Health, social and economic pressures are all being monitored by the government, the Chief Minister has told Tynwald.

Howard Quayle was asked by Speaker Juan Watterson which key indicators government is using to make decisions on lockdown and border restrictions; what phased milestones have been identified in the exit strategy; and what the trigger points will be for each milestone.

The Chief Minister said that there is ’not one single test or measure’ that will show when the pandemic is over and that residents will have to get used to a ’new normal’.

He added: ’The Council of Ministers is looking at key indicators to help guide us on the next stage, pause where we are or in an unfortunate circumstance, reimpose restrictions if the pressures on the health service become too great.’

Mr Quayle said that calls to the Covid 111 service, the number of tests and cases and clusters of the virus would all be used as indicators for how the virus is progressing in the island.

Alongside this, CoMin will be monitoring three areas of competing pressures, health, social and economic.

â?¢ Health monitoring will include: the number of positive cases within planned assumptions; workforce availability; community capacity; Noble’s Hospital capacity and Intensive Care Unit capacity.

â?¢ Social: police incidents relating to regulation breaches; the number of people in custody and prison due to lockdown restrictions; the number of domestic abuse and mental health calls and broader risks from non Covid-19 pathways that have been suspended.

â?¢ Economic: unemployment rate; number of employers are receiving the wage support scheme; MERA claimants; concerns forwarded from the Manx Industrial Relations Service; cost to the Treasury of the support schemes and lost revenue.

Mr Quayle added that CoMin is also monitoring the situation through its third sector partners including charities and the Isle of Man Foodbank.