Key workers to get virus exemptions

Scotland will be kept going through changes to Covid rules aimed at keeping “essential staff” free to do their jobs, according to the government.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon announced amendments to restrictions to protect critical services such as health, social care, transport and provision of food supplies.

Staff advised of a Covid contact must apply for exemption from having to selfisolate through a government website and meet conditions.

They must have been double-vaccinated for two weeks, have a negative PCR test, and agree to daily lateral flow tests.

Changes to selfisolation rules will allow “essential staff” to stay at work to keep critical services going in health, social care, transport and the provision of food supplies.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon announced the new rules ahead of schedule, with strict conditions requiring applications through a Scottish Government website.

Staff must be doublevaccinated, with the second shot at least two weeks previously.

They will need to have a negative PCR test and agree to daily lateral flow tests.

Exemptions only apply to staff who voluntarily agree not to self-isolate.

In a statement, Ms Sturgeon confirmed: “It is essential that lifeline services and critical national infrastructure are maintained and we are implementing these changes now – ahead of possible changes to self-isolation rules for close contacts that may apply more generally in future – to ensure staff shortages do not put key services at risk.

“We have seen significant staff shortages in a small number of organisations in recent days and we have worked with them to protect services.

“Applications for exemptions are being considered from today and we will consider applications as they come in.

“Clinical evidence tells us we can safely and effectively release some critical staff from self-isolation, with appropriate safeguards.

“However, this is a very limited change at this stage, to be applied on a case-by-case basis and only where absolutely necessary.

“We will not allow key services to be threatened by staff shortages but equally we must continue to protect public health.”

The Sottish Government had already planned to ease rules for health and social care workers from August 9, using more testing in place of isolation, as the country inches out of emergency measures.

But there were growing concerns at the lack of produce in some shops as more people are forced to self-isolate after receiving alerts on Covid contact tracing phone apps – dubbed the “pingdemic”.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson declared “freedom” from key public health measures in England on July 19 despite the rapid spread of the Delta variant, first identified in India.

The major change was immediately blamed on the massive rise in secondary contacts of cases, which put wider British infrastructure under immense pressure.

Yesterday morning, behavioural science expert Stephen Reicher, a professor at St Andrews University, criticised the UK Government’s focus.

“The real problem is the number of infections,” he said.

“The problem isn’t the pingdemic, it’s the pandemic.”

NEW STEPS: Nicola Sturgeon hopes the changes will keep the country on track.