Pingdemic: UK supermarkets brace themselves for chaotic Freedom Day
Supermarkets warned they will shorten opening hours or close their shops amid a rising number of their workers having to self-isolate.
There are fears of goods shortages in supermarkets and cuts in production at factories because of the number of workers being pinged by the NHS Test and Trace app.
Last week, over 500,000 alerts were sent to users of the NHS Test and Trace app in England and Wales, a rise of 46 percent on the previous week.
Supermarket giant M&S said that the number of workers being notified by the NHS app is dramatically rising and may result in having to reduce opening hours.
Chief executive Steve Rowe stated that this is “a major issue across every industry at the moment.”
“Our Covid cases are roughly doubling every week and the pinging level is about three to one of Covid cases, so we’re seeing that growing exponentially,” he added.
Those who are fully vaccinated will not have to self-isolate from 16 August. If they are “pinged” by the NHS app when coming into contact with someone who has tested positive for Covid, they will be advised to take PCR test instead.
But there are concerns that the government need to act fast in order to get workers who have tested negative back to work.
President of the Confederation of British Industry Lord Karan Bilimoria, advocated for the end of the self-isolation period of 10 days for those who are fully vaccinated and “a route out of isolation for those not yet fully vaccinated through daily lateral flow tests”.
The rise in the self-isolation crisis is also affecting other sectors. Around 900 workers at Nissan’s Sunderland plant have been sent home after being told to self-isolate.
Also luxury automobile maker Rolls-Royce, said it may have to halve production if more employees are contacted by the Test and Trace app.
A spokesman who represents the steel-working and logitsics community stated that, “This is causing disruption in the industry, and reinforces the evidence government has been reckless in its approach to easing restrictions and should reconsider its approach.”
On Friday, the number of daily coronavirus cases reported in the UK surpassed 50,000 and documented 54,674 cases on Saturday alone.