Protect The Islands

In the western isles, there have only been 6 confirmed cases, with no extra cases for a while now. I know out of these 6 cases, most maybe even all, had contracted it while visiting the main land. I think anyone coming to the island via boat or plane should be tested either on the ferry or on arrival, with isolation required if testing positive. This would protect everyone here. This would minimise the risk of when lockdown restrictions start to relax as there are several construction projects currently on hold but when they start up, the majority of workers are from the mainland. If we can insure no new cases will come into the island or prevent the spread if it does, this would allow more restrictions to be lifted here. We do have an army base up here, I don’t know if it would be possible for them to set up a testing station for all new arrivals.

Why the contribution is important

Will protect the local people while enabling the economy to get back on tracks.

by colinglancy on May 08, 2020 at 08:45AM

Current Rating

Average rating: 3.7
Based on: 10 votes

Comments

  • Posted by Fenneke May 08, 2020 at 08:57

    Brilliant idea!

  • Posted by Obanne May 08, 2020 at 10:21

    Keep travel to the islands for essential workers only.

  • Posted by Ofislesthefairest May 08, 2020 at 13:30

    Remote rural areas and Islands have a greater protection from the virus because of geography ( sadly not Skye) and should be allowed to benefit from this advantage. Travel restrictions to the Islands should be maintained for a further period.

  • Posted by T0ny May 08, 2020 at 23:44

    Please restrict travel to the islands. I live on the Isle of Tiree. At present we have no confirmed cases of the virus and would like to keep it that way. In the past week there had been people turning up to their second homes on the island. We find this very selfish and narrow minded. On Tiree we only have two shops the co op and the community run store. Nearly every house hold visits these shops when we receive supplies from the mainland. All it takes is one person to sneeze in one of the shops and we will have a pandemic on the island. There is no hospital here to treat anyone and it takes an hour for the air ambulance to get here if you are lucky. If you love the islands as much as you say you do please do not visit your second home. It might be you that brings the virus in unwittingly and wipes out generations. The islands love to have visitors from the mainland but not just now please. When this is over we will welcome you all with open arms. Please see sense.

  • Posted by InvernessGirl May 09, 2020 at 12:51

    My partner works on one of the construction sites you've mentioned and we fully agree! I dont want him returning until it safe for him and your communities and we are hoping his employers are really thinking this through. We definitely dont want him carrying something over but equally we dont want him getting sick over there either. When they go back, they need to restrict travel between the mainland and the island. I know this means my partner will be away for longer, which is not ideal but the ferry trip back and forth increases contacts. They need to be in private rent houses to create 'a new home bubble' preferably with the teams they work alongside on the site. Using hotels will increase contacts for everyone. Break times need to be staggered at best or in their own vehicles at worst. Briefings need to happen outdoors - yes, in that fabulous island weather too! Appropriate PPE needs to be provided and its use must be enforced by management. There are some tasks they simply cannot do at 2m apart for many reasons including H&S, despite what the paperwork theories say. The world does need to start up again but very slowly, very considerately, and only when we can be sure it's safe to do so for the workers and your communities.

  • Posted by jennylloyd May 09, 2020 at 17:43

    I am concerned that, if there is geographical variation in the easing of restrictions, there could be an influx of visitors from areas of relatively high occurrence of Covid19 to regions of lower incidence, particularly the islands. Please continue to restrict travel to the islands strictly. This is easily done by prohibiting all but clearly-defined essential travel on ferries and planes. On the islands medical facilities are particularly limited, many residents are elderly and where communities have remained virus-free it is not by chance but by a determined collective effort. It may be very tempting for people to travel to a location they see as 'safe' but, in doing so, they, perhaps unthinkingly, put the whole vulnerable community at risk quite unnecessarily.

  • Posted by AlJones May 10, 2020 at 15:23

    Tiree’s own medics have publicly confirmed that they have had several cases that they believe to have been COVID-19 in so far as they can diagnose with the tools they have. Very few islands have not already had it within their community.
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