United Kingdom Departments have been told they can end COVID-19 social-distancing measures in an effort to get more Public Servants back into offices.
Chief Operating Officer, Alex Chisholm wrote to senior officials across Government saying changes to the safety guidance could mean a “substantial increase in capacity” for Ministries and Agencies in England.
“In most cases, the clarifications to guidance should support you to remove some or all of the measures associated with social distancing that have remained in place in some offices from the early COVID phases,” Mr Chisholm (pictured) said.
“Depending on your risk assessments and the other mitigations you have in place, such as good ventilation, this could result in a substantial increase in capacity of the Government estates and support increased levels of office-based attendance,” he said.
The email was sent after Government COVID-19 safety guidance for employers in England was updated to indicate a definitive move away from social distancing as Ministers encouraged Public Servants to head back into their offices.
The update encourages employers to focus their efforts on measures such as cleaning and ventilation to reduce the risk of the virus spreading, rather than keeping people physically separate.
The advice on ventilation aligns with the Government’s campaign, launched at the beginning of the month, to “stop COVID-19 hanging around” by preventing the build-up of particles in the air.
“The more fresh air that is brought inside, the more diluted any airborne virus will become,” the safety guidance read.
Commenting on Mr Chisholm’s email, a Cabinet Office spokesperson said that since the summer, there had been a gradual increase in the numbers of staff in the workplace.
“To support this, Government Departments have been advised to carry out risk assessments to ensure COVID restrictions are eased safely and that, where needed, measures such as ensuring offices are well ventilated are in place,” the spokesperson said.
London, 20 November 2021
