The advice from the Government this week was that if you are returning to the UK from a trip abroad (depending on where – see details below) where there has been an outbreak of COVID-19 (Coronavirus) you should self-isolate.
What should people who’ve been to these areas, and live on the Isle of Wight, do?
After all, they have to travel on the ferry to get back home – and as things currently stand, passengers are not able to remain in their cars during the journey, so have to sit in the public areas.
Thankfully, currently it’s unlikely to be a large number of people, but not outside the realms of possibility.
Questions to ferry companies
OnTheWight asked Wightlink and Red Funnel what plans they’d put in place on their vehicle ferries to isolate passengers who may be at risk of spreading the virus.
With people returning from some parts of the world that have outbreaks of COVID-19, government guidance is now, “stay indoors at home and avoid contact with other people immediately.”
Can you let us know what plans you have/are putting in place for people needing to use the ferry to get back to their homes on the Island please.
In addition to this, please detail:
Can they stay in their car?
If not, are you offering them a separate, confined area of the ferry to travel on?
Wightlink: Vague details
A spokesperson for Wightlink replied,
“Wightlink continues to liaise closely with the NHS and Public Health England and will follow their advice and recommendations.
“We advise everyone to follow the Government’s advice to wash hands frequently to prevent infection and have increased the number of hand sanitisers across ports and ships and in our offices.”
We responded that this was a general statement and did not answer our questions. They responded with the following:
“The safety of our customers and staff is our top priority. We are following Government advice to transport operators.
“Up to now, the Government has not asked us to quarantine any groups of people.”
Red Funnel: Proactive response
Red Funnel appears to be more open with information for passengers.
Red Funnel replied with a more detailed statement (below) – explaining what steps they are actively taking. Our two specific questions about self-isolating during the journey were not answered, so we re-prompted them for more detail.
To this they responded,
“Red Funnel is working hard to make this possible – discussing the possibilities of this with its regulators and hopes to be able to provide a full answer very shortly.”
OnTheWight asked,
“It’s the regulator that’s stopping people staying in their cars?”. They responded, “It’s being looked at, and requires discussion with the regulators.”
Red Funnel: Coronavirus FAQ
They have also posted a Coronavirus FAQ section to their Website which has answers to several other questions, such as whether Red Funnel conduct health screenings or ask whether passengers have been abroad.
Red Funnel’s initial response
Chris Sibley, Risk, Safety and Compliance Director for Red Funnel said:
“We are carefully following the advice of the World Health Organisation (WHO) and Public Health England (PHE) in regards to Covid-19, as well as monitoring for regional government and council information relating to the tracking of the virus and health and safety measures.
“We are taking the matter very seriously and have increased measures across the business, including reminding our passengers of the importance of hand washing and good hygiene as a means of preventing infection and installing WHO posters across the business.
“We have also increased the amount of hand sanitisation stations on board all our vessels, in our terminals and at our support offices, and have an escalated schedule of disinfection in high hand contact areas.
“We are actively working on contingency plans as a top priority, to ensure we have robust procedures in place should the virus spread. We will share further details in due course, and keep our customers continuously informed.”
Myles: Island can play part in limiting impact on a global scale
Will Myles, Managing Director of Visit Isle of Wight, said,
“Obviously, this is a worldwide issue that is touching families, communities and beyond. Our message to residents, Island businesses and our visitors is to follow the guidelines laid down by the World Health Organization, Public Health England and the Home Office.
“Visit Isle of Wight is in continuing contact with Visit England / Visit Britain and UK Inbound to get the latest updates and advice. By working together, we hope the Isle of Wight can play its part in limiting the impact that COVID-19 has on a global scale.
“Tourism is a major contributor to the Island’s economy, and as such it is in everyone’s interests to work together to lessen any impact the Coronavirus can have here.
“Visit Isle of Wight will continue to actively promote the Isle of Wight as a year-round destination.”
Government categorisation
Earlier this week the government issued guidance on Coronavirus. They defined two groups of specific countries and areas and the implications for returning travellers, or visitors arriving in the UK
Category 1 – People who have been to these areas – Wuhan city and Hubei Province, China; Iran; Daegu or Cheongdo, South Korea; or any Northern Italian town under containment measures – are advised to self-isolate, even if they are not displaying symptoms.
The second, much longer list, should self-isolate if they develop symptoms.
Understanding what you can do
The NHS have an easy to understand information on their Website about the virus, symptoms, how to avoid catching or spreading the virus, whether you need to self-isolate etc.
