Employers will have to apply for isolation exemption as government rules out critical jobs list
The government will not draw up a list of critical jobs that will be exempt from full self-isolation if workers are “pinged”.
Instead, employers will have to apply to government departments to allow workers to effectively circumvent the rules.
Boris Johnson announced on Monday that critical workers, who have been fully vaccinated for at least two weeks, will be able to leave their isolation to travel to work and do their jobs but must remain at home in isolation otherwise.
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More than 1m kids off school in England
“But for the vast majority of us, myself included, I’m afraid we do need to stick with this system for now,” he said on Monday from his Chequers retreat where he is self-isolating.
A list of specific jobs was expected but instead, the prime minister’s spokesman said the exemption would be determined case by case, with employers having to apply to the relevant government department to see if their workers can continue to come into work after they are identified as close contacts of someone who has tested positive for COVID.
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The spokesman said it could include certain workers in the food industry, utilities, border staff and the NHS, but there is no blanket exemption for sectors.
He added: “I don’t have a specific number for you at the moment. As these discussions proceed we might have a clearer sense of the numbers, but as the prime minister set out yesterday it will be a very low number of people.”
Asked if it will be on the scale of hundreds or thousands, the spokesman said: “I wouldn’t want to set specific numbers on it at this point.”
On whether supermarket workers specifically would be included in the exemption, he said the government is “not seeking to draw lines specifically around who or who is not exempt” but it is important to “make sure critical services are able to function”.
Vaccines minister Nadhim Zahawi earlier said the exemption would cover those in “circumstances where there would be a serious risk of harm to public welfare if people in critical roles are unable to go to their workplace”.
A government spokesman added on Monday evening it is “not a blanket exemption for any sector or role” and employers will receive a letter from the relevant government department informing them and telling them what steps to follow.
But the advice appears to have changed slightly, with the onus on employers to contact the government instead of the other way around.
The prime minister had come under increasing pressure to change isolation rules for close contacts of positive cases who are working in essential industries as it was crippling businesses.
Dubbed the “pingdemic”, a growing number of people have been alerted by the NHS COVID app in recent weeks, meaning lots of critical workers without symptoms – who cannot work from home – are having to self-isolate.
Supermarket workers are not necessarily exempt under the new rules. Pic: Sainsbury’s
In the first week of July, more than half a million people were told to self-isolate, a 46% increase on the previous week and a number that is continuing to rise.
The government said it does not plan to reduce the sensitivity of the app to avoid people being pinged as a third of those told to isolate develop symptoms.
Mr Johnson and Chancellor Rishi Sunak were also heavily criticised for saying they would be taking part in a pilot where they take daily tests instead of self-isolating after coming into contact with Health Secretary Sajid Javid, who tested positive.
They quickly performed a U-turn and said they would self-isolate, with Mr Johnson insisting he was not above the rules.
UK
13-year-old girl charged with attempted murder after two teachers and pupil stabbed at Carmarthenshire school
A 13-year-old girl has been charged with three counts of attempted murder after two teachers and a pupil were stabbed at a school.
The three people were treated in hospital for stab wounds but have now been released.
Pupils at Amman Valley School, also known as Ysgol Dyffryn Aman, went into lockdown just after 11.20am on Wednesday following the attack at the end of morning break in Carmarthenshire.
Amman Valley School, which is in the town of Ammanford, is a comprehensive with around 1,500 students aged between 11 and 18.
In a statement on the school’s website, headteacher James Durbridge said on Wednesday it had been a “very difficult day” for the school.
“It goes without saying that my thoughts are with the three individuals and their families, who have been affected by today’s incident,” he said.
“I wish to commend all staff and pupils for their calm and mature response during today’s lockdown.
“We are proud to have witnessed pupils embodying the school’s core values while supporting their peers and staff.”
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Meanwhile, a 15-year-old boy has been arrested and remains in custody on suspicion of making threats referencing the school attack, Dyfed-Powys Police has said.
Superintendent Ross Evans said: “Following [the stabbing incident], yesterday evening our control room received a number of calls reporting concerns about messages being shared on social media which had references to the incident here at Ysgol Dyffryn Aman.
“Officers swiftly carried out a warrant at the home of the person believed to be responsible for this content and a 15-year-old male has been arrested.
“He also remains in police custody while we investigate these allegations.”
Two horses which bolted and charged through central London are in a “serious condition”, a minister has said.
The Household Cavalry said the animals – which were taking part in what the Army called a “routine exercise” in the Belgravia area on Wednesday – were spooked by builders dropping rubble from a height “right next to them”.
Two horses bolted through the streets of London. Pic : PA
Defence minister James Cartlidge told Sky News on Thursday morning: “There were five horses. They have all been recovered.
“Three of them are fine, two of them are unfortunately in a relatively serious condition and obviously we will be monitoring that condition.”
He added: “They are in a serious condition, but as I understand, still alive.”
The minister also confirmed the names of the two animals, Vida and Quaker.
He stressed while the footage that emerged of the horses running through the capital was “dramatic”, it was “a very exceptional event”.
“This is extremely unlikely, this scenario,” he told LBC.
“Unfortunately we have seen what has happened, but all I can say is the crucial thing… no serious injuries to the public as far as we aware, and of course we will be keeping an eye on the situation.”
A map of where the horses travelled
Four service personnel were thrown from their horses and the animals that ran loose smashed into vehicles, including a taxi and a tour bus.
Paramedics treated four people in three separate incidents in Buckingham Palace Road, Belgrave Square, and at the junction of Chancery Lane and Fleet Street, in the space of just 10 minutes.
Some of the soldiers were taken to hospital for treatment for their injuries, which were not thought to be serious.
Pic: Alice Porter
Pic. PA
One witness got off a bus and described seeing two horses, one black and the other white, “flying past”.
“The white one was drenched in blood from the chest down and they were galloping through the traffic at speed,” she said.
“People were stopping in the street shocked. The horses were running into fast-moving traffic and seemed terrified. Some unmarked police cars were chasing after them, which didn’t seem to be helping.
“I felt shocked. It was pretty gruesome. Felt like a weird dream.”
The horses were eventually recaptured by City of London Police and taken away to be assessed by Army vets.
The animals are all receiving care from vets at Hyde Park barracks.
Commanding Officer of the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment Lieutenant Colonel Matt Woodward said in a video statement posted on X the unit exercises around 150 horses on the roads and in parks every morning, partly to help desensitise them to city noise.
He said the “shock” of building materials being dropped from a height near them caused the horses to bolt and unseat some riders
He added: “Thankfully, considering the frequency of exercise and numbers of horses involved, this type of incident is extremely rare, we continue to strive to minimise the risk of this recurring.
“As ever we are grateful for due consideration given by the members of the public to not making loud noises around our horses.”
When temperatures hit nearly 22C in parts of England earlier this month, people might have thought that spring had finally sprung.
But with May fast approaching, temperatures have suddenly dropped, forcing some back into their winter coats and others to switch the heating on once again.
So what has caused the mercury to drop to near-freezing in some parts?
According to Sky News weather presenter Jo Wheeler, an area of high pressure to the west of the UK is behind it.
UK weather: The latest Sky News forecast
Temperatures were as low as 3C this morning in parts of the UK
“High pressure to the west of the UK and Ireland gave hopes for a few days of settled weather, even though it was forecast to be a ‘cloudy high’,” she says.
“And that is pretty much what we have seen, although the positioning of the high brought cold northerly winds – and eastern counties can vouch for this.
“The high was also weak enough to allow frontal systems (a collision of cold and warm air) to move through it, so we didn’t see entirely dry weather either.
“And, winds were strong enough to give a significant wind chill along the North Sea coasts, which was pretty bitter.”
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That, she says, has resulted in temperatures dropping a few degrees below the April average, though, according to Ms Wheeler “not by much”.
So when will temperatures rise again?
“We’re just a few days from May now, and a change is on the way,” she adds.
“Low pressure, spreading from the south at the weekend, will bring milder conditions but also some rain and fresher winds.”
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However, the next few days could still be relatively cold, particularly overnight on Friday and potentially Saturday, when temperatures in parts of northern and eastern England could drop to near or even below freezing, according to the Met Office.
And while they say temperatures are likely to “trend upwards” from Sunday, rain and cloudier weather is set to dominate next week, particularly in the south.
According to the Met Office’s forecast for next week, there will be drier weather in northern parts of the UK and a chance of rain or even thundery showers for a time in the east.
“Temperatures [are] likely to trend upwards, with the chance of a warm to very warm spell in some southern and eastern parts, before conditions probably turn drier, cooler and more settled from the west towards the end of the period,” they say.
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