WHAT was the Covid situation on the Isle of Wight, during the week of an alleged Downing Street Christmas party?

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has ordered an investigation into claims staff broke lockdown rules by holding a party at Number 10 last year, amid footage apparently showing aides joking about it.

Cast your mind back to December 18.

The Isle of Wight was in Tier One while most other areas were in a higher category, with London in Tier Three.

That week, more than 100 people tested positive for coronavirus on the Isle of Wight and were forced to self-isolate in the run-up to Christmas.

Figures from the UK coronavirus daily dashboard show 120 positive Covid-19 cases were recorded between December 12 and 18 last year — but Islanders were blissfully unaware that over the next few weeks, case rates would rocket.

Coronavirus restrictions were about to be reintroduced across many parts of the UK ahead of Christmas amid fears over the emergence of the Delta variant.

While in Tier One, Islanders could see people from different households both indoors and outdoors, but only in groups of up to six people.

They were supposed to maintain social distancing from anyone not in their household or support bubble.

Only up to 15 people could attend a wedding ceremony and a coronavirus secure sit-down reception. Funerals were only accepting up to 30 people.

No Covid deaths occurred in the area over the period of the Downing Street party, but 1,986 Covid-19 patients were admitted to hospitals across the South East between December 12-18.

Statistics published by the National Police Chiefs' Council reveal a total of 161 fixed penalty notices were issued by Hampshire Constabulary for breaches of Covid-19-related laws between November 17 and December 20 last year.

Some Islanders were fined more than £2,000.

And by December 22 – the day the leaked video was apparently filmed – figures from the Department of Health and Social Care reveal that more than a quarter of care homes in England were no longer permitting residents to receive visitors as infection levels rose.

On the Isle of Wight, five care homes had done the same by December 22 – around a fifth.