The long-awaited list of workers who could skip Covid isolation if they are “pinged” by the NHS Test and Trace app was released last night (22.07.21). The government has listed 16 sectors where workers may be exempt from isolation if they are told to quarantine after coming into close contact with a positive COVID case. It will only apply to workers who are fully vaccinated – and 14 days after their second coronavirus jab.
- energy
- civil nuclear
- digital infrastructure
- food production and supply
- waste
- water
- veterinary medicines
- essential chemicals
- essential transport
- medicines
- medical devices
- clinical consumable supplies
- emergency services
- border control
- essential defence outputs
- local government
+ NHS workers (already exempt)
(The government had said they would publish a list of critical jobs that would be exempt – but there is so far nothing more specific than the sectors named above.)
Those covered will be able to leave their covid-19 isolation to travel to work and do their jobs after a negative daily test but must remain at home otherwise and go straight into quarantine if they receive a positive result. The exemptions will only be open to a “limited number of named workers” in critical services and are only intended to run until 16 August. This is when a wider relaxation for fully vaccinated contacts is set to take effect.
The policy only applies to named workers if their employer has received a letter from the relevant government department. ’This is not a blanket exemption for all workers in a sector,’ the guidance says. ‘Where a specific case meets the criteria, the employer will receive a letter from the relevant department setting out the named critical workers designated and telling them what measures they and those workers need to follow.’
