Full list of workers who may be exempt from 'ping' quarantine as more job sectors added

27 July 2021, 08:19 | Updated: 27 July 2021, 08:27

A number of sectors are exempt from having to quarantine after getting 'pinged' by the NHS Covid app - here is the full list.

The government has expanded the list of workers able to avoid self-isolation if they're 'pinged' by the NHS Covid app in England.

People working in prisons, space, defence, communications, fish and HMRC may no longer need to quarantine after coming into contact with someone who has tested positive, if they are double jabbed.

Ministers said that the actions taken are ‘to avoid disruption to crucial services’.

The list update comes after frontline workers like police, fire and Border Force were told that they can do daily lateral flow testing, rather than quarantine, when pinged.

It is not a blanket policy, however, and only applies to named workers who have written to request permission.

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Employers must write to the relevant government department to request permission. If approved, they must still quarantine when not at work.

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The full list of exempt professions is as follows:

• Energy
• Civil Nuclear
• Digital infrastructure
• Food production and supply
• Veterinary medicines
• Essential chemicals
• Essential transport
• Medicines
• Medical devices
• Clinical consumable supplies
• Emergency service
• Border control
• Essential defence outputs
• Local government
• Manufacturing maintenance
• Engineers
• Specialist reach truck drivers
• Official vets
• Environmental health officers
• Landfill operators
• Water engineers
• Laboratory staff essential to the batch release of medicines
• Environment agency staff operating critical flood defence assets
• Prisons
• Waste collection
• Pharmaceuticals
• Telecoms
• Chemicals
• Water
• Defence
• Communications
• Space
• Fish
• HMRC