Today is the last day of the Covid Pledge week of action. So let’s finish by summarising the five key reasons why it makes good economic sense for businesses to sign the Covid Pledge (covidpledge.uk) #CovidPledgeAction #CovidSafetyPledge (1/7) Reason 1: Making the workplace safer reduces staff absences and attracts employees at a time when the UK economy is suffering extreme staff shortages costing £30bn per year (peoplemanagement.co.uk/article/179348… ) #CovidPledgeAction #CovidSafetyPledge (2/7)

The notion that Covid ‘is all over’ and that we don’t need to do anything to make public spaces safer is only possible if one ignores the experience and the voices of those who are vulnerable to infection and whose lives remain heavily restricted #CovidSafetyPledge (1/10) Frances Ryan in @guardian: “Many people who are clinically vulnerable to dying from Covid are still at least semi-shielding at home, forced to miss going the pub w/friends or a simple trip to the shops, while the media & politicians look the other way” #CovidSafetyPledge (2/10)

Over the last few days we have stressed the importance of clean air. But there is another, equally crucial, element of the Covid Pledge: supporting people to stay home when ill. #covidpledgeaction #covidsafetypledge (1/10) When Johnson lifted support for self-isolation in February 2022, he was asked if people should stay home if sick. He replied yes, and he wished the British were ‘disciplined’ like the Germans and did so... #covidpledgeaction #covidsafetypledge (2/10)

For 3 days we've shown that the case for ventilation & safer environments is unanswerable. After 3 years of Covid, it’s clear that the Govt isn’t going to do anything. So here, for the Covid Pledge Week of Action, are 6 things we can do #CovidSafetyPledge #CovidPledgeAction (1/8) First, ask to see the managers of the businesses you visit regularly and ask them to sign up to the Covid pledge. Here is a leaflet explaining why it makes sense for them to do so: covidpledge.uk/s/clean-air-in… #CovidSafetyPledge #CovidPledgeAction (2/8)

Covid shows how good ventilation benefits employers, employees & customers alike. Yesterday we outlined the reasons. Today, let’s delve more deeply into one of the lesser known – & most compelling – reasons: stuffiness makes you stupid! #CovidPledgeAction #CovidSafetyPledge (1/9) First. Poor ventilation reduces how much you get done. A study in the journal Indoor Air (pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15330777/ ) concludes that it has been shown ‘beyond reasonable doubt’ that poor indoor air quality decreases productivity by as much as 9%! #CovidSafetyPledge (2/9).

The Covid Pledge Week of Action marks 3 years since the UK started responding to Covid. We still haven’t acted to make our environments safe – notably via good ventilation. This failure is inexcusable. We have to act now. Here is why. #CovidPledgeAction #CovidSafetyPledge (1/8) Ventilation is a health issue – implemented poorly it leads to increased transmission of the virus, to more infection and more Long Covid. All that when the NHS has a waiting list of over 7 million people and is cracking at the seams. #CovidPledgeAction #CovidSafetyPledge (2/8)

This week (March 20th-26th) is the Covid Pledge Week of Action. The Covid Pledge (see covidpledge.uk) is a commitment by employers to improve the safety of their premises for employees and customers #CovidPledgeAction #CovidSafetyPledge (1/7) In particular, it involves a commitment to assess Covid risks on their premises, where necessary to introduce protections (especially good ventilation) and to support staff in staying at home if infected #CovidPledgeAction #CovidSafetyPledge (2/7).