Lucy Allan MP has welcomed a new Government drive towards mass testing in the workplace, ensuring that all Telford businesses with more than 50 employees can roll out mass staff testing on their premises.
Cabinet Ministers have also been tasked to encourage their sectors to take up the offer of rapid workplace testing, as part of a shift towards normalising testing in the workplace across both public and private sectors.
The government is working closely with organisations across different sectors that are vital to the running of our country and where employees cannot work from home during lockdown, from transport networks to food manufacturers, to sign up to rapid testing programmes that identify cases of coronavirus (COVID-19) in employees who are not showing symptoms. This will help stop the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19) and ensure vital public and economic services can continue.
Many employers have already taken up the offer of rapid, regular workforce testing, with 112 UK organisations across almost 500 sites joining government backed rapid testing.
Lucy Allan MP said:
"This renewed focus on testing in the workplace is vital for Telford residents who have been working hard throughout the pandemic.
"It is important to remember that the cycle of self-isolation and disruption to working hours has had a massive impact on many families and businesses in Telford and across the country.
"Identifying cases early is crucial to ensure that the disease is not spread amongst colleagues and that workplaces can be confident that they can remain open for business."
Health Secretary, Matt Hancock MP, said:
“To save lives and protect the NHS, we have again asked for everyone to work from home. But we know that for some this is not possible, which is why the workplace rapid testing programme is so important.
“Employers should regularly test their staff, and this drive across government to raise awareness and encourage more businesses to introduce rapid testing for employees is incredibly important. When you consider that around one in three people have the virus without symptoms and could potentially infect people without even knowing it, it becomes clear why focusing testing on those without symptoms is so essential.
“We are already working with many employers to scale up workforce testing, spanning the food industry, retail sector, transport network, and across the public sector too. I strongly urge businesses and employees across the country to take up this offer of rapid testing to help stop this virus spreading further.”
