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Coronavirus: Isle Of Wight Will Be Treated 'As An Island', Says Health Secretary

Isle of Wight MP Bob Seely

The Health Secretary has reassured Islanders that the Isle of Wight will be treated 'as an Island' when the coronavirus tier system returns next month (December)

The Island's MP voiced his concerns that combining the Island’s infection rates with areas such as Portsmouth and Southampton - where rates were much higher - would skew the picture of what was really happening on the Island.

Bob Seely said that, during his conversation with the Health Secretary over the weekend, Mr Hancock had indicated that the Government was looking to treat the Island ‘as an Island’.

 Mr Seely said:

“It would be entirely wrong to combine the Isle of Wight with mainland areas with higher covid rates. The Island is separated by several miles of water from these locations, and therefore it should be seen as an entity separate from its neighbours.

“I have spoken with the Secretary of State for Health, his advisors and Ministers over the weekend to make the case that when allocating tiers, the Island must be considered independently.

“It is important that Ministers recognise that we are an Island and I will keep making that case.”

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