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Greens call for school staff still working to be
prioritised for testing
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Petition set up to urge government to provide testing
for key workers - currently stands at more than 6,750
signatures
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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
