An account by Sir Richard Gozney (OW 1969), Lieutenant Governor of the Isle of Man
The Isle of Man commands its own battle against Covid-19. The virus arrived later than to the UK, and quickly spread. Up to 11 May, 330 cases and 23 deaths were confirmed, most of the deaths in one care home. For the moment, confirmed cases are rising by 1 or none a day and there’s not been a death for a while. Manx figures are not included in those of the UK. With about 750 people in the UK for every person here the local death rate would translate, pro rata, to about 17,000 deaths in a population the size of the UK’s.
Like other public services, the Island’s own NHS is funded and managed entirely locally. Restrictions similar to the UK’s have been imposed on all of us, driven by a similar cry: Don’t Swamp the Hospital. So far, the Hospital has not been overwhelmed. For a month we were allowed only to exercise once a day or to shop for essentials. At the end of April we were liberated, rather as in England in mid-May, for activities on the beaches, lakes, woods, moors, golf courses and the Island’s tremendous cliff paths: family-only sand castles, picnics or walks, and solo golf or fishing: no kite surfing or rock climbing just yet.
We have a couple of advantages: people are pretty disciplined, and we’ve closed the Island to any arrivals. In the words of the song, “You can check out but you can never leave” (if you want to return). That’ll probably last a while yet, because the Island Government believe it’s made a difference. The Manx Government are offering big compensation to a tourist industry denied the 45,000 who visit for the motorbike races in early summer, the 15,000 who come back for more in August and the thousands of walkers, bird watchers, heritage railway buffs (OWs included), canoeists and mountain bikers who come for bracing air before, between and after the bikers.
As Lieutenant Governor, my role is nominal. Under the Isle of Man’s 1936 Emergency Powers Act, the Government ask me to sign a new Proclamation of Emergency each month, and to agree a string of their Emergency Powers’ Regulations in between. If I were not available the Manx Chief Justice could do it, but then have to recuse himself from any court challenge to the Emergency rules. So I stand ready, seven days, and evenings, a week. It’s not as if I’m about to go away for a weekend.