Be Safe, Be Smart, Be Kind

Living with COVID-19

The personal choices and individual measures we all take will play a major part of our defence against Coronavirus. You can help protect our Island by:

• Being SAFE – and adopting healthy habits to protect yourself and others from Coronavirus. Think Hands, Face, Space and Fresh air in every situation.
• Being SMART – and making informed personal decisions. Use trusted data sources to make choices about who you visit, what you do and where you go. 
• Being KIND – and respecting others. Everyone’s situation is unique. Be kind and respect the choices that others make to keep themselves and their loved ones safe.

Coronavirus is highly contagious and it especially spreads through Close Contact, in Crowded Places and in Confined Spaces. The risk increases when these factors overlap.

New Campaign for Children and Families Launched

Isle of Man Government have commissioned local theatre company, Hello Little People, to produce a video designed to help young people remember how they can mitigate the risks of catching and passing on Covid-19.

The short video reminds both students and parents, in a fun and memorable way, of the parts they can play in reducing the risk of Covid-19 transmission in our community.

The song and video has been written and produced by Michelle James and Chloe Shimmin from Hello Little People exclusively for the campaign and follows the character ‘Covid-19’ describing the best ways everyone can ensure they are staying safe whilst it is around.

 Hands

What you can do:

Effective handwashing and drying can help to reduce the spread of infections. Washing your hands properly with soap and warm water or using alcohol based hand gel and drying your hands thoroughly can help protect you, your family, children and others.

See Handwashing

 Face

In the Isle of Man, some service providers may still require face coverings as a condition of entry and people may wish to continue to wear a face covering as a personal choice.

What you can do:

Face coverings reduce the dispersion of these droplets, meaning if you’re carrying the virus you’re less likely to spread it to others when you exhale. 

For detailed guidance see Guidance on face coverings

 Space

In the Isle of Man there is currently no requirement to maintain social distance from those outside of your household

What you can do:

Remaining mindful of your surroundings and continuing to make space has a powerful impact when it comes to containing the spread. Stay respectful of others around you who continue to practise social distancing

For detailed guidance see: Guidance on social distancing

 Fresh Air

What you can do:

Ventilation is the process of introducing fresh air into indoor spaces while removing stale air. Letting fresh air into indoor spaces can help remove air that contains virus particles and prevent the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19).

See: Ventilation of indoor spaces to stop the spread of coronavirus

 COVID-19 vaccination programme

As more of the population are vaccinated, we expect to see lower transmission of the virus and fewer people becoming ill or dying from the virus. 

What you can do:

1. Continue to protect yourself and others even if you have been vaccinated by thinking 'Hands, Face, Space, Fresh Air'
2. If you have symptoms, call 111 and ask for a PCR test, even if you have been vaccinated. 

See COVID-19 vaccination programme

  Events and gatherings

What this means for businesses or those organising a gathering or event:

You should continue to carry out regular risk assessments and take precautionary measures to create a safe environment for your staff, customers/audience. This includes:

• Undertake a risk assessment on the COVID-19 risks to your staff and customers/audience
• Ensure you have facilities to support strong hygiene practices for your staff and customers/audience
• Consider holding events or meetings virtually, where possible. If not, consider allowing people to sit with space between them and ensure there is good ventilation in the meeting room/venue
• Think about maintaining a good cleaning regime in shared areas, such as bathrooms or kitchens
• Promote positive messages to raise awareness of the risks and to help your staff and customers/audience make informed choices around these risks
• Ensure your staff and customers/audience know that they must stay at home if unwell and remind them of the symptoms
• Ensure you have up to date staff records and where possible attendance records for contact tracing
• Consider how best to ensure good ventilation in your premises and fresh air as part of your risk assessments
• We encourage individuals to think about whether they want to work from home to reduce their daily contact and risk. We encourage businesses to support staff in making this decision

Advice for event organisers and attendees

• ‘DO NOT ENTER’ COVID-19 symptoms poster – for businesses
• Considerations for events and gatherings - CDC
• Assessment of transmission of COVID-19 in singing and music events – gov.uk
• Guidance COVID-19: suggested principles of safer singing – gov.uk
• Working safely during coronavirus (COVID-19) - Performing arts – gov.uk