As of 4th May 2020, the Government has included unpaid carers in its latest list of essential workers and those prioritised for Covid-19 testing in England.
Commenting, Helen Walker, Chief Executive of Carers UK, said:
“We’re very pleased the Government has listened to unpaid carers’ concerns about getting access to testing, and have now made them a priority group. When we surveyed carers during lockdown many of them said they didn’t feel recognised in the pandemic, so including them in the priority group for testing of Covid-19 gives them some of the recognition they’ve been asking for.
“Being able to take a test will relieve a lot of worry for some unpaid carers who need to move in and out of their homes to carry out their caring responsibilities and work. They want the option to test for Covid-19 so they can ensure their families are as safe as possible. We need to see robust roll out and delivery so that carers are able to get tested if they need it.”