Symptom-free construction workers to get covid tests

Symptom-free construction workers to get covid tests

Construction is among the industries to be targeted with regular rapid testing for workers without coronavirus symptoms.

The government is expanding its community testing scheme across the whole country.

And local authorities “will be encouraged to target testing to people who cannot work from home during lockdown.”

Construction workers will be offered rapid lateral flow tests which return results within 30 minutes.

Employers are also being encouraged to participate in large-scale testing programmes.

Around one in three people have covid-19 without displaying any symptoms.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock said: “Rapid, regular testing is led by local authorities who design programmes based on their in-depth knowledge of the local populations, so testing can have the greatest impact.

“We are now expanding this offer to every local authority across the country, and asking testing to be targeted on workers who cannot work from home during this national lockdown, while asking employers to work with us to scale up workforce testing.

“Lateral flow tests have already been hugely successful in finding positive cases quickly – and every positive case found is helping to stop the spread – so I encourage employers and workers to take this offer up. We must all do all we can to stop the spread of Covid, right now.”

updated: 12/01/2021

Let us know what you think:



You are here: Blog / Symptom-free construction workers to get covid tests