The Department for Education has published a list of key workers who can continue to send their children to school during the general closures.

Key workers are those who are maintaining essential public services during the Covid-19 response.

Education Secretary Gavin Williamson wrote in a letter to the education sector: "Key workers are those who are maintaining essential public services during the Covid-19 response. The definition of key worker will be flexible and dependant on the circumstance and requirements over the course of this critical period.

"There will be flexibility shown on the definition of key workers to ensure all those who need support receive it. The list is not prescriptive."

The following broad categories are what would be defined as a key worker:

Health and Social Care - This includes doctors, nurses, midwives, paramedics, social workers, home carers and staff required to maintain our health and social care sector

Education and childcare - This includes nursery and teaching staff, social workers and those specialist education professionals who will remain active during the Covid-19 response

Public safety and national security - This includes civilians and officers in the police (including key contractors), Fire and Rescue Service, prison service and other national security roles

Transport - This will include those keeping air, water, road and rail transport modes operating during the Covid-19 response

Utilities and Communication - This includes staff needed for oil, gas, electricity and water (including sewage) and primary industry supplies, to continue during the Covid-19 response, as well as key staff in telecommunications, post and delivery, services and waste disposal

Food and other necessary goods - This includes those involved in food production, processing, distribution and sale, as well as those essential to the provision of other key goods (e.g hygiene, medical etc)

Other workers essential to delivering key public services. This includes those essential to the running of the justice system, religious staff, charities and workers delivering key frontline services, those responsible for the management of the deceased, and journalists and broadcasters who are providing public service broadcasting.

Key national and local government including those administrative occupations essential to the effective delivery of the Covid-19 response.

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