Chief Minister Howard Quayle says he hopes the air bridge between the Isle of Man and Guernsey can be re-established ’as soon as possible’.

The quarantine-free link between the islands was suspended last Friday - just before half-term - after a cluster of Covid-19 cases was discovered in Guernsey. More than 1,000 people were due to travel in either direction this week.

At the point of the suspension, there were seven cases known, which had increased to eight by the time Mr Quayle gave a statement to the House of Keys on Tuesday. A key problem person seen as the ’index case’ had not travelled anywhere from Guernsey in the previous 14 days, so the authorities don’t know where it came from.

Mr Quayle told MHKs: ’Guernsey’s approach to managing the virus is very similar to ours here in the Isle of Man and so I have every confidence they will quickly bring the virus under control.

’We will keep the situation under review and I sincerely hope we are able to re-establish the air bridge as soon as possible.’

He added: ’It was a difficult decision, but one we feel was right for our island.

’We took many factors into consideration: half term, returning students, and the approach of a complex Christmas period.

’The air bridge was established on the understanding that it could only operate while both islands remained free of any significant transmission of the virus.

’These latest positive test results meant that, sadly, the balance of risk has shifted.’

The air bridge was formed in the summer allowing residents from each island to travel to the other. Mr Quayle said it had been a ’welcome source’ of hospitality business in both jurisdictions.

’However, the air bridge was only possible due to the circumstances that both islands had managed to create through their handling of the pandemic,’ he said.

’As we know, the situation is constantly changing and certainty is in short supply while the virus continues to spread.’

When the new case was found in Guernsey, on October 19, there were no known community cases and the authorities have so far been unable to confirm the source.

But Mr Quayle emphasised: ’This is, I hope, a temporary measure and I would very much like to see the air bridge restored when the longer-term situation in Guernsey is clear.’

He expressed sympathy for those who had booked to go to Guernsey, and also for those from the Channel island who had been planning to travel here.

About 120 travellers returned to the Isle of Man on Saturday on the repatriation flight and were told to go into 14 days’ isolation. About 60 passengers returned to Guernsey from the Isle of Man. Passengers returning to here from Guernsey have been required fill in a landing form giving details of their contacts, as a matter of course.

This week’s half-term flights by Guernsey airline Aurigny were all cancelled.

The school holiday made a quick decision all the more necessary, Mr Quayle said.

’People were packing, there were three flights each way. There were 1,000 people who were going to be travelling between Guernsey and the Isle of Man and we needed to ensure that they were not suddenly finding themselves having to be brought back.’

He said the Council of Ministers did think about a more nuanced approach, compared with travel from the UK, with the possibility of a seven-day quarantine period. But a 14-day isolation period was the ’gold standard’.

’Once Guernsey had it in the community, the advice was we could not treat them separately from UK residents and that was the 14 days,’ he said. ’But it was a very difficult decision.’