This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-57950930
The article has changed 14 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 8 | Version 9 |
|---|---|
| Daily tests not self-isolation for police, fire, borders, transport and freight staff | Daily tests not self-isolation for police, fire, borders, transport and freight staff |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| A scheme allowing key workers to avoid Covid self-isolation in England has been significantly expanded following criticism it did not go far enough. | A scheme allowing key workers to avoid Covid self-isolation in England has been significantly expanded following criticism it did not go far enough. |
| Police, fire, Border Force, transport and freight staff will now be able to join a daily workplace test scheme, whether they are vaccinated or not. | Police, fire, Border Force, transport and freight staff will now be able to join a daily workplace test scheme, whether they are vaccinated or not. |
| Some 10,000 supermarket depot and food factory workers will also be eligible. Testing is expected to start next week. | Some 10,000 supermarket depot and food factory workers will also be eligible. Testing is expected to start next week. |
| Several sectors have warned of staff shortages in recent days. | Several sectors have warned of staff shortages in recent days. |
| Currently, most people identified as close contacts of someone with coronavirus have to self-isolate for 10 days. | Currently, most people identified as close contacts of someone with coronavirus have to self-isolate for 10 days. |
| Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Chancellor Rishi Sunak are among those self-isolating after Health Secretary Sajid Javid tested positive last week. | Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Chancellor Rishi Sunak are among those self-isolating after Health Secretary Sajid Javid tested positive last week. |
| Mr Javid has tweeted that he has made a "full recovery" and his "symptoms were very mild, thanks to amazing vaccines". | |
| Which workers don't have to self-isolate? | Which workers don't have to self-isolate? |
| Check the latest rules in your area | Check the latest rules in your area |
| Labour's shadow chief secretary to the Treasury, Bridget Phillipson, said the government needed to "give clear guidance" on self-isolation rules or "risk making this summer of chaos and confusion even worse". | |
| Police forces, local authorities, transport providers and supermarkets have been among those calling for a review of the rules to avoid crippling shutdowns or skeleton operations. | |
| Home Secretary Priti Patel said daily testing would keep frontline teams safe while they continued to serve the public and communities. | Home Secretary Priti Patel said daily testing would keep frontline teams safe while they continued to serve the public and communities. |
| From 16 August anyone in England who is fully vaccinated - and unvaccinated under-18s - will be able to take daily tests instead of self-isolating. Similar rules come into force in Scotland from 9 August - and in Wales from 7 August. | From 16 August anyone in England who is fully vaccinated - and unvaccinated under-18s - will be able to take daily tests instead of self-isolating. Similar rules come into force in Scotland from 9 August - and in Wales from 7 August. |
| Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has joined leading business figures in urging Prime Minister Boris Johnson to bring this date forward and end self-isolation for close contacts if they are fully vaccinated. | Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has joined leading business figures in urging Prime Minister Boris Johnson to bring this date forward and end self-isolation for close contacts if they are fully vaccinated. |
| Growing numbers of people have been told to self-isolate, with almost 608,000 contact tracing alerts sent from the NHS Covid-19 app in the week to 15 July - a record high. | Growing numbers of people have been told to self-isolate, with almost 608,000 contact tracing alerts sent from the NHS Covid-19 app in the week to 15 July - a record high. |
| The number having to self-isolate has been blamed for shortages of some products in supermarkets and staffing problems for frontline services. | The number having to self-isolate has been blamed for shortages of some products in supermarkets and staffing problems for frontline services. |
| The daily test scheme means eligible workers who are alerted by the app in England - or contacted by NHS Test and Trace - will be able to continue working if they test negative each day, whatever their vaccination status. | The daily test scheme means eligible workers who are alerted by the app in England - or contacted by NHS Test and Trace - will be able to continue working if they test negative each day, whatever their vaccination status. |
| Ports, airports, rail infrastructure and haulage workers, alongside frontline police, fire and Border Force staff will now be eligible. | Ports, airports, rail infrastructure and haulage workers, alongside frontline police, fire and Border Force staff will now be eligible. |
| The government has announced an extra 200 testing sites to help screen these workers - but these will not open until Monday at the earliest. | The government has announced an extra 200 testing sites to help screen these workers - but these will not open until Monday at the earliest. |
| Analysis | Analysis |
| By Lewis Goodall, BBC Newsnight correspondent | By Lewis Goodall, BBC Newsnight correspondent |
| Confusion, if not some chaos, has reigned in Whitehall over the past 24 hours as ministers and officials grapple with the large numbers of people being told to self-isolate. | Confusion, if not some chaos, has reigned in Whitehall over the past 24 hours as ministers and officials grapple with the large numbers of people being told to self-isolate. |
| Departments have expressed concern about their ability to maintain key public services. | Departments have expressed concern about their ability to maintain key public services. |
| Ministers have now announced an expansion of workplace testing sites to include staff at the Border Force, police and fire services and key transport sectors. | Ministers have now announced an expansion of workplace testing sites to include staff at the Border Force, police and fire services and key transport sectors. |
| The same measure was introduced on Thursday for food distribution workers. | The same measure was introduced on Thursday for food distribution workers. |
| However, a government official told me that they would be expected to leave self-isolation only for work. | However, a government official told me that they would be expected to leave self-isolation only for work. |
| Critics are already questioning how realistic or fair an idea that can be. | Critics are already questioning how realistic or fair an idea that can be. |
| A separate scheme in England allows employers to apply in advance for exemptions for named fully vaccinated critical workers in a small number of industries, such as the energy sector. | A separate scheme in England allows employers to apply in advance for exemptions for named fully vaccinated critical workers in a small number of industries, such as the energy sector. |
| In Scotland, critical workers in the health, food and transport sectors can apply to be exempt from self-isolation. | In Scotland, critical workers in the health, food and transport sectors can apply to be exempt from self-isolation. |
| GLOBAL SPREAD: How many worldwide cases are there? | GLOBAL SPREAD: How many worldwide cases are there? |
| THE R NUMBER: What it means and why it matters | THE R NUMBER: What it means and why it matters |
| TEST AND TRACE: How does it work? | TEST AND TRACE: How does it work? |
| QUARANTINE: Will I need to self-isolate in a hotel? | QUARANTINE: Will I need to self-isolate in a hotel? |
| Meanwhile, England manager Gareth Southgate is urging younger people to get vaccinated, saying it is a chance to "get your freedom back". | Meanwhile, England manager Gareth Southgate is urging younger people to get vaccinated, saying it is a chance to "get your freedom back". |
| About 34% of 18 to 29-year-olds in England - about three million people - have not been vaccinated at all. In Scotland, about 30% are not yet vaccinated. | About 34% of 18 to 29-year-olds in England - about three million people - have not been vaccinated at all. In Scotland, about 30% are not yet vaccinated. |
| A total of 83,239,491 vaccines have been given in the UK, 46,476,845 first doses and 36,762,646 second doses, according to the latest government figures. | A total of 83,239,491 vaccines have been given in the UK, 46,476,845 first doses and 36,762,646 second doses, according to the latest government figures. |
| Friday's daily figures showed Covid cases were down for the third consecutive day in the UK, with 36,389 new infections. | Friday's daily figures showed Covid cases were down for the third consecutive day in the UK, with 36,389 new infections. |
| It is too soon to say whether cases have peaked, however, given that the statistics do not capture the impact of unlocking that happened on 19 July. | It is too soon to say whether cases have peaked, however, given that the statistics do not capture the impact of unlocking that happened on 19 July. |
| The latest estimate of R - which measures how quickly the virus is spreading - is unchanged from the previous week at 1.2 to 1.4. | The latest estimate of R - which measures how quickly the virus is spreading - is unchanged from the previous week at 1.2 to 1.4. |
| It means that on average, every 10 people infected with coronavirus goes on to infect between 12 and 14 others. | It means that on average, every 10 people infected with coronavirus goes on to infect between 12 and 14 others. |
| WHAT HAPPENS TO RACE HORSES WHEN THEIR CAREER ENDS?: The dark side of the racing industry | WHAT HAPPENS TO RACE HORSES WHEN THEIR CAREER ENDS?: The dark side of the racing industry |
| WHAT TURNS SOMEONE INTO A VIOLENT EXTREMIST?: Unprecedented access to an ISIS smartphone | WHAT TURNS SOMEONE INTO A VIOLENT EXTREMIST?: Unprecedented access to an ISIS smartphone |