‘Essential’ Covid-19 staff include those supplying food and financial services

Essential workers can still go to work despite Friday’s restrictions, although people should be careful about putting themselves into qualifying categories and to carry a letter from their employer, along with personal ID, if they do.

The list is long and it includes farmers; those making and supplying food and drink; and construction workers building Covid-19-linked projects; along with essential retail, including newsagents.

Healthcare, social care, community and voluntary workers are included, transport workers, newspapers and broadcasting, hotel and essential accommodation staff, along with banking and financial service workers,

Following confusion, Saturday evening’s detailed list included power supply workers, those repairing and installing machinery, along with public servants, all emergency and medical staff, and laboratory staff.

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Social work of all types, including disability services, mental health, child protection and welfare, domestic, sexual and gender-based violence, homeless services including outreach, are included.

Water supply and sewerage staff, waste collectors and those who treat waste are covered too, along with those required for emergency call-outs for electrical, plumbing, glazing and roofing work.

Non-essential workers have grace until 6pm on Monday to wind down “in an orderly way”, but only if they cut travel and interaction with others “as much as possible”. Extra time will be given in “exceptional circumstances”.

“This guidance will be kept under ongoing review, and will be updated as required,” says the Government’s list, which says that the self-employed, farmers or agricultural workers and the clergy must carry one form of identification with them at all times.

Those involved in the manufacture of products necessary to supply essential services, such as medical equipment, electrical and electronic equipment and other products necessary for agricultural and forestry are also included.

Blood donation

Anyone involved in drug treatment and addiction services, hospices, pharmacies, dentists, blood donation and caring for people in residential homes are covered. So are those providing home help.

Community and voluntary workers working in a publicly commissioned service are also covered, especially those who are carrying out duties that are part of the State’s emergency response to Covid-19, such as delivering groceries to the elderly and the vulnerable.

Accountants, lawyers and insurance staff necessary to support essential services and vulnerable people also qualify, along with anyone needed to provide certifications necessary to keep all other essential services running. Those involved in car rentals also qualify.

Danny McCoy, chief executive of employers’ group Ibec, said a “varied, diverse and complex set of businesses” was required to ensure the essential running of public. The list published “is reflective of this”.