All 16- and 17-year-olds who have received at least one vaccination dose are now eligible to arrive in the Isle of Man with no isolation or testing requirements.

The exemption follows the start of the vaccine programme with an initial single dose to this age group. More than 900 16- to 17-year-olds have now had at least one dose of the Covid-19 vaccination, representing nearly half of the age group in the Isle of Man.

This comes following the vaccine rollout for this age group, when the travel pathways remained as they were, despite the fact they had come forward for the full amount of vaccine they were being offered.

The change will be welcomed by many families as vaccinated teenagers will no longer need to isolate upon their return from holidays.

Adults aged 18 and over are still required to have both doses to access this arrival pathway, where it is the recommended full course.

The travel and borders section of the covid.gov.im website has been updated to reflect the revised guidance in relation to 16- and 17-year-olds.

Applicants must have received the Pfizer BioNTech vaccine at least two weeks prior to their arrival on the island, and applicants cannot have visited any country on the UK red travel list in the 10 days prior to their arrival.

In order to qualify for this exemption, an application must be made through the government’s online services and evidence of the vaccination needs to be provided. A list of what is accepted can be found at the government’s Covid website.

Those who have turned 17 can apply for an exemption themselves, while applications for 16-year-olds must currently be made by a responsible adult.

All applications should be made at least three days before travelling.

Once approved, a landing card must be completed within 48 hours of arriving in the island.

For further information, contact the travel notification service on 687171 or email [email protected]