Single-person households could be allowed to create a ’support bubble’ if the current spread of Covid-19 decreases.

Chief Minister Howard Quayle indicated during Tuesday’s Tynwald sitting that once the likelihood of contracting the Kent variant of the virus was minimised, then government would consider the allowance of support bubbles.

The UK government says a support bubble ’is a support network which links two households.’

And people who wish to form one have to meet certain eligibility rules to form one.

Once you’re in a support bubble, you are considered as being in one ’household’, entitling you to close contact with the other household in your bubble, as if they form part of your own household.

No social distancing is required in the bubbles.

Jason Moorhouse MHK asked Mr Quayle: ’What plans the Council of Ministers has to introduce (a) support bubbles and (b) other support mechanisms to help single-person households deal with the challenge of lockdown?’

Mr Quayle replied: ’We have not introduced support bubbles so far, as this would involve mixing of households. Mixing of households is the largest spreader of Covid.

’The [suggestion] for allowing support bubbles will be reviewed once the length of the current circuit-breaker lockdown becomes clearer. We do hope support mechanisms, such as support bubbles can be introduced.’

The Chief Minister also said that the island’s government had ensured other support mechanisms to help people in single households were in place, such as the development of the Are You OK? webpage.

Launched in August 2020, the page encourages people to talk about what’s worrying them and look out for one another, with signposts to self-help resilience advice and organisations available to those in need.

He added: ’It is important, more than ever, to help with physical and mental health to help those struggling.’

Mr Moorhouse asked as a supplementary question with regards to the first lockdown of this year (January), how effective the webpage has been.

Mr Quayle responded that the Are You OK? campaign has received positive feedback and that statistics recorded from March 5 showed that the website was viewed nearly 2,000 times during the January lockdown.

’We know we have most visitors on Friday - perhaps because people are feeling the effects of not having a social life,’ he said.

Mr Moorhouse later asked if the government would consider the return of socially-distanced ’deckchairing’, a term used to describe when people from different households can sit in a garden/outdoor setting two metres apart. This measure was brought in during the 2020 lockdown and January’s.

Mr Quayle replied: ’I came up with word "deckchairing". I would hope that as soon as possible we will set up deckchairing

’It is purely due to the high risk Kent variant spread - we need to make these unfortunate, tough decisions.

’If we’re too lax and continue to spread we’ll return into lockdown.’