Critical workers can apply for exemption from self isolation rules

Critical workers in Scotland are to be exempt from strict isolation rules, in a bid to tackle the so-called ‘pingdemic’. 

Currently, anyone who has come into contact with a person who has tested positive for the coronavirus must isolate for 10 days. 

Both the Scottish Government and UK Government contact tracing apps define a contact as someone who has been within two metres for 15 minutes. 

Rising cases in England have led to hundreds of thousands of people being pinged, leaving key industries short-staffed, and supermarket shelves empty. 

In the week of 8-15 July, more than 600,000 alerts were issued by the app, putting acute strain on many businesses and public services.

The British Meat Processors Association said that 5 to 10 per cent of the workforce of some of its companies had been pinged. 

Colin Smith, chief executive of the Scottish Wholesale Association, told the BBC that while Scotland wasn’t as badly affected by staff shortages, there would be a knock-on effect. 

He said: "The problem is the supply chain is heavily interlinked with England, so higher cases down there means less staff to pick and deliver to our depots so we can get it out our end users."

He said fast-moving goods such as soft drinks, pet food and alcohol are goods where "we can't replenish quick enough".

Under the new scheme, employers can apply to the Scottish Government for permission to exempt those who work in critical roles and where staff shortages could jeopardise essential services.

Staff must be double vaccinated and they will be required to have a negative PCR test, as well as agreeing to undertake daily lateral flow tests.

Ministers say the exemption will only be granted if staff members “voluntarily agree not to self isolate”.

The exemption will only last “for as long as there is an immediate risk to business or service continuity.”

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said: “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.”