Freight News, Sea

Ports call for priority tests for workers

[ January 5, 2022   //   Chris ]

The British Ports Association has called for workers in the industry to be included in the priority Covid testing scheme announced at a Downing Street briefing on 4 January.

The Prime Minister, Boris Johnson said that the government has identified 100,000 critical workers who will be able to take daily lateral flow tests, staring next week.

BPA chief executive Richard Ballantyne said: “This is a welcome announcement but we want to see port and supply chain workers included in the government’s critical lists. Whilst we don’t want to see any groups forced into testing, there are a number of regions where the availability of test kits are limited and certain ports will want to be included in the government’s scheme.

He added: “The sector has worked tirelessly to keep the country open during the pandemic and as well as trade it also enables essential fuel and energy sectors to keep the lights on. It is right therefore that the sector is included in the government’s resilience planning, especially for priority operational staff”.

Tags: BPA, British Ports Association