The number of people who have Covid-19 and are being treated in hospital has risen to 20.

Yesterday that figure was 14.

On Monday it was 12 and on Sunday it was 10.

Nobody is in the intensive care unit.

Most patients have been been admitted BECAUSE they have Covid, but it is discovered while they are there during routine swabbing.

Manx Care today announced widespread changes to its visiting policy.

For all wards except Children’s Ward, Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) and the Jane Crookall Maternity Unit, at this time, no visitors are permitted for patients except in exceptional circumstances.

Specific limited essential visiting arrangements are in place for Children’s Ward, Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) and the Jane Crookall Maternity Unit.

The changes are being made as a result of the current level of community spread of Covid-19 within the Isle of Man, increases in the number of patients with Covid-19 in hospital and subsequent limits on available staff due to Covid-19 absence.

Along with the change to the visitor policy, due to the prevalence of Covid-19 cases across Noble’s Hospital, Ward 11 will also be opened as an additional Covid ward alongside Ward 12.

This adjustment allows for the reopening of Ward 4 (Gynaecology/Female Surgical ward) later today, meaning that specialist nurses can once again provide care in a dedicated environment.

The latest statistics, released by the government this afternoon, show that the total number of active cases in the island stands at 1,635 Twenty-four hours earlier it was 1,698.

In the previous 24 hours, 212 new cases were recorded. Of these 203 were via a lateral flow test, the remainder from a PCR test.

From Friday, the government will no longer be providing daily updates.