Covid-19 report 'has not been left on a shelf and nor will it be'

Council of Ministers' further response to Brunner report received by Tynwald

Kate Brunner KC's report into government's handling of the Covid-19 pandemic 'has not been left on a shelf and nor will it be'.

That's the pledge from the Council of Ministers as it further set out its response to the review in this month's Tynwald sitting.

Areas to be addressed include emergency planning, emergency powers and 'ways of working'.

Presenting the further response to the court, Chief Minister Alfred Cannan said: "Whilst some of our decision making may not have been perfect, I am confident and reassured that Kate Brunner KC found that the government had acted with nothing but the best of interests and intentions - that is to preserve the lives of people on the Isle of Man.

"This was supported by the overarching conclusion reached by Kate Brunner KC - that the government's response to Covid-19 was broadly successful."

But he added there were lessons to be learnt and said the government would track progress via its Island Plan reporting going forward, saying they were 'committed to translating these lessons into tangible improvements':

A number of Tynwald members then rose to their feet to comment on CoMin's response, highlighting what they would like to see going forward.

Onchan MHK Rob Callister called for transparency around emergency forward planning:

Arbory, Castletown and Malew MHK Tim Glover said further apologies needed to be made to those whose 'lives were completely destroyed' - including those impacted by Comis quarantines and those who lost family members at Abbotswood nursing home:

Rushen MHK Juan Watterson said he hoped learning from the past should be the 'real legacy' of Covid.

He read a letter in full penned by the ex-director of Abbotswood nursing home, Zandra Preston:

In her review, Kate Brunner KC found that social care was not well supported, adding that the outbreak at Abbotswood, which resulted in the deaths of 20 residents at the home, occurred at no fault on the part of the home, but she found there was a lack of attention paid to care homes in government's planning.

Onchan MHK Julie Edge called for better record keeping, particularly in times of national emergencies, and more support for whistleblowers.

She said Manx residents wanted to know there was a focus on good governance:

Douglas North MHK John Wannenburgh highlighted the plight of small businesses during the pandemic.

He said those who suffered financial losses shouldn't be overlooked when highlighting the successes:

Garff MHK - and Education Minister - Daphne Caine, detailed several areas where recommendations had already been put into action by her department.

For example, recommendation 18:

She added that they must learn from past mistakes:

Douglas East MHK Clare Barber, told gathered members the work that needed to be done would 'not happen overnight' and was on all members to ensure it is prioritised:

Douglas Central MHK Chris Thomas challenged government on several areas for improvement, and offered this insight into his role as Minister during the pandemic:

Former Health Minister, Douglas North MHK David Ashford also echoed 'the great tragedy' of Abbotswood:

MLC Dawn Kinnish broke down several recommendations within Kate Brunner KC's report, and government's response to them:

Rushen MHK Michelle Haywood, welcomed government's embrace of scientific data and the perceived focus on better emergency planning:

MLC Bill Henderson also focused on emergency planning, and praised government's response to the Brunner report:

Justice and Home Affairs Minister and Middle MHK Jane Poole-Wilson set out what steps her department have been taking to tackle recommendations.

She also addressed a common concern raised when assessing the pandemic retrospectively - the imprisonment of those who broke the rules:

In his summary remarks, Mr Cannan echoed the word of Mrs Barber:

Following the debate, Tynwald voted unanimously to receive the document.

You can read Council of Ministers’ Further Response document in full HERE.