List of key workers
On Monday 23 March 2020, Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced a mandatory lockdown of the United Kingdom in order to quell the spread of COVID-19. In his address to the union the PM stated that you should only travel to work if it is absolutely necessary. Although ‘absolutely necessary’ is a rather vague term it is safe to assume that key workers would fall into that category. The list of key workers can be found below.
- Health and social Care
This includes but is not limited to doctors, midwives, Paramedics, nurses, social workers, care workers, frontline health and social care staff including volunteers. UK health and social sector specialist and support staff. People working in the health and social care supply chain. Medicine, medical and personal protective equipment producers and distributers.
- Education and Childcare
Social workers, teaching and support staff and childcare. Aswell as specialist educational preofessionals who must remain active during COVID-19 to deliver this approach,
- Key Public Services
This includes people who are essential to the justice system, religious staff, charities and frontline services workers. As well as those responsible for managing the deceased, public service broadcasters and journalists.
- Local and National Government
Administrative occupations essential to the effective delivery of the COVID 19 response or the delivering of essential public services e.g. payment of benefits, government agencies and arms lengths bodies.
- Public Safety and National Security
Police and support staff. Armed forces personnel (anyone critical to the delivery of key defence and national security outputs as well as those essential to the response to the COVID-19 pandemic), ministry of defence civilians, contractors. Fire and rescue service employees and support staff. National crime agency staff, border security staff, prison and probation staff and other national security roles, including those overseas.
- Transport
Includes people who will keep the water, air, road and rail passenger and freight transport modes operating during the COVID-19 response. This includes those who work on transport systems through which supply chains pass.
- Financial Services, Communication and Utilities
Essential financial services provision staff (including but not limited to bank workers, building societies and financial market infrastructure). The oil, gas, electricity, sewage and water sectors. The I.T and data infrastructure sector as well as the primary industry supplies to continue during the COVID-19 response, as well as key nuclear, chemical, telecommunications staff. Which includes but is not limited to network operations, field engineering, call centre staff, IT and Data infrastructure, 111 and 999 critical services, postal services and delivery, waste disposal sectors and payment providers.
This information was gathered from the GOV.UK website and is subject to change as further guidance is announced.
