A chair has been appointed for the independent review into the government’s handling of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Kate Brunner QC will head up the forthcoming review due to commence later this year.

It will cover the period from December 2019 to the end of September 2021, assessing decisions made by the government during that time and identifying any lessons to be learnt.

It will also give recommendations to ensure that this knowledge is fed into current working practices, and to improve the way government deals with any future emergency response to a pandemic.

In line with the Terms of Reference agreed by Tynwald in April, Ms Brunner will provide a final report to Tynwald by December 31, 2023.

She said: ‘I look forward to leading a comprehensive review into the Manx government’s handling of the pandemic.

‘This will be an entirely independent process, with a focus on drawing out lessons to be learned so that the island can become even more resilient to any future pandemics or similar crises.

‘I recognise the importance of hearing from individuals and groups about how they were affected, as well as investigating government procedures and decision-making.

‘The first steps will involve recruiting a team and setting the methodology, and the anticipated timetable of evidence-gathering will be published as soon as possible.’