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Call to All Governments

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Call to All Governments: Ensuring Tech Worker Access To Facilitate Response

As more state, local, and national governments issue shelter-in place orders in reaction to COVID-19, ITI is calling on policymakers globally to adopt clear and consistent guidance regarding essential workers, including information and communications technology (ICT) workers, for the purpose of aiding governments around the globe working to protect public health and safety during the pandemic. More than 25 associations representing the tech, communications, and business communities from around the world have joined ITI’s call.

Workers across the ICT sector are critical to the delivery of digital services and related infrastructure in support of the public health response. Specifically, these workers are aiding health care systems and providers; allowing employees and businesses to operate remotely; securing and servicing networks, data centers and cloud services; enabling e-commerce and the delivery of food, medicine, and other necessities; keeping students engaged and learning; manufacturing technology products and components from microprocessors to supercomputers; and otherwise enabling governments to respond to this global health crisis.

Ensuring that these essential employees can continue to work during this time is vital. However, inconsistent guidance from different jurisdictions who implement lockdowns, shelter-in-place orders or other restrictions on personal movement could jeopardize their ability to provide the products and services that people need during this challenging time.

Governments at all levels must act now to ensure ICT workers can continue to aid in the response effort without delay.

Read the full statement below, or download here.