A remarkable Onchan woman will be celebrating her birthday at home this weekend after recovering from coronavirus.

Ninety-five-year-old Winnie Lockett was admitted to Noble’s Hospital with a suspected heart condition on April 12, after her son Peter had noticed she was struggling with her breathing.

Like all current hospital admissions, she was tested for coronavirus.

’After a couple of days we got a phone call to say that she’s tested positive,’ Mr Lockett told the Courier.

’As soon as we heard that, I started to worry how things might turn out.

’But she kept getting better and better.’

She was the subject of a special tribute by Chief Minister Howard Quayle, who praised her ’remarkable resilience and fighting spirit’ during Monday’s daily press conference.

’There’s clearly no stopping Winnie, who lived through the Second World War and has now seen off Covid-19,’ he said.

Mrs Lockett, who turns 96 on Saturday and is thought to be the island’s oldest coronavirus patient, was ready to be discharged only four days after her test results had come back.

’The hospital was very good at keeping in touch with us,’ Mr Lockett said. ’She really wanted to be home. A nurse told us that she wanted to be out in time for her birthday.’

Mrs Lockett was born in 1924 and grew up in Prestwich, Greater Manchester.

Between the ages of 15 and 18, she worked 60-hour weeks in a munitions factory to aid the Allied war effort.

She moved to the Isle of Man in the 1980s and has two sons, four grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren, all based in the island.

Although there is no chance of a party or outing to celebrate the big day on Saturday, there will be a parade of family members and well-wishers taking turns to wave from the driveway.

Mrs Lockett said that she feels ’fine, thank goodness’, and that it was a ’big surprise’ to hear the Chief Minister wishing her a happy birthday.

’I couldn’t believe it when I heard the Chief Minister talking about her, it brought a tear to my eye’, Mr Lockett said.

’We’re all very thankful that she’s come through it and we’re so grateful for all the care and support she’s been given.’