Coronavirus: Three more cases confirmed on the Isle of Man – BBC News

There have been three more cases of the coronavirus on the Isle of Man, the government has said.

It takes the total number of people confirmed as having the virus to five.

The three new patients were self-isolating and were “not being treated at Noble’s Hospital”, a government spokesman said.

The island’s public health team were offering support and advice those affected and “contact tracing” would now begin, he added.

The first positive case of the virus was confirmed on Thursday evening, followed by a second on Friday.

The government’s daily briefing on the pandemic has been postponed from midday until 16:00 GMT, when a “comprehensive update will be provided”.

At Saturday’s briefing, the island’s medical director Rosalind Ranson urged everyone on the island to abide by the government’s advice to prevent Noble’s Hospital from becoming “overwhelmed”.

A series of measures has been brought in to “contain the spread” of the pandemic.

All new arrivals at the island’s ports are required to self-isolate for 14 days, while everyone on the island has been advised to practice social distancing and regular hand washing.

Dr Ranson said, without isolation, the “spread of infection will become exponential in growth and it will overwhelm our health and social care system”.

She said: “We all need to do everything we can to delay the spread of infection.”

“The lives of others depend on you. There’s only so much that medicine can do.”

Of 145 tests carried out so far, there have now been five positive cases of the virus.

Source: bbc.co.uk