The Chief Minister has told the House of Keys that once people have arrived on-island with an exemptions certificate, they have the right to remain here.

Howard Quayle answered a question asked by Julie Edge (Onchan) on Friday, in which she queried how long the exemption was valid for.

He replied: ’This is a Public Health response, not a form of immigration control. The exemptions process works and allows people into the Isle of Man. The risk of Covid is managed in the appropriate way and the Covid response team work very hard.’

Ms Edge then asked him: ’I’m not talking about immigration control, but wider security control. I have spoken to people in the police and they’re concerned that they don’t know who’s here.’

The Chief Minister replied that people had the right to stay for as long as they wished if they had isolated after 14 days, and asked if Ms Edge was suggesting to keep a register of all those coming in and out of the island and that it was one of the most bizarre questions put to him in the 10 years of him being a member of the House.

Mr Qualye later clarified that he was talking about those visitors who had been allowed to travel here on compassionate grounds.

In contrast, key workers have a specified time limit and end date on their exemption certificates.