The Chief Minister told Tynwald he wished he had closed the island’s borders earlier.

Howard Quayle admitted that if there was one thing he would have done differently in the government’s handling of the coronavirus crisis, it would have been to close our border a week earlier.

Giving a coronavirus update in Tynwald, Mr Quayle said there are currently four active cases in the island, all travel-related, and there remains no community transmission here.

The vaccination programme will start on January 4.

Mr Quayle said he would be happy for weekly vaccination figures to be released.

Julie Edge (Onchan) pointed out that the the vaccination programme was already well under way in the UK.

She suggested Manx residents ’don’t want any more jib jab, they want the jab.’

Amended level 4 border controls were announced last week which introduced day 1 and day 13 testing for returning residents and 21 day quarantine for those who decline to be tested.

There is also a tightening of rules for key worker exemptions and a halt on visits allowed on compassionate grounds.