Police can be tested for Covid if they fear an attack has put them at risk

POLICE officers in Scotland can be tested for coronavirus if they fear an attack has put them at risk of the disease.

Community Safety Minister Ash Denham said there was ‘no barrier to accessing testing’.

Conservative MSP Alexander Stewart pressed her on the issue at the Scottish parliament, saying ‘unfortunately some officers report being spat at and coughed at in a disgusting attempt to spread coronavirus’.

Miss Denham said when officers have such a Covid-19 ‘interaction’, the force can ‘offer facilities for an assessment and where appropriate a test’, and confirmed they ‘do not have to be symptomatic in order to access that testing’.

She stressed: ‘There is no barrier to accessing testing. The police are at the front lines of this. They are out there putting themselves at risk in order to keep the rest of us safe.’

Deputy Chief Constable Fiona Taylor said: ‘Police officers and staff are playing a vital role in the work to protect the NHS and save lives, but assault is not simply part of that job.

‘Therefore, it’s important that we do everything we can to protect our people and I’m delighted that the Scottish Government has agreed to our request that officers and staff can have access to tests in these circumstances.’

More than 60 police officers across Scotland had tested positive for coronavirus by April 0, while at least 500 who had shown symptoms had been examined at specialist NHS centres. Last month, the Scottish Police Federation said face masks issued to many police officers were not offering adequate protection.

But Police Scotland said it was distributing the masks in response to advice from Health Protection Scotland and the UK Government.