Fury as early years staff missed from self-isolation exemption list

Amid concerns that key industries are being disrupted due to high levels of people being required to self-isolate after being told they have been in close contact with someone with coronavirus, the government has issued a list of people who are are exempt.

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Under the rules supermarket depot workers and food manufacturers are exempt from having to self-isolate whatever their vaccination status. Meanwhile employers providing "critical services", including emergency services, border control and local government can request an exemption for named employees who are fully vaccinated. The exemptions end on 16 August, when all fully vaccinated people will be exempt.

The early years sector has said its workers should be included on the exemption list because some nurseries are being forced to close due to staff shortages.

Purnima Tanuku, chief executive of National Day Nurseries Association, said her organisation has 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," she said

“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. It is disappointing that once again the government has failed to recognise the scale of the challenge nurseries and childcare providers are facing.

“In the last wave, as many as three quarters of nurseries had to close and each time this happens it means disruption for children and parents. It also means another financial hit for nurseries with lost income and ongoing costs still to meet.

“The government needs to act to avoid temporary closures becoming more permanent. They must provide urgent financial support to those who face partial or full closure in this third wave of infections.”

The list is out and no mention of #earlyyears Are we as a key element of our national infrastructure ignored again? Over 1 million families use #childcare We simply want to apply the processes the Gov say are safe appropriately. No cutting corners, good sense #BuildBackBetter

— June O'Sullivan (@JuneOSullivan) July 23, 2021

Liz Bayram, chief executive of Pacey, said that early years and childcare services were classed as a "critical" during the height of the pandemic when settings were asked to keep their doors open to support children and families.

"So many of our members are telling us how the need to self-isolate is forcing them to temporarily close or change their childminding or nursery provision. This means they lose money (when they are already struggling to remain sustainable) and the families who rely on them lose the support they rely on to be able to go to work.

"This cannot continue and we are urging government to include childcare and early years in the exemption to isolate. If social care, food and other industries can use daily testing then so can our sector. Without childcare and early years services, people cannot go to work.”