Some tradesmen can still work despite coronavirus lockdown

Speaking in an address to the public on Monday night Boris Johnson insisted that members of the public stay at home, outlining only a handful of exceptions.

One such exception was that members of the public were still allowed to leave their house to travel to and from work, but only “where this is absolutely necessary and cannot be done from home”.

Last week the government announced the closure of schools to all pupils with the exceptions of children of “key workers”.

These key workers will continue to be allowed to attend work under lockdown rules, though should work from home if possible.

According to the government’s website, workers in “the oil, gas, electricity and water sectors” are classed as key workers.

This rule also applies to key staff working in civil nuclear, chemicals, and telecommunication too.

The government’s advice to workers who think they fall within these categories is to “confirm with their employer that, based on their business continuity arrangements, their specific role is necessary for the continuation of this essential public service.”

Although not clearly designated as key workers, the government has confirmed that builders and labourers are still allowed to work on building sites because it is not possible for them to work from home.

On Monday, the housing and communities minister, Robert Jenrick said that the advice for the construction industry was that “if you are working on site, you can continue to do so.”

This seemed to contradict an earlier announcement from the Prime Minister, which warned that people would only be allowed to travel to work if absolutely necessary.