Government monitoring ‘concerning’ supermarket shortages caused by ‘pingdemic’
Business secretary Kwasi Kwarteng has said he is “monitoring” the growing supermarket shortages caused by workers being forced to self-isolate as Covid cases surge.
Pictures of empty shelves circulated across social media last night, leading supermarkets to apologise for the Test and Trace-caused shortages.
More than 600,000 people have been told to self-isolate by the NHS Test and Trace app in the past week after being in close contact with a Covid case in what is being called a “pingdemic”.
“I know we are seeing shortages,” Kwarteng said.
“I’ve seen the pictures today. We are very concerned about some developments”.
Business groups yesterday urged Kwarteng to get a grip on the situation and to call for a more lenient Test and Trace system.
The Financial Times reports that representatives from more than a dozen groups were furious at the government for not changing its rules to stop hundreds of thousands of workers being forced to stay home.
Some are calling for automatic self-isolation to be scrapped in favour of a testing system, while others want double-jabbed people to be exempt from self-isolating sooner than the 16 August set by the government.
Andrew Opie, director of food and sustainability at the British Retail Consortium, told the FT that the government needs to “act fast”.
“Retail workers and suppliers, who have played a vital role throughout this pandemic, should be allowed to work provided they are double-vaccinated or can show a negative Covid test, to ensure there is no disruption to the public’s ability to get food and other goods,” he said.
Downing Street said earlier this week that exemptions to the Test and Trace system will be given to some businesses in vital sectors if they apply, however it is not clear what sectors are eligible.
A Number 10 spokesperson said businesses in the food and energy sectors may be allowed to get an exemption, but that it wants numbers to be kept at a minimum.
Business group leaders on the call with Kwarteng said the business secretary talked down the chances of many companies being allowed to sidestep self-isolating when pinged by the app.
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer called for more government clarity on exemptions, while accusing the Prime Minister of making up policy “on the hoof”.