The UK Government has confirmed that pest management professionals can continue to go to work when it’s safe to do so.
Last month, the British Pest Control Association wrote to Government ministers, asking for pest management professionals to be considered essential workers during the Covid-19 pandemic.
While the association’s advice has always been to continue to work if you can mitigate the risks of spreading the virus, the Cabinet Office today confirmed BPCA’s advice to be correct.
Michael Gove MP, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, wrote to BPCA to say: “The indicative list published in the guidance does not have wider implications, and does not confer special status on individuals included in the guidance pertaining to travel, business or any other services.
“The Government’s position remains that everyone who can work from home should do so. Where that is not possible, people should go into work where it is safe and they are not symptomatic, following relevant Public Health England guidance.”
While it’s reassuring to see that BPCA’s advice to the pest management community is correct, Ian Andrew, the association’s chief executive, said that he would have preferred to have seen the key workers list updated to explicitly include the sector and he will continue to push for this.
He added: “If we go into further lockdown measures, we want to make sure that pest professionals can continue to travel and conduct vital public health pest management.”