Coronavirus: Nursery staff not exempt from self-isolation
Katy Morton
Friday, July 23, 2021
The sector has expressed its anger at the omission of early years from the Government’s list of critical workers who can avoid self-isolation if they are ‘pinged’ by the NHS Covid app.
Reports suggest that workers from 16 sectors including emergency services, food production, health, transport and energy, who have received both Covid vaccinations, will no longer have to quarantine after being ‘pinged’ by the app.
Early years and childcare are not expected to be included within the 16 sectors exempt from self-isolation.
Nursery World contacted the Department for Health and Social Care for confirmation, however it has yet to respond.
The Early Years Alliance called the move ‘absurd’, and said it is in ‘conversation with the Government to understand why the early years has not been included in the exemptions, and how settings can be supported.’
According to reports, those covered by the list will be able to travel to work and do their jobs after testing negative for Covid-19 on a daily basis. If they test positive, they must go straight into quarantine.
The list applies up until 16 August when the rules change for those who are fully vaccinated against coronavirus.
The National Day Nurseries Association (NDNA) said it was disappointing that ‘once again, the Government has failed to recognise the scale of the challenge nurseries and childcare providers are facing.’
Chief executive Purnima Tanuku said, ‘Since the proposed exemptions were announced we have been urging Government ministers and departments to include early years workers in the list of critical services. They have been providing childcare for critical workers throughout the pandemic and are a vital part of our national infrastructure.
‘Every day we are hearing of more and more nurseries having to close due to staff self-isolating, and if there is a safe way of avoiding that for those who have been vaccinated – this should be available to our crucial early years sector.’
Neil Leitch, chief executive of the Early Years Alliance, added, ‘Since July of last year, the early years sector has been considered essential. So essential that even when schools closed, our settings were asked to remain open to all children - in spite of the risks to providers and their families - to ensure the country continued to run.’
The Professional Association for Childcare and Early Years (PACEY) urged the Government to introduce daily testing for the sector, arguing that ‘without childcare parents are unable to work.’
