Isle of Man

[jessstan1]

Five welders gaoled for two weeks in I-O-M for going into a supermarket to buy lunch. They were wearing masks for goodness sakes! There was a thread about it on here yesterday which seems to have sunk. People were saying they were buying alcohol and that the hotel they were staying in provided food. In the news reports I have read since there is nothing about them either buying booze or having lunch provided.

I realise the Isle of Man has its own laws and is Covid-19 free but this really takes the biscuit. I have no words to describe the shop keeper who reported them.

www.lancs.live/news/lancashire-news/five-men-who-travelled-ferry-19048009

The Manx media report of the court case. Clearly states what happened & they were buying alcohol
There is no mask wearing in Isle of Man therefore these idiots stood out to the public

www.manxradio.com/news/isle-of-man-news/two-weeks-in-jail-for-welders-who-broke-isolation-rules/

@jessstan1

"I agree it is neither here nor there what they were buying but yesterday there was a thread in which people said they were buying alcohol - which has not been reported in the media - even that one of them has tested positive for Covid-19! That happened quickly if true, which I doubt."

Don't let the facts get in the way of your doubt eh

Front page of today's Isle of Man local newspaper

www.iomtoday.co.im/

The prison is now on a two week lock down.
Testing is fast on the island, results in 24 hours. Testing freely available
Would be so much better for your outrage and credibility if you had read the AIBU thread on this subject and done a little research before posting this thread.
There are plenty of locals who have been jailed for Covid breaches, sentences ranging from 4 to 10 weeks
You cannot enter the island as borders are strictly controlled without knowing the rules. Everyone has to sign either an exemption certificate or Landing Form (depending on whether you are resident, non resident or keyworker) where it is all clearly stated in detail.
To put it politely, you are taking out your arse

@bettybyebye

Absolutely unbelievable. And I cannot believe people are defending the fact that they should have been arrested. This country is getting more and more Orwellian by the minute, which is far more terrifying to me than Covid.

It's not your government, not your laws, nothing to do with you whether prison was appropriate or not. That's what happens on the island and Manxies are proud of where we live and how OUR government are taking such a hard line.

IOM has freedom because of the laws.

Schools are back to normal, festivals, cinema, pubs and clubs are back to normal.
No masks or social distancing.

Why should they give up their freedom because some idiots wanted beer? They could’ve brought beer before getting on the boat. Local shops and garages will deliver. Even a plea to residence for beer would have been met with helpful individuals nipping to the shops, even the hotel staff would’ve look out for them.

There was absolutely no need for them to be in a shop.

They know the rules. They could’ve cost the economy dearly with another outbreak.

Well done to the IOM for managing to keep your island safe. I’m sorry that others may have been affected by the arrogance of these men. I really hope it has spread to no one in the shop or jail has been infected, because of this.

They weren’t jailed because they went to a shop, they were jailed because they broke the rules that were clearly written in the documents they signed. But we already know from the other thread, people don’t know the difference between the UK and the IOM laws or the fact that they’re two different countries so will start to bleat about class and the fact that politicians in the UK haven’t been jailed.

@jessstan1

croon: These individuals knew the rules and broke them and one turned out to have COVID. ...... How do you know about either ?

Nobody doubts they broke the law but prison? That is excessive.

Several people have been jailed for breaking the quarantine rules. One for 8 weeks as he went to work as delivery driver in his isolation period and one woman for a 2 weeks because she stopped for petrol while driving from the ferry . There have been several others both visitors and returning Manx who have been imprisoned . These men are not the first to have this happen.

The men in question were warned by their supervisor not to go into a shop and they had leaflets explaining the the rules and penalties given to them which they left on the dashboard without reading before entering the shop to buy food. The Isle of Man had no restrictions whatsoever within the island, no masks no social distancing so their border controls have to be very strict.

Until the late 70s, the Isle of Man thought the best way to deal with youth crime was to thrash juveniles with a birch.

The prison sentences are to act as a deterrent. It works, no way on earth am I going out of not meant to.

How do we know one of them tested positive? Er, it’s all over the local paper.

How do we know they knew they were breaking the law? Er, the admitted such in court, including the fact that they ignored their supervisor who reminded them they weren’t permitted to enter Tesco and stayed in the van himself while they did. It’s all in the court report.

However those points don’t fit the rage inducing narrative of the gutter press and so we’re conveniently excluded from the UK reports as was the fact that the hotel they were heading to was fully catered, licensed, and that they had numerous ways of getting additional supplies delivered if they needed them.

Have also seen people online commenting that we are not “Covid free” anyway so it apparently doesn’t matter.

We are “Covid free in the community” there haven’t been any community transmissions since June so our day to day lives are completely normal.

There are currently five cases including this one welder. The other four are all following the rules and so haven’t been in contact with anyone since their return to the island. If they were al flouting the very clear and easily understood law as well there would likely be another round of infections.

We aren’t stupid, and by allowing any travel at all are clearly going to have more cases in the community at some point, but by having clearly set laws which people know will be enforced to the letter and result in time in Prison for anyone breaking them it means the vast majority of people won’t risk it and so the risk is managed as well as it can be.

Good for the IOM. I live somewhere else that is Covid free in the community. We also have closed borders with very strict laws regulating who can come in. Some people have tried to flout these laws and the courts here have absolutely thrown the book at them. Most people are in utmost support of this, the law is acting as a deterrent and keeping us safe. These people are fully aware of the law ( here it would be impossible not to be, I can't comment for the IOM), and are flouting it and putting an entire population in danger. They deserve all they get.

I really wish we would do this, harsh punishments would make the rule breakers think twice as the fines clearly aren’t a deterrent.

Dd2's Father lives on the IIM and he was finally able to see her at the end of August but had to take 2 weeks off work to isolate on his return. DD can't go over without permission and isolating, you can't just hop on a ferry as a tourist and wander on to the island. These idiots knew the rules and they broke them all the paperwork explains what you have to do. They could have stocked up on beer and food before boarding the ferry. No need to go anywhere.

I grew up on the Isle of Man, my family all live there. At the end of March my mum returned from Egypt wither her friend from Liverpool. My mum was required to self isolate for 14 days on her return to the Island with my dad, who had not travelled but lived in the same house. Not isolating risked prison, everybody returning from the UK had to do it (this was immediately prior to the UK lockdown).

Five days after returning my mum had a temperature, a cough and was very tired. She was immediately tested which came back positive. We are sure she caught it off the lady she sat next to on the plane back from Egypt. The government track and traced her contacts from the flight back to IOM, even though it was unlikely she was contagious - however they were all self isolating too. Any spread was highly unlikely.

Compare that to her friend who returned to Liverpool, went out and about, returned to work, didn’t wear a mask etc etc. Her friend also had identical symptoms (after being out and about for several days) but wasn’t tested, wasn’t track and traced and was told by her employer to stop making a fuss, and she would lose pay if she didn’t turn up to work.

So I know who has the right rules here and I have no sympathy for the men who were jailed - locals have suffered the same fate and the rules are very clear.

I desperately miss the Island though and can’t wait to go back there soon.

@Rosehip10

Until the late 70s, the Isle of Man thought the best way to deal with youth crime was to thrash juveniles with a birch.

Oh FFS. Whilst that is true why on earth is it relevant to this situation almost 50 years on?!

Clip contains a LOT of swearing, but shows exactly what opinions people jump to if they take the crap that is published in the press at face value.

I have a relative living on the IOM who has been having cancer treatment. 14 weeks of her and her DH not being able to leave the house. But because the IOM has been Covid free she was able to resume a relatively normal life.

That was essentially put in jeopardy again because these fuckwits wanted beer.

[quote Downwithcovid]Clip contains a LOT of swearing, but shows exactly what opinions people jump to if they take the crap that is published in the press at face value.

[/quote] Charming. What an ignorant man.

That guy is as thick as champ.

[quote Downwithcovid]Clip contains a LOT of swearing, but shows exactly what opinions people jump to if they take the crap that is published in the press at face value.

[/quote] It's hilarious. There's someone on Youtube, 'Ricky from Thamesmead', who posts in a similar way about different subjects. It's all spoof.

The Isle of Man very sensibly took effective action to contain Covid. Consequently life is pretty much normal there. Like Australia, where my family live.

Well done to the IOM. Lovely place - and Covid free.

Regardless of Covid, people should respect the rules of another country when they go there.

Don't know if there's any point posting again on here but for what it's worth I've read the responses and more into this and see my initial thoughts were wrong. My opinion has changed and I reacted without knowing more of the full picture.

Bourbonbiscuits20

I’m glad you’re better informed.

The population is 85,000 lots of elderly residence and very small hospital. A lot of treatment is carried out in Liverpool due to the size of the hospital and specialists not being available.

The one welder is saying he caught Covid in the prison, that’s impossible as there’s no Covid in the hospital. All the visitation has been suspended, meaning all prisoners can’t have loved ones seeing them. Those in work experience can not attend work. The prison is small and by most standards luxury! It’s not called the Jurby Hilton for nothing!

Can you imagine the sheer cost to the island of this had broke out again due to the ‘rules’ not applying to them? Wouldn’t hey foot the bill? Highly unlikely!

You're not very bright are you?! They broke the law that's why they were jailed.

If everyone came over and started walking around our island we'd be back to square one in a matter of weeks!

Keep your nosey beak out of what doesn't concern you.

@Bourbonbiscuits20

Don't know if there's any point posting again on here but for what it's worth I've read the responses and more into this and see my initial thoughts were wrong. My opinion has changed and I reacted without knowing more of the full picture.

I love chocolate bourbon biscuits. I think I'll buy some next time I do a shop.