Can I go to work? The list of key workers and essential roles, explained – The Telegraph

As part of an unprecedented lockdown of British life, Boris Johnsonannouncedthatschools will close except for the children of key workers. It also announced that people should only leave their homes to go to work where it is absolutely necessary.But who is classed a key worker?

The Department of Education has published a full list of roles that the Government considers to be key.

So heres what we knowso far.

Key workers are people whose jobs are vital to public health and safety during the coronavirus lockdown. Because their work is so vital, the Government is keen to ensure that they are able to carry out their jobs with as little restriction as possible, which means being able to put their children in school and use necessary transport links.

The list includes:

All NHS staff, including administrative and cleaning workers. Frontline health and social care staff such as doctors, nurses, midwives, paramedics, plus support and specialist staff in the health and social care sector.

In addition it includes those working in supply chains including producers and distributors of medicines and personal protective equipment.

Nursery, teachers including teaching assistants and social workers.

Food chain workers, including those involved in production, processing, distribution, sale and delivery of goods.

Postal workers, those required to run the justice system, religious staff, and those responsible for managing the deceased, and journalists providing public service broadcasting.

Local and national government workers in admin roles essential to the effective delivery of the Covid-19 response or delivering essential public services, including payment of benefits.

Staff needed to keep oil, gas, electricity, water and sewerage operations running. Staff in the civil nuclear, chemical and telecommunications sectors. Those in postal services and those working to provide essential financial services.

Police andsupport staff, Ministry of Defence civilian staff and armed forces personnel, fire and rescue staff, and workersresponsible for border security, prisons and probation.

Those keeping air, water, road, and rail passenger and freight transport modes operating.

Read the full list on the Department's website.

No, they should be at home and observing social distancing.

Vulnerable children, including those with a social worker, and pupils who get special needs support will be able to stay in school.

Children with at least one parent or carer who are identified as critical workers by the government can send their children to school if required.

Single parents who are key workers will be entitled to a school place.

Some roles within the NHS, such as dental nurse, whose work is not at the frontline of treating the coronavirus may still be considered key workers. However, this may depend on your practice and the type of work you do.

Clearly, there is a grey area over key workers, and it may be hard to enforce restrictions if children of non-key workers are still turning up at school. But the Government is asking people, in extraordinary times, to do everything they can to protect as many lives as they can.

If you do not need to take your child to school because your job is not essential to public health and safety, please try to stay at home.

The Government is not intending to restrict access to the transport system, though there are a number of closures, particularly in London. However, if you are not a key worker, try to avoid travelling by public transport.

Not only does this free up space for vital workers, but you are less likely to catch and spread the virus. If you can, walk or cycle to work. If you don't need to travel, the advice is that you shouldn't.

A Downing Street spokesman said employees should speak to their employers to check whether they should come into work if they are unsure whether they are a key worker.

"Employees should speak to their employers. People who can work from home should, but those who are central to the coronavirus effort, we believe, have been named as key workers," they said.

Communities Secretary Robert Jendrick has provided this checklist to help workers decide if they should stay home or not:

People should use their common sense in deciding whether they should leave home to go to work. Matt Hancock, the Health Secretary, said that "the advice is crystal clear - you should stay at home" unless you had one of the key reasons to go out: exercise, shopping, for medical need or to do work that work cannot be done at home.

The Government wants company managers to think of different ways to encourage staff to do their work by minimising social distancing. Jenny Harries, the deputy chief medical officer, said people should try to practice "safe distancing at work" if they are required to be in the office, describing it as a "commonsense principle". She said: "We are encouraging our employers to think really carefully about how they can innovate in the way their staff are working and if they do need to be in the office just to spread people around."

A Number 10 spokesman said: Guidance in relation to anybody who fears that they may have symptoms or anybody in their house might have symptoms - they should remain at home. We need people to stay at home as ultimately that will save lives."

The advice from the Government is to raise any concerns about their place of work with managers. Ms Harries said: "If people don't feel safe in their work environment they should always raise those concerns.

"The majority of employers are being really sensible and supportive and there has been huge support for staff and the population in general." Ms Harries said that the Government could "not individually cover every single scenario whether it is in the workplace or in the family. It is back to applying the principles. If individuals can work safely they can keep a distance apart".

The guidance is silent on whether people can leave home to look for a job. However, a Downing Street source said that people should try to look for a job online rather than head outside. The source said that employers should be "flexible wherever possible and be prepared to conduct an interview online, over the phone, or via Skype". The key issue was to adhere to the rule to stay two metres or six feet apart.

The Government's position is that building sites should remain open if workers can stay six feet apart. Fresh guidance was also issued by the Construction Industry Council on Tuesday. Number 10 said on Tuesday that construction sites "should continue where it can happen in a way that follows Public Health England and industry guidance".

A statement read: "We urge employers to use their common sense when managing live projects and ensuring that employees can follow government guidance and practice safe social distancing on site." However there was some confusion, with Nicola Sturgeon, the Scottish First minister, telling buildingsites to close. Sadiq Khan, the London Mayor, claimedthat he was "overruled by the Prime Minister who doesn't believe that construction workers should be at home" when he asked to close sites.

Transport for London has cut the number of London Underground trains running through the capital due to staff shortages. However, congestion has been caused by builders heading to work at the same time as health workers and other key workers, as well asfewer trains. One idea could be for building sites to start work later to avoid the early morning overcrowding. Number 10 said Boris Johnson, the Prime Minister, pressed Mr Khan - who chairs Transport for London -on the issue of "reduced services on the Tube and its impact on people trying to get to work". Further talks were heldbetween Mr Khan and Grant Shapps, the Transport secretary, to make sure "appropriate timetabling is in place to ensure that it is safe for those who need to get to work because they cannot do this from home",10 Downing Street said.

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Can I go to work? The list of key workers and essential roles, explained - The Telegraph