WHO IS A KEY WORKER?;

Schools, colleges and nurseries are now closed for all pupils except those of key workers and vulnerable children.

The Prime Minister announced on Friday 20 March that schools across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland are to close their gates to pupils “until further notice”, in an effort to help reduce the spread of coronavirus.

What is a key worker?

The Prime Minister announced that schools are to close for all except those of key workers and vulnerable children, with the government having now released an official full list of who falls into this category.

THE FULL LIST INCLUDES WORKERS IN THE FOLLOWING SECTORS:

HEALTH AND SOCIAL CARE

Including doctors, nurses, midwives, paramedics, social workers, care workers, and other frontline health and social care staff required to maintain the UK’s health and social care sector

EDUCATION AND CHILDCARE

This includes nursery and teaching staff, social workers and those specialist education professionals who must remain active during the COVID-19 response to deliver this approach

KEY PUBLIC SERVICES

Which includes those essential to the running of the justice system, religious staff, charities and workers delivering key frontline services, and journalists and broadcasters who are providing public service broadcasting

LOCAL AND NATIONAL GOVERNMENT

This only includes those administrative occupations which are essential to the effective delivery of the COVID-19 response or delivering essential public services, such as the payment of benefits

FOOD AND OTHER NECESSARY GOODS

Those involved in food production, processing, distribution, sale and delivery as well as those essential to the provision of other key goods

PUBLIC SAFETY AND NATIONAL SECURITY

This includes police and support staff, Ministry of Defence civilians, contractor and armed forces personnel, fire and rescue service employees, National Crime Agency staff, those maintaining border security, prison and probation staff and other national security roles

TRANSPORT

Those who will keep the air, water, road and rail passenger and freight transport modes operating during the COVID-19 response, including those working on transport systems through which supply chains pass

UTILITIES, COMMUNICATION AND FINANCIAL SERVICES

This includes staff needed for essential financial services provision, the oil, gas, electricity and water sectors, information technology and data infrastructure sector and primary industry supplies to continue during the COVID-19 response, as well as key staff working in the civil nuclear, chemicals, telecommunications, postal services and delivery, payments providers and waste disposal sectors

Gov.uk adds: “If workers think they fall within the critical categories above they should confirm with their employer that, based on their business continuity arrangements, their specific role is necessary for the continuation of this essential public service.

“If your school is closed then please contact your local authority, who will seek to redirect you to a local school in your area that your child, or children, can attend.”