INSIGHTS ARTICLE Covid employer guidance updates | November 2021 2 MIN READ +1 By Natalie Painter, Megan Berry 22nd November 2021 Updates to the red list The seven countries (Colombia, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Haiti, Panama, Peru and Venezuela) that were the last countries to be on the red list were removed from it on 1 November 2021. The red list system will remain in place to allow countries to be added back on it, if cases rise in the respective countries. In addition, the list of countries whose vaccines are recognised by the UK was expanded on the 1 and 22 November 2021, to include around 150 countries in total. HMRC publishes new guidance on making late and amended CJRS claims The CJRS closed on 30 September 2021 and employers were required to submit claims for September 2021 by 14 October 2021. Any amendments in respect of those claims had to be submitted on or before 28 October 2021. The new guidance provides that for claim periods from 1 November 2020, HMRC may accept late claims or amendments in certain circumstances. Although the guidance is largely similar to previous guidance it does make some changes: It requires employers to contact HMRC before submitting late or amended claims. It suggests that the same reasonable excuses will apply to amended claims as to late claims. Employers must take reasonable care to try to claim on time and make a claim as soon as their reasonable excuse no longer applies. Vaccines will be compulsory for NHS staff in England from April 2022 After the consultation on making the vaccination a condition of deployment in the health and wider social care sector ended on 22 October 2021, it has been announced that from April 2022, Covid-19 vaccines will be mandatory for frontline NHS staff in England. Covid-19 vaccines became mandatory for care home workers on 11 November 2021. Currently, the NHS has 93% of staff who have had the first dose and 90% who are fully vaccinated leaving around 103,000 NHS workers who remain unvaccinated. There will be exemptions in place for those who are unable to get vaccinated for medical reasons, and for those who do not have face-to-face contact with patients in their work. The government will implement the mandatory vaccination required by amending the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014 (SI 2014/2936). KEY CONTACTS Loading... SEE OUR TEAMS LEGAL REGULATION AND COMPLIANCE PRIVACY POLICY COOKIES MODERN SLAVERY ACT THE FIRM ABOUT CAREERS CONTACT US LATEST NEWS SITE INFO SITE MAP ACCESSIBILITY