Record numbers of people in the UK have been forced to self-isolate in recent weeks after being alerted by the NHS COVID-19 contact tracing app. In the week to July 15, more than 618,000 people were told to isolate by the app, causing widespread staff absences and disruption to supply chains.
In a recent CV-Library survey of more than 1,300 UK workers, close to 40 per cent said they knew someone who had been unable to work after being told to self-isolate since restrictions were lifted on July 19. As a result, around half of respondents said they were worried that they would have to isolate.
This situation has lead to the government announcing a list of exemptions. From August 16, fully vaccinated workers in certain industries, such as food production, will not have to isolate if alerted by the app, providing they return a negative test.
However, the Association of Independent Professionals and the Self-Employed (IPSE) called the list “narrow” and said current rules meant that freelancers who can’t work from home would lose work and income if told to self-isolate. It urged the government to extend the exemption list.
IPSE CEO Derek Cribb said: “From plumbers to construction workers, many of the UK’s self-employed cannot work from home: isolation can therefore mean up to 10 days of lost earnings and delays to projects. Freelancers have felt the worst of the financial impact of the pandemic – especially the up to one million who were left entirely without support. For many of them, therefore, the fact that government has let them fall through the cracks again will be a serious blow.”
“We urge the government to consider the damage the enormous and growing number of self-isolation orders is doing to many self-employed people. If it cannot bring the test and release system forward, we urge the government to extend the list of exemptions for double vaccinated people to include self-employed-dominated industries such as construction and business trades.”
