Gov't paid 'insufficient attention' to Steam Packet Covid isolation rules

Review finds poorly drafted exemption certificates and lack of compliance among issues

Insufficient attention was paid to Steam Packet arrangements while coronavirus restrictions were in place on the Isle of Man, according to the chair of the Covid review.

Kate Brunner KC says the issues around isolation rules for crew members were reflective of insufficient attention at the borders in general.

In February 2021, an outbreak of Covid in the community was traced back to Steam Packet crew, eventually resulting in the Island heading into lockdown for a third time the following month.

At the time, government blamed the Steam Packet workers for not isolating, while the ferry operator argued its Manx workers were exempt from isolation.

Ms Brunner found it was unfair and wrong for government to have blamed the crew, stating there was no legal requirement for them to isolate.

Her report describes 'an unfortunate miscommunication' at the heart of the Steam Packet outbreak, with insufficient attention on the issue, poor drafting of exemption certificates and a lack of compliance checks.

The review examined communication between a crew member and the then-health minister prior to the outbreak, with Ms Brunner concluding David Ashford should have registered that Steam Packet crew were not isolating, but did not.

She found the former Director of Public Health Dr Henrietta Ewart was clear with her expectations that crew isolate, but that her advice didn't cascade throughout the Steam Packet, so those on board were unaware of government's expectations.

The head of government's Covid response team told the review: "Our focus was so much on everything else, that I guess we missed something glaringly obvious."

Ms Brunner states there should have been a system in place for spot checking that self-isolation expectations were being followed, and that proactive consideration should have been given to extra testing for crew members, as well as early vaccination.

The Steam Packet did ask for its workers to be prioritised for jabs in December 2020, but it was February 2021 before the request - which was ultimately denied - was considered by the Council of Ministers.

Ms Brunner says the ministers and officers who gave evidence to her review accept the Steam Packet should have been offered more involvement in decisions.

She goes on to describe the situation as reflective of insufficient attention to borders in general during the pandemic, saying the decision to close borders was made with no ability to put it into practice.

Arrangements were 'developed in a piecemeal way over time', the report adds, and that the result was, at times, chaos and uncertainty about border procedures.