Vaccination as the basis for differential treatment beyond the Public Health Regulations.

In earlier blogs I’ve suggested that the Public Health Regulations definition of fully vaccinated (2+2) has been written for border control, but has an element of internal regulation (around self-isolation); and also that we might expect to see differential treatment between vaccinated and non-vaccinated people beyond the PHRs themselves.

Thanks to Trish McDonough (@trish1400) for sharing this from the Heritage Railways

There is no distinction between fully vaccinated and other Manx residents, but there is between fully vaccinated visitors, and other visitors. It is possible for adult visitors to the Isle of Man who fall under one of the Category A groups to enter the Isle of Man without being fully vaccinated – for instance a non-resident who was allowed to enter the Isle of Man on compassionate grounds. Such a visitor’s quickest route out of self-isolation is to give a negative biological sample within 48 hours of arrival, followed up by a second negative sample on the sixth day after their arrival. Such a visitor could be moving freely, but not on the Heritage Railways, after the negative results of their first sample. It is also possible for child visitors to the Isle of Man accompanying vaccinated parents or guardians to move freely on the same basis – again, not on the Heritage Railways.

I’ve suggested earlier some of the factors relevant to whether treating a non-vaccinated person differently is proportionate. I think a restriction like this on Heritage Railways is more likely to be justified than if the restriction were expanded to Manx public transport more broadly.