There is now widespread transmission of new variant Covid across the community.

Speaking at this afternoon’s coronavirus briefing, Chief Minister Howard Quayle warned the public to prepare for cases to rise fast.

He said: ’I’m not being pessimistic. If people see increases of 20 or 30 in a day that is not to be unexpected. I’m just trying to prepare people so we don’t have panic going forward.’

A total of 17 new active cases were detected in the past 24 hours – taking the total number to 70 of which 14 are from an unknown source.

There are now three Covid patients in Noble’s Hospital.

Almost 300 households have been directed to self-isolate and the 111 hotline has been swamped.

Education Minister Dr Alex Allinson said: ‘Our island is facing another assault from Covid-19 but this time a mutation has made it spread faster than before.’

He said since Tuesday more positive cases had been identified in the school community.

All of years seven and eight at St Ninian’s Lower School and certain staff have been asked to self-isolate while contact tracing takes place, as have pupils in years three and four at Ballasalla primary school.