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KEY workers whose children will be allowed back to school as they play a crucial role in Britain's fight against coronavirus have been named by the Government. 

The working heroes include nurses, police officers and delivery drivers and their children will be exempt from the decision to close classrooms from Monday to stop the spread of the deadly bug.

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Boris Johnson said 'key workers' will be crucial in the fight against coronavirus
Boris Johnson said 'key workers' will be crucial in the fight against coronavirusCredit: Getty Images - Getty
Schools will be closed across the country from Friday night
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Schools will be closed across the country from Friday nightCredit: Getty - Contributor

A No10 source confirmed to The Sun Online only one parent needs to be eligible for kids to be allowed back to class.

The Government today named nine sectors "critical to the COVID-19 response" - Health and social care; Education and childcare; Key public services; Local and national government; Food and necessary goods; Public safety and national security; Transport and Utilities, communication and financial services.

Families have been urged not to leave their children with grandparents aged over 70 in order to protect the elderly, who are most at risk from the deadly bug.

Education Secretary Gavin Williamson said: "We still need to have our critical infrastructure that continues to work and function."

Click to see the full list of workers.

WHO ARE THE KEY WORKERS?

It comes as:

The Government has today laid out a detailed list of people defined as 'key workers'.

Health and Social Care

This includes doctors, nurses, midwives, paramedics, social workers and care workers.

It also means other frontline staff such as support staff, producers and distributers of medicines and medical equipment.

Education and Childcare

Includes nursery and teaching staff, social workers and special education professionals.

Key Public Services

Includes courts staff, religious staff, undertakers and people in charities delivering key frontline services.

Journalists and broadcasters are also on the list because of the crucial service they provide in keeping the public informed.

Local and National Government

Government staff who are essential to the response to COVID-19 or delivering essential public services such as the payment of benefits.

Food and Other Goods

Those involved in food production, processing, distribution, sale and delivery as well as those essential to the provision of other key goods (such as hygiene and veterinary medicines)

Public Safety and National Security

Includes police and support staff, Ministry of Defence staff and the armed forces.

Firefighters, National Crime Agency staff and border security, prison and probation workers are also included

Transport

Those who keep air, water, road and rail services operating.

Utilities, Communication and Financial Services

Staff needed for essential financial services, IT and data which are needed to continue during the coronavirus response.

Infrastructure workers who maintain oil, gas, electricity and water supplies are also included.

This also features key staff in the civil nuclear, chemicals, telecommunications, postal services and delivery, payments providers and waste disposal sectors.

Workers are advised to check with their employer if they are included.

NHS staff are among the 'key workers'
NHS staff are among the 'key workers'Credit: SnapperSK
Staff in Britain's under-siege supermarkets are also on the list
Staff in Britain's under-siege supermarkets are also on the listCredit: Getty Images - Getty

'12 WEEKS TO BEAT DEADLY VIRUS'

The announcement as Boris Johnson spells out his warplan to beat coronavirus.

Yesterday, Britain's death toll rose to 144 with a total of 3,269 confirmed cases.

Boris told the nation he is "absolutely confident that we can send coronavirus packing in this country" and the tide can be turned within three months.

He said: "I'm conscious as the days have gone by that people will want to know how long we're expecting them to keep it up.

"I think, looking at it all, that we can turn the tide within the next 12 weeks and I'm absolutely confident that we can send coronavirus packing in this country.

"But only if we all take the steps that we've outlined, that is vital, that's how we're going to reduce the peak and once we've achieved that and I think that we will, if we take the steps I've said, then the scientific progress that we've been making will really start coming into play."

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Boris added British experts expect to start trials for a vaccine against Covid-19 within a month, although expectations are that a vaccine will take at least a year.

He said: "To give you an idea of what is coming down the track, we're in negotiations today to buy a so-called antibody test, as simple as a pregnancy test, which can tell whether you have had the disease and it's early days, but if it works as its proponents claim, then we will buy literally hundreds of thousands of these kits as soon as practicable."

It comes as the Queen issued a rallying cry telling Brits to pull their weight in the fight against COVID-19 and avoid the pub and panic buying.

She said: "I am certain we are up to the challenge.

"Our history has been forged by people and communities coming together to work as one."

The Monarch is currently self-isolating in Windsor Castle having cancelled public events in Cheshire and Camden.

Her message to protect the most vulnerable comes as supermarkets were put under immense strain amid panic-buying Brits.

Shoppers have been pictured brawling over toilet paper and booze after fears the UK could be put under lockdown.

Boris Johnson says UK 'can send coronavirus packing' if we all take steps over next 12 weeks
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