26 March 2020
- Greens call for school staff still working to be prioritised for testing
- Petition set up to urge government to provide testing for key workers – currently stands at more than 6,750 signatures
- Vix Lowthion: “We need to ramp up testing in general, but it is vital we start with our key workers”
Teachers and school staff working on the frontline of the coronavirus crisis deserve to be protected from the disease and should be prioritised for testing, the Green Party has said.
While most of the country has been encouraged to stay at home, many teachers and support staff are still going into school each day to educate the children of other key workers.
The Greens have now set up a petition [1] calling on the government to ensure that teachers, school staff and all other key workers are tested for coronavirus as a priority, not just for their protection and the safety of their families, but also to help prevent the spread of Covid-19.
At the time of publication, the petition had gained more than 6,750 signatures.
Green Party education spokesperson Vix Lowthion, a secondary school teacher on the Isle of Wight, launched the petition this week.
She said:
“It was right to close schools to the general public, and it was also right to keep them open for the children of key workers. The logical and compassionate next step is to ensure all teachers and school staff are prioritised for coronavirus testing.
“Staff still going to school are on the frontline of this crisis and deserve protection. They need to be tested, not just for their own safety, but also to help prevent the spread of coronavirus.
“We need to ramp up testing in general, but it is vital that we start with our key workers.”
ENDS
Notes
1
The “Test our teachers for Covid-19” petition is available here: https://actionnetwork.org/petitions/testourteachers
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