Protecting key, routine, manual and service workers during COVID-19
Protecting key, routine, manual and service workers during COVID-19
13 January 2021
We know that frontline workers in manual and people-facing roles have been heavily impacted by COVID-19 during the ongoing pandemic. Under Health and Safety Law, organisations are responsible for the health and wellbeing of both their direct employees, as well as that of anyone else working on their sites.
Rapid COVID-19 tests are also available for people without coronavirus symptoms, who cannot work from home and who are working in public-facing roles, or those in security, health or social care, cleaning, and facilities management. They provide same-day results.
Anyone with COVID-19 symptoms - a new, persistent cough; high temperature; or a loss or change of sense of smell and/ or taste, should book a test through www.gov.uk/get-coronavirus-test, or by calling 119.
Around one in three people with COVID-19 have no symptoms (are asymptomatic). Proactively testing asymptomatic individuals will help people identify when they have COVID-19, meaning they and their close contacts can self-isolate promptly and therefore help to safeguard the health and wellbeing of themselves and those around them, breaking the chains of transmission and reducing the spread of the virus.
This also helps to reduce the risk of disruption to business.
Currently, these rapid tests – also known as Lateral Flow Tests – are available for people working in the City of London and Hackney at the centre at 18 Edward’s Lane (Stoke Newington, N16 0JJ). Appointments must be booked in advance via the portal. Demand is extremely high, so if there are no appointments listed, all the slots are fully booked and the site should be checked regularly for availability.
If you have employees or workers on your site in these frontline, public-facing or other key manual roles that cannot be undertaken from home, please encourage them to get a Lateral Flow Test, if they do not have symptoms.
Individuals who have been instructed by NHS Test and Trace to self-isolate and who are on a low income, unable to work from home and will lose income as a result, may be entitled to access the Test and Trace Support Payment.
Employers and establishments can support workers to access this by making contact with the Self Isolation Service Hub on 020 3743 6715.
Additional Lateral Flow Testing centres are being opened across the local area.
To receive the latest updates, as well as other COVID-19-related information for businesses, please register here to receive the newsletter from Business Healthy, which is delivered by the City of London Corporation’s Public Health function.
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