The government is to carry out a review into how the Steam Packet became the source of the latest Covid outbreak.
But the Chief Minister has held back from ordering a full independent investigation into what he has described as a ’genuine misunderstanding’ over isolation rules for island-based crews of the Ben-my-Chree.
Liberal Vannin leader Lawrie Hooper MHK is urging the public accounts committee to look into this as a matter of urgency.
He said: ’We are not seeking scapegoats or conducting a witch hunt, but people have been imprisoned for breaches of Covid regulations.
’Lessons must be learned from any failures by government and/or our Steam Packet Company.’
An agreement has now been reached to end the dispute between the Manx government and the state-owned ferry operator.
This ’difference of opinion’ came to light after crew members on the Ben-my-Chree tested positive for Covid, resulting in a cluster of cases in the island.
Public health director Dr Henrietta Ewart said that on the evidence and timings we have of the current Covid cases the working hypothesis is that they are related to the Steam Packet outbreak.
The Chief Minister told a press briefing on February 19 that investigations were under way and promised the results would be made public.
Mr Hooper, who represents Ramsey in the House of Keys, said he should fulfil that promise. He said: ’Open and transparent government at this critical time is paramount.’
Mr Quayle said last week: ’We must learn from this but I don’t want it to be a witch hunt.’
’I’ve asked the chief secretary to have a person do an independent review for us to find out what did happen, and what can we learn from this.
’We are not blaming anyone, we are saying its a genuine misunderstanding. We will find out what’s happened here. We will review it and make sure we put in measures to make sure it doesn’t happen again.
’But at the end of day no one is infallible, whether it’s our team or the Steam Packet team misunderstanding the rules.
’We are working with an organisation that has to mix with the UK. It is a concern.
’There were mitigation measures put in place that staff wore PPE all the time while on board and our team thought the Steam Packet crew were then isolating when they came home.
’The Steam Packet thought it was just their English crew that were having to do this. This is being reviewed, I will get a report from the chief secretary and I will make sure lessons are learned from this.
’But the end of the day it’s not going to fix the situation, it’s happened and we need to stop the spread and get it back under control.
’If Liberal Vannin want a review and Tynwald agrees that is what will happen.’
Under revised Covid safety arrangements agreed last week, Steam Packet staff will be tested at the beginning and the end of each shift.
But island-based crew members will not have to isolate when they go off-duty.