group of employees where the government had not following UK Joint Council for Vaccination and Immunisation guidelines had been the island-based Steam Packet and airline crew.

These had been offered vaccines as they mix regularly with passengers and other crew members from off-island.

He pointed out that vaccines don’t stop you catching Covid.

’If we give the vaccine to healthy 20-year-old key workers that’s taking it away from someone who maybe has a greater chance of dying should they catch Covid,’ the Chief Minister added.

’So giving the vaccine to police or our bus drivers is not going to stop them getting it or stop them spreading it and it’s not going to stop them having to isolate if they get it.’

’I understand the concerns of all frontline representatives.’