The first returning residents are back home after finishing their enforced quarantine at the Comis Hotel.

Their return home came as questions continued to be asked about their treatment in confinement.

The returning residents were confined to their alarmed rooms for 23 hours a day and only allowed out for one hour of exercise in a fenced exercise yard, where they were supervised by a security guard.

Twenty five returnees arrived on the first sailing from Heysham on April 15, followed by 27 the following Wednesday. Subject to health checks, 25 were due to arrive yesterday.

Chief Minister Howard Quayle was asked in Tynwald about allegations that people’s bags were searched as they went into the Comis and whether this was legal.

Mr Quayle said: ’I have been informed today about this happening on a number of occasions. I have been told this has stopped.

’It won’t be happening again. It is a requirement of the hotel that food is not brought into the hotel.

’And obviously we will need to take advice on the legality of that.’

One of those who was quarantined in the Comis said it felt like the returning residents were being punished.

He said: ’We had been told that we could have any snacks or extras to make the stay more comfortable, anything was allowed as long as it wasn’t illegal. Yet we found out this is not true, as security went through my bag and removed gluten-free food/biscuits, cordial and alcohol.

’This is a huge invasion of privacy, and not to mention embarrassing for not only myself but my elderly grandad who was dropping the bag off.’

There was also criticism that the first group of returnees who arrived from Heysham on April 15 were taken by coaches under police escort to the Comis Hotel.

Chief Constable Gary Roberts told a press briefing last week that others being repatriated would be treated in a ’slightly different way’.

Health Minister David Ashford confirmed no-one who has been in quarantine at the Comis Hotel has shown symptoms of Covid-19 or tested positive for the virus.

A government spokesman said the sailing on May 6 should enable the majority of the remaining residents who are in the UK and available to travel to return back to the island, should they choose to take up the sailing.

Exempt

’We are already looking at how we give some more certainty in sailing dates to those that are outside of the UK at the moment,’ she said.

Of the 400 residents known to be stranded outside the border, only 237 applications had been made as of April 25.

A total of 443 people have travelled to the island since the border closed as they fall under the exempt categories.

Of these 380 were deemed important to national critical infrastructure (these mostly relating to transportation - Steam Packet, Mezeron, and the airlines providing flights), three were police or fire personnel and 34 were medical professionals or bringing over medical supplies.

The remaining 26 were granted by the chief secretary and involved military personnel, or fire and police officers.

Being granted a travel exemption does not automatically grant self-isolation exemptions and a separate application and justification has to be made either by the department or company itself, the government spokesman said.