COVID-19: Around 10,000 food supply chain workers will become exempt from self-isolation rules as daily testing is phased in - Sky News

Around 10,000 workers in the food supply chain industry are to become exempt from coronavirus self-isolation rules - but this will not include supermarket staff, the government has said.

Environment Secretary George Eustice said "up to 500" distribution centres and food supply chain hubs have been identified where workers could be part of the scheme.

Anyone involved will soon not have to isolate for up to 10 days if they come into contact with a positive coronavirus case.

Mr Eustice said the exemption will begin for 15 "priority testing sites" on Friday, with workers there moving on to a daily testing regime enabling them to go into work if they test negative each day, instead of having to quarantine.

Image: Empty shelves have been spotted in recent days as many workers have been forced into self-isolation after being pinged by the app

The system will then be rolled out to a further 150 supermarket depots next week and "several hundred" food manufacturers thereafter, Mr Eustice said.

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"We recognise there are some staff absences in the food supply chain so what we are announcing is for the top sort of 400 or so sites, things like supermarket depots and some of the key food manufacturers, we're going to change the system and enable them to test to return to work.

"So someone who is contacted in future by Test and Trace or is pinged will be able to have daily contact testing for seven days and [will] be able to carry on working providing their test remains negative."

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Mr Eustice said the new exemption will apply to "probably close to 10,000, possibly more staff" including supermarket depots and distribution centres.

Image: George Eustice said the plan would not apply to shop floor supermarket staff as this would see a 'major departure' from the test, trace and isolate scheme

"Anybody who is working at one of these sites but who is currently isolating would be able to return to work and go into this testing regime instead of continuing to isolate," Mr Eustice said.

Pressed on why supermarket store staff are not included in the plans, the environment secretary said that would be "a big departure" from the current test, trace and isolate approach.

It comes as firms have warned of increasing staff shortages caused by people being forced to self-isolate by the NHS COVID app.

Iceland said on Monday that it has had to shut some stores as a result and other retailers said they are under "increasing pressure" to keep shelves fully stocked due to the so-called "pingdemic".

Business group the CBI said supply issues could hamper the country's economic recovery from COVID-19.

But on Thursday at a meeting with supermarket leaders, Mr Eustice and newly-appointed Health Secretary Sajid Javid outlined plans for daily contact testing for workers in the food and drink industries.

Image: The government has said people do not need to panic buy

If they test positive, they must still self-isolate for the full 10 days.

The government said it will continue to "engage" with the food sector and "provide all support needed".

Mr Eustice described food businesses as the "hidden heroes of the pandemic".

"We are working closely with industry to allow staff to go about their essential work safely with daily testing," he said.

"The last 18 months have demonstrated that we have a highly resilient food supply chain. There are sufficient food supplies in the system and people can and should shop as normal."

And Mr Javid added that food and drink sector workers have "overcome enormous challenges and done everything they can to keep our shelves stocked and our fridges full".

"As we manage this virus and do everything we can to break chains of transmission, daily contact testing of workers in this vital sector will help to minimise the disruption caused by rising cases in the coming weeks, while ensuring workers are not put at risk," he said.

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Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng told Sky News the government is 'concerned' by the so-called 'pingdemic'

The government added that "critical roles in the food supply chain" will also apply to the new isolation rule.

"Employers are already in contact with Defra (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs) and approvals will follow shortly for named critical workers to attend their workplaces when they're fully vaccinated and the contact of a positive case," they said.

Earlier on Thursday, Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng told Kay Burley on Sky News the list of those exempt from isolation would be "quite narrow".

Responding to the announcement, Helen Dickinson, chief executive of the British Retail Consortium, said: "We welcome the government's rapid response to this unfolding 'pingdemic', which has impacted shops and distribution centres.

"Retailers are working closely with government to identify hundreds of key distribution sites that will benefit from the new daily contact testing scheme. It is absolutely vital that government makes up for lost time and rolls out this new scheme as fast as possible.

"Disruption is limited at the moment, and retailers are monitoring the situation closely. Government will need to continue to listen to the concerns of the retail industry in the coming days and must be prepared to take further action if necessary."

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2021-07-22 21:24:15Z
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COVID-19: Around 10,000 food supply chain workers will become exempt from self-isolation rules as daily testing is phased in - Sky News

Around 10,000 workers in the food supply chain industry are to become exempt from coronavirus self-isolation rules - but this will not include supermarket staff, the government has said.

Environment Secretary George Eustice said the government has identified "up to 500" distribution centres and food supply chain hubs where workers could be part of the scheme.

Anyone involved will soon not have to isolate for up to 10 days if they come into contact with a positive coronavirus case.

Mr Eustice said the exemption will begin for 15 "priority testing sites" on Friday, with workers there moving on to a daily testing regime enabling them to go into work if they test negative each day, instead of having to quarantine.

Image: Empty shelves have been spotted in recent days as many workers have been forced into self-isolation after being pinged by the app

The system will then be rolled out to a further 150 supermarket depots next week and "several hundred" food manufacturers thereafter, Mr Eustice said.

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"We recognise there are some staff absences in the food supply chain so what we are announcing is for the top sort of 400 or so sites, things like supermarket depots and some of the key food manufacturers, we're going to change the system and enable them to test to return to work.

"So someone who is contacted in future by Test and Trace or is pinged will be able to have daily contact testing for seven days and [will] be able to carry on working providing their test remains negative.

More on Covid

Mr Eustice said the new exemption will apply to "probably close to 10,000, possibly more staff" including supermarket depots and distribution centres.

Image: George Eustice said the scene would not apply to shop floor supermarket staff as this would see a 'major departure' from the test, trace and isolate scheme

"Anybody who is working at one of these sites but who is currently isolating would be able to return to work and go into this testing regime instead of continuing to isolate," Mr Eustice said.

Pressed on why supermarket store staff are not included in the plans, the environment secretary said that would be "a big departure" from the current test, trace and isolate approach.

It comes as firms have warned of increasing staff shortages caused by people being forced to self-isolate by the NHS COVID app.

Iceland said on Monday that it has had to shut some stores as a result and other retailers said they are under "increasing pressure" to keep shelves fully stocked due to the so-called "pingdemic".

Business group the CBI said supply issues could hamper the country's economic recovery from COVID-19.

But on Thursday at a roundtable with supermarket leaders, Mr Eustice and newly-appointed Health Secretary Sajid Javid outlined plans for daily contact testing for workers in the food and drink industries.

Image: The government has said people do not need to panic buy

If they test positive, they must still self-isolate for the full 10 days.

The government said it will continue to "engage" with the food sector and "provide all support needed".

Mr Eustice described food businesses as the "hidden heroes of the pandemic".

"We are working closely with industry to allow staff to go about their essential work safely with daily testing," he said.

"The last 18 months have demonstrated that we have a highly resilient food supply chain. There are sufficient food supplies in the system and people can and should shop as normal."

And Mr Javid added that food and drink sector workers have "overcome enormous challenges and done everything they can to keep our shelves stocked and our fridges full".

"As we manage this virus and do everything we can to break chains of transmission, daily contact testing of workers in this vital sector will help to minimise the disruption caused by rising cases in the coming weeks, while ensuring workers are not put at risk," he said.

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Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng told Sky News the government is 'concerned' by the so-called 'pingdemic'

The government added that "critical roles in the food supply chain" will also apply to the new isolation rule.

"Employers are already in contact with Defra (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs) and approvals will follow shortly for named critical workers to attend their workplaces when they're fully vaccinated and the contact of a positive case," they said.

Earlier on Thursday, Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng told Kay Burley on Sky News the list of those exempt from isolation would be "quite narrow".

Responding to the announcement, Helen Dickinson, chief executive of the British Retail Consortium, said: "We welcome the government's rapid response to this unfolding 'pingdemic', which has impacted shops and distribution centres.

"Retailers are working closely with government to identify hundreds of key distribution sites that will benefit from the new daily contact testing scheme. It is absolutely vital that government makes up for lost time and rolls out this new scheme as fast as possible.

"Disruption is limited at the moment, and retailers are monitoring the situation closely. Government will need to continue to listen to the concerns of the retail industry in the coming days and must be prepared to take further action if necessary."

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2021-07-22 21:22:30Z
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COVID-19: List of 16 sectors where workers may be exempt from isolation revealed - Sky News

The government has released a list of 16 sectors where fully vaccinated workers may be exempt from isolation if they are told to quarantine after coming into close contact with a positive COVID case.

The sectors include energy, civil nuclear, digital infrastructure, food production and supply, waste, water, veterinary medicines, essential chemicals, essential transport, medicines, medical devices, clinical consumable supplies, emergency services, border control, essential defence outputs, and local government.

Those covered will be able to leave their COVID-19 isolation to travel to work and do their jobs after a negative daily test but must remain at home otherwise and go straight into quarantine if they receive a positive result.

Image: Hundreds of thousands of people have been 'pinged' by the app in the last few weeks

It will only apply to workers who are fully vaccinated - and 14 days after their second coronavirus jab.

The government had said they would publish a list of critical jobs that would be exempt - but there is so far nothing more specific than the sectors named above.

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The exemptions will only be open to a "limited number of named workers" in critical services and are only intended to run until 16 August.

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This is when a wider relaxation for fully vaccinated contacts is set to take effect.

Workers have also been warned they will only be exempt if their employer has received a letter from the government on which their name is listed.

The government said "this is not a blanket exemption for all workers in a sector" and the guidance published on Thursday evening stressed the process "will not cover all or in most cases even the majority of workers in critical sectors".

Image: The Department of Health and Social Care said on Monday that railway signallers would be included in the exemption

It added that those identified as close contacts of a positive case of the virus should only go to work if their absence would lead to the "loss or compromise" of "critical elements of national infrastructure".

If employers believe the absence of their staff would have this impact they are advised to contact the relevant government department.

Business and industry figures have been calling for exemptions to be set out, amid warnings that staff shortages caused by the so-called 'pingdemic' are having a knock-on effect in a number of sectors such as the NHS, police and supermarkets.

Any business which believes its workers should be exempt are asked to contact the relevant governmental department.

The government confirmed on Monday that there would be exemptions for "critical workers" and said railway signallers and air traffic controllers would be included.

Newly-appointed Health Secretary Sajid Javid said: "Throughout this global pandemic, critical workers across the country have been doing the extraordinary by delivering vital services - from policing the streets to keeping our transport links open.

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Government 'very concerned' about 'pingdemic'

"These individuals form the backbone of many of our most vital services and, as we learn to live with this virus, its right we do everything in our power to protect services from disruption by allowing our fully vaccinated critical workers to keep doing their important work."

The Department of Health and Social Care described the move as "a small and targeted intervention to ensure that services critical to the safety and functioning of our society can continue".

But there has been confusion about which sectors were to be included in the scheme, and how a worker would know they no longer have to quarantine if they are a close contact of a positive case.

Earlier on Thursday, Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng admitted the government is "very concerned" about the numbers of people being pinged by the NHS app.

His comments come as retailers warn they are under "increasing pressure" to keep shelves fully stocked amid staff shortages caused by the "pingdemic".

Image: At present, anyone who is identified as a close contact of someone who has tested positive for coronavirus has to isolate for up to 10 days.

Speaking to Kay Burley on Sky News, Mr Kwarteng said ministers were "monitoring" the situation and would be setting out a list of exempt critical workers "very soon".

"The list of exemptions will be quite narrow because, obviously, you have to draw the line somewhere," Mr Kwarteng said.

The expectation was that this list would be published on Thursday.

But Downing Street did say earlier this week that it would not be "producing a list covering individual sectors", with employers instead having to apply to government departments to allow workers to effectively circumvent the COVID-19 rules around isolation.

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2021-07-22 20:15:00Z
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Tommy Robinson ordered to pay Syrian schoolboy £100k after losing libel case - Daily Record

Tommy Robinson has claimed he is now "bankrupt" after losing a libel case against a Syrian schoolboy.

The far right activist was ordered to pay Jamal Hijazi £100,000 after he was successfully sued by the 18-year-old for making defamatory claims against him on Facebook.

Footage of Mr Hijazi being assaulted in the playground at Almondbury Community School in Huddersfield in October 2018 was posted online.

Shortly after, the English Defence League founder - real name Stephen Yaxley-Lennon - claimed in two videos of his own that Hijazi was "not innocent and he violently attacks young English girls in his school".

Jamal Hijazi outside Almondbury Community School in Huddersfield (Image: Dan Rowlands / SWNS.com)

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In the clips, viewed by nearly a million people, Robinson, 38, also claimed Mr Hijazi "beat a girl black and blue" and "threatened to stab" another boy at his school, reports the Mirror.

The judge ruled in Mr Hijazi's favour and granted him £100,000 in damages, as well as ordering Robinson to pay costs which are understood to be more than £500,000.

Robinson - who was appearing via videolink - said he was "gobsmacked" by the costs Mr Hijazi's lawyers were claiming, which he said included £70,000 for taking witness statements.

He added: "I've not got any money. I'm bankrupt. I've struggled hugely with my own issues these last 12 months... I ain't got it."

Mr Justice Nicklin ruled that Robinson should pay Jamal's legal costs, which were not stated in court.

At a four-day trial in April, Mr Hijazi's lawyers said Robinson's comments had "a devastating effect" on the schoolboy and his family who had come to the UK as refugees from Homs, Syria.

Robinson, who represented himself, argued his comments were substantially true, claiming to have "uncovered dozens of accounts of aggressive, abusive and deceitful behaviour" by Mr Hijazi.

However, Mr Justice Nicklin said: "The defendant took on the burden of proving his allegations to be true. He has failed.

"In reality, and for the reasons I have explained, his evidence fell woefully short.

Tommy Robinson at the Royal Courts of Justice in London (Image: PA)

"He has, however, persisted with the serious allegations he originally made, and has even added to them during the proceedings.

"The claimant has had to face them in the full glare and publicity of a High Court trial.

"It is my responsibility to make clear that the defendant has failed in his defence of truth, to vindicate the claimant and to award him a sum in damages that represents fair compensation."

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The judge said Robinson's videos were "calculated to inflame the situation" and said Mr Hijazi predictably became the target of abuse and had to leave his home and abandon his education.

He also granted Mr Hijazi an injunction against Robinson, preventing him from repeating the allegations made against him.

Robinson said he had been commissioned to make a film about the incident and described the injunction as a "gagging order", which was "totally unnecessary".

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2021-07-22 18:42:08Z
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Tommy Robinson loses Jamal Hijazi libel case - BBC News

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English Defence League founder Tommy Robinson has been ordered to pay £100,000 in libel damages to a Syrian schoolboy.

The anti-Islam activist, real name Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, published two Facebook videos in response to a viral clip of Jamal Hijazi being attacked.

He failed to convince the High Court his claims, such as Mr Hijazi attacking "young English girls", were true.

Mr Justice Nicklin found in Mr Hijazi's favour after a trial earlier this year.

The judge also ordered Mr Yaxley-Lennon to pay legal costs understood by the BBC to amount to about £500,000.

'Target of abuse'

Mr Hijazi was filmed being attacked in the playground at Almondbury School in Huddersfield in October 2018.

Shortly after the video of the assault went viral, Mr Yaxley-Lennon claimed in two Facebook videos that the teenager was "not innocent and he violently attacks young English girls in his school".

In clips viewed by nearly one million people, the 38-year-old also claimed Mr Hijazi "beat a girl black and blue" and threatened to stab another boy at his school, allegations denied by Mr Hijazi.

"As was entirely predictable, the claimant then became the target of abuse which ultimately led to him and his family having to leave their home, and the claimant to have to abandon his education.

"The defendant is responsible for this harm, some of the scars of which, particularly the impact on the claimant's education, are likely to last for many years, if not a lifetime."

The judge said Mr Yaxley-Lennon's defence that the "very serious" allegations were substantially true had not been proved, and he had used language "calculated to inflame the situation".

"The defendant's contribution to this media frenzy was a deliberate effort to portray the claimant as being, far from an innocent victim, but in fact a violent aggressor," he added.

At a further hearing, the judge granted an injunction against Mr Yaxley-Lennon preventing him from repeating the allegations.

The final damages and costs figures will be agreed and submitted to the High Court at forthcoming hearings to establish Mr Yaxley-Lennon's means and assets.

Stephen Yaxley-Lennon's repeated jailings down the years - including nine months for interfering with a trial of a sexual grooming gang - have failed to silence him. But a turning of the legal screw on his finances may have a more profound effect.

He made a small fortune from his provocative social media channels attacking Islam and Muslims - enough to fund a lifestyle that would be the envy of many, complete with a large country house.

The cash began to dry up as he was thrown off Facebook and Youtube and some of his wealthy benefactors in North American backed away. Today, his social media reach is a shadow of what it once was. It's never been clear how much he made and where it has all gone - and that's why this judgment is so important. Not only does it vindicate Jamal Hijazi - but it opens the door to a court examination of his finances and how he affords to keep his activities going.

Jamal Hijazi's lawyers welcomed the judgement and praised Mr Hijazi's "courage" in pursuing the claim.

Francesca Flood, from Burlingtons Legal, said: "Jamal and his family now wish to put this matter behind them in order that they can get on with their lives.

"They do, however, wish to extend their gratitude to the Great British public for their support and generosity, without which this legal action would not have been possible."

Death threats

During a trial in April, Catrin Evans QC, for Mr Hijazi, said that Mr Yaxley-Lennon's comments led to the teenager "facing death threats and extremist agitation" and that he should receive damages of between £150,000 and £190,000.

She described Mr Yaxley-Lennon as "a well-known extreme-right advocate" with an "anti-Muslim agenda" who used social media to spread his views.

His videos "turned Jamal into the aggressor and the bully into a righteous white knight", she said.

More stories from Yorkshire

Mr Yaxley-Lennon, who represented himself during the trial, maintained he was an independent journalist, telling the court: "The media simply had zero interest in the other side of this story, the uncomfortable truth."

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2021-07-22 17:24:00Z
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BP garages and Iceland stores forced to shut as 'pingdemic' grinds UK to halt - Metro.co.uk

No 10 has been urged to relax its self-isolation rules to keep the country running (Picture: PA)

Supermarkets and petrol stations are being forced to close due to staff shortages caused by the NHS Test and Trace system.

As the ‘pingdemic’ ramps up across the country, Iceland has shut ‘a number of stores’ as too many members of staff have been told to self isolate by the Covid app.

The supermarket chain say 1,000 employees, or 4% of its workforce, have had to stay at home for this reason.

It has been forced to reduce trading hours in some stores and says it will hire 2,000 extra staff to cover absences following an advertising campaign.

Supermarkets that have managed to stay open are struggling to keep their shelves full due to a lack of workers.

Pictures taken yesterday show bare fruit and veg boxes, as well as freezer cabinets and other aisles.

It has fuelled calls from British Retail Consortium for the Government to relax isolation guidance for workers to deal with the ‘increasing pressure’.

BP has had to close some of its garages due to a shortage of lorry drivers (Picture: Getty Images)

Iceland’s boss has said there is ‘absolutely no need for people to panic buy’ as they did before the first lockdown last year (Picture: Getty Images)

However Iceland boss Richard Walker has urged customers not to panic buy and says not everywhere has been affected as badly.

He told BBC Radio 4: ‘There is certainly no problem with supply of stock and there’s absolutely no need for people to panic buy.

‘We certainly don’t want to go back to the dark days of April 2020, because panic buying is only an option for those who can afford it, and it often means that others go without.

‘Our supply chains are resilient. Yes we do have some availability issues, which are probably as bad as they’ve been over the last year, but there is enough to go around.

‘The dramatic pictures that you might have seen in the media are isolated incidents and not widespread.’

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BP has has to close a handful of stations due to a petrol and diesel shortage caused by a lack of available drivers due to too many being pinged.

However, the oil company said the ‘vast majority’ of shortages were being ‘resolved within a day’.

It said the problem had been made worse by the closure of a distribution terminal, due to staff being told to isolate last week.

Meanwhile M&S has warned that 20% of its workforce would be isolating by mid-August, which could force it to reduce opening hours.

Currently 1.7million workers are thought to be in self-isolation due to the test and trace system, MailOnline reports.

Iceland has been forced to shut a number of stores due to too many staff being pinged (Picture: Getty Images)

Freezers were left empty yesterday at Sainsbury’s in Craigleith, Edinburgh (Picture: SWNS)

Some will have been pinged by the Covid app, while others will have been contacted by Test and Trace officials.

Calling on Downing Street to take action, British Retail Consortium chief executive Helen Dickinson said: ‘We are already seeing a serious impact on retail operations as a result of staff having to self-isolate and this will only get worse right across the economy, as cases are already rising fast and the final restrictions are eased.’

The Government is currently planning to allow fully vaccinated people to be exempt from the 10 day isolation requirement from August 16.

But Ms Dickinson called on No 10 to pull this forward so people are no longer forced to ‘needlessly quarantine’.

Boris Johnson has announced plans to exempt a ‘small number’ of fully vaccinated key workers so they can carry on their jobs.

He said the sectors would include ‘food, water, electricity, medicines, the running of our trains, the protection of our borders and the defence of the realm’.

When asked if he might expand this list, he said he was reluctant, adding that self-isolation to control the virus is ‘one of the only shots left in our locker’.

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.

For more stories like this, check our news page.

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2021-07-22 07:05:00Z
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Prince George: Photo to mark his eighth birthday shows him on Land Rover in 'tribute to Duke of Edinburgh' - Sky News

Prince George is pictured sat on a Land Rover - the car closely associated with his great-grandfather the Duke of Edinburgh - in a new photograph to mark his eighth birthday.

It shows the prince, who celebrates his birthday on Thursday, with a beaming smile as he perches on the bonnet of a Land Rover Defender against the backdrop of a field.

The duke, who died in April, regularly drove vehicles by the British 4x4 brand.

Image: The photo was taken by the Duchess of Cambridge in Norfolk this month

His coffin was carried on a specially adapted Defender - that he himself helped design - during his funeral at Windsor Castle in April.

The choice of a Land Rover in the picture, which was taken by the Duchess of Cambridge, will be seen by many as a tribute to Philip.

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Kate is a keen photographer and regularly produces image of her children to mark moments in their lives.

Her latest picture was taken earlier this month in Norfolk where their family home, Anmer Hall, is located - close to the Queen's Sandringham estate.

More on Duke Of Edinburgh

Image: The duke's coffin was carried on a Land Rover at his request

A smartly-dressed Prince George was recently seen with his parents cheering England on at several of their Euro 2020 games, including the final against Italy at Wembley.

The future king is third in line to the throne behind Prince Charles and Prince William.

His birth in 2013 drew worldwide media attention, with hordes of reporters and well-wishers gathering outside St Mary's Hospital in London to get a first glimpse of the prince.

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2021-07-21 22:13:08Z
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