How the Isle of Man ‘eradicated’ coronavirus
Pubs, cinemas and swimming pools have reopened on the island as lockdown fully lifted

As the UK slowly eases lockdown measures, one British island is back to near normal after all but “eradicating” the virus.
The Isle of Man is the first place in the British Isles to scrap social distancing restrictions, after recording no new cases for 28 days. Pubs, restaurants, shops and gyms on the self-governing British Crown dependency all reopened last Monday, the BBC reports.
And schools are welcoming back all children from today, The Times adds.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
How the island defeated the virus
The island has reported just 336 coronavirus infections and 24 related deaths, among a population of about 85,000.
Although “some have pointed out the differences in controlling a virus on a small island with a limited population, tough decisions have been made”, says The Times, which argues that the island’s success in containing the Covid-19 outbreak is down to how the authorities “pulled up the drawbridge”.
The Isle of Man closed its border to non-residents less than a week after recording its first coronavirus case. Widespread testing for the virus quickly followed, along with a contact tracing push.
Residents also faced tougher punishments than Brits on the mainland for ignoring social distancing rules, “with hefty fines and jail sentences, typically of around four weeks”, the paper says.
During the lockdown, 21 people were jailed, 108 were arrested and 27 were given on-the-spot fines for breaking the regulations, according to the newspaper.
In addition, a mandatory 14-day quarantine for anyone travelling to the island remains in place, with police checks to ensure compliance.
Explaining how the authorities came up with their seemingly winning formula, Howard Quayle, chief minister for the Isle of Man, says that his team “looked at the best advice that was going around the world and ‘Manxified’ them”.
“We tested and tested and didn’t stop,” Quayle said, adding: “By getting it under control quickly, we knew we would be able to get out of people’s lives quickly.”
But residents still aren’t taking any chances. In the island’s 50-odd reopened pubs, “hand sanitiser everywhere and protective glass by the tills are a reminder that we are not quite living in normal times”, says the BBC’s Isle of Man correspondent Sadhbh O’Shea.
–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––For a round-up of the most important stories from around the world - and a concise, refreshing and balanced take on the week’s news agenda - try The Week magazine. Start your trial subscription today –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Sail in style onboard the brand-new Explora II
The Week Recommends Hit the high seas on a luxury cruise from Barcelona to Rome
-
Is the EU funding Russia more than Ukraine?
The Explainer EU remains largest importer of Russian fossil fuels despite sanctions aimed at crippling Kremlin's war effort
-
Posh crisps: an 'elite' tier of snacking
The Week Recommends Hand-cooked and dusted in 'decadent' flavours, the humble potato chip is being elevated to new levels
-
RFK Jr. scraps Covid shots for pregnant women, kids
Speed Read The Health Secretary announced a policy change without informing CDC officials
-
New FDA chiefs limit Covid-19 shots to elderly, sick
speed read The FDA set stricter approval standards for booster shots
-
How the care industry came to rely on migrant workers
The Explainer Government crackdown on recruiting workers abroad risks deepening care sector crisis, industry leaders warn
-
Could medics' misgivings spell the end of the assisted dying bill?
Today's Big Question The Royal College of Psychiatrists has identified 'serious concerns' with the landmark bill – and MPs are taking notice
-
RFK Jr.: A new plan for sabotaging vaccines
Feature The Health Secretary announced changes to vaccine testing and asks Americans to 'do your own research'
-
Washwood Heath: Birmingham's pioneering neighbourhood health service
In the Spotlight NHS England chair says there is a 'really good argument this is the model for the future'
-
Five years on: How Covid changed everything
Feature We seem to have collectively forgotten Covid’s horrors, but they have completely reshaped politics
-
The UK's first legal drug consumption room
The Explainer 'Potentially transformative moment in UK drugs policy' as The Thistle opens in Glasgow