More industries exempt from isolation and testing sites expanded in effort to ease pingdemic

More workers are now able to avoid Covid self-isolation after the government expanded a pilot workplace testing scheme in a bid to halt the “pingdemic” causing staff shortages across England.

Prison staff, some veterinary staff, telecoms organisations, defence staff such as soldiers, HMRC staff and refuse collectors will now be eligible for exemption.

It comes after dozens of councils across England were forced to reduce bin collections due to staff self-isolating after being “pinged” by the NHS app.

Despite calls from the hospitality sector to be exempt due to huge staff shortages hampering recovery, businesses in the industry have not been included in the latest revision to the list.

A further 1200 testing sites will be opened the 800 already in operation, to roll out further daily contact testing, Sky News reports.

The government said it was extending the pilot scheme and adding new testing sites “to avoid disruption to crucial services.”

This will allow eligible workers who are pinged by the NHS test and trace app to continue working if they test negative every day, regardless of their vaccination status.

Police, firefighters, border staff and transport workers were already exempt from self-isolation, but only if employers specified their names and they were double-jabbed against Covid.

It comes after the government announced last week that thousands of workers in the food industry would be able to avoid isolation through a new testing regime.

The latest figures released last week show a record 618,903 people were told to self-isolate by the app.

From 16 August, double jabbed people will no longer have to isolate if they have been in close contact with someone who has tested positive for coronavirus.

But with many sectors of the economy under mounting pressure due to staff having to isolate, many are calling for the rule change to be brought forward

London mayor Sadiq Khan and major business leaders in the capital wrote to Boris Johnson late last week urging him to allow fully vaccinated people to return to work immediately after a negative Covid-19 test if they are ‘pinged’ by the NHS’ app.

In the letter, Khan wrote: “Many hospitality businesses, such as pubs and restaurants, are already struggling with staff shortages. These shortages have been exacerbated, in some cases leading to temporary closure, by large numbers of employees being simultaneously advised to isolate by the NHS Covid app.

“The summer months are crucial for many businesses’ recovery and their ability to recover must not be put in jeopardy.

“We are therefore calling on you to ensure that the necessary testing is in place to enable people who have been double vaccinated for longer than two weeks and pinged by the NHS Covid app, to immediately return to work, following a negative PCR test, rather than having to self-isolate.”

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