For this week’s Word On The Street, we asked the public about how they were feeling about the borders restrictions changing and if they would choose to exercise more caution as a result.

The border restrictions changed on Monday with the new two-plus-two rule, so travellers leaving and arriving must have had two vaccinations plus they should have received their last dose two weeks prior to travel.

Stewart Fearnley and Cheryl Baguley from Castletown wore masks when we spoke to them and when asked how they felt ahead of the borders reopening they expressed their anxieties.

Cheryl said she was: ’Very apprehensive.’

Stewart added: ’Apprehensive, weary and we’re going to buy certain things in case there’s a quick lockdown.’

They both felt more guidance needed to be given by the government.

Cheryl, 56, continued: ’I think the government needs to give more instructions to people.

’People say "you can live with it" and I say, "you don’t have to die with it."’

Stewart, 70, said: ’I don’t want to be the richest man in the graveyard.

’They should wait until everyone’s had a second jab.’

Both stressed they were going to ’reduce’ their movements as Stewart was still waiting for his second vaccination despite being category four.

He said: ’There will be people coming in with two jabs and I won’t have [had my two jabs] so we’re going to be even more scarce.

’If the government says it’s okay, people will just believe it, they don’t seem to use their brains.’

John and Diane Cliffe from Douglas came down on the other side of the debate but agreed the public shouldn’t ’rely on the government.’

Diane, 73, said: ’I think it’s the stage now where people should be responsible for their own actions.

’If they’re worried about it, isolate yourself, don’t go to these packed places, don’t go to the pubs, don’t go out, it’s up to themselves.’

John, 71, added: ’Don’t rely on the government to tell you what to do, you make your own decisions.’

They welcomed the change and felt they were both ’too old to be hanging around’.

John continued: ’If you get it, you get it.

’We’ve both had the injections and it won’t be a hospital job, you’ll just not be well for a few days, I can live with that.’

Olga Debnam, of Douglas, was both excited and anxious for the change.

The 40-year-old said: ’There’s still a risk but we have to move on I suppose. Some people haven’t had their vaccination or their second dose so I think people will have to take extra caution for the first few weeks to avoid crowded spaces.

’I think we’ve been lucky here because we’re in a bubble, a lot of people feel quite safe, other people feel a bit more cautious.’

Mark Avery, of Onchan, was excited for the borders to reopen and for visitors to arrive.

He said: ’I think it’s really good, I’m really happy about it.’

The 49-year-old continued: ’A lot of the population have been vaccinated now and I do think that we need to get to a stage where we’ve got to live with it.’

Mark felt the borders reopening would be good for the hospitality industry.

He said: ’We will get more tourists in if people do decide to come on holiday, they’ll want to go places like that, so they probably will get busier.’