Pingdemic chaos as petrol stations close, supermarkets run low on stock and pubs close early

THE pingdemic is wreaking havoc across the UK as petrol stations shut, supermarkets get increasingly low on stock and pub hours are cut short.

Hundreds of thousands of workers are off isolating after being pinged by the NHS COVID app, bringing businesses to their knees with staffing crises.

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Petrol stations are closing down as disruptions to supply chains causes a shortage in fuel at some branches.

Meanwhile, supermarkets have begged customers not to clear out aisles after alarming photos showed empty shelves.

Elsewhere, some hospitality businesses are closing temporarily while others are reducing operating hours to cater to the reduced staff.

Business leaders and trade bodies continue to call on the government to take action and change the sensitivity of the NHS app.

Environment Secretary George Eustice tried to downplay the disruptions on Thursday, saying: “The recent hot weather has increased demand for some items, like bottled water, and staff absences have increased but remain lower than seen earlier in the pandemic.”

However, Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng admitted that he is “very concerned” about food shortages.

Here we take a look at how services, shops and businesses have been affected.

Petrol station closures

BP said it had closed several sites temporarily due to shortages in fuel.

The fuel retailer said this has been caused by a lack of lorry drivers and the closure of a fuel distribution terminal as too many staff self-isolate – although it has now reopened.

It added that just a handful are being closed each day and the problems are sorted out within 24 hours.

But this also means that drivers should be aware that different stations could close unexpectedly day to day.

In a statement, BP said: “Our supply chain has been impacted primarily by the industry-wide driver shortages across the UK.

“We are working hard with our haulier supplier to deliver fuel into sites and minimise any disruption to our customers. We apologise for any inconvenience caused,” it added.

Shell told the Sun that it has yet to see any disruptions to its operations but they are monitoring the situation.

Supermarkets and shops

Iceland is the first supermarket that been forced to close several of its stores this week due to more than 1000 of its staff being told to self-isolate, amounting to around 4% of its workforce.

The supermarket’s boss Richard Walker said the cost-cutting store was hiring 2,000 temp workers plug the “exponential rise in pinging”. 

But he said dramatic pictures of bare shelves was not “widespread” – and it was the “Government who should be panicking” as the pingdemic rips.

Marks and Spencer also warned customers that if it sees staff shortages, it may have to change the opening hours of its stores.

Sainsbury’s said it was grappling with shortages and was scrambling to fix the issue.

Argos said its stores are operating as usual but their maybe low stock for some products.

The retailer said: “We are working hard to ensure customers can find what they need.

“While we might not always have the exact product a customer is looking for in every store, large quantities of products are being delivered to stores daily and our colleagues are focused on getting them onto the shelves as quickly as they can.”

Pubs and restaurants

Pub chain Wetherspoons also warned it had a couple of hundred staff off.

It has so far not had to close any sites but in a few cases, like the Golden Lion in Rochester, some have had to reduce operating hours.

Meanwhile, Greene King said it has had to close 33 pubs in the past week due to staff shortages while Young’s last week said 350 of its staff were self isolating due to COVID rules.

Up to 25% of staff at some businesses in the food and drink industry are self-isolating after being pinged by the NHS Test and Trace app, according to Ian Wright, chief executive of the Food and Drink Federation,

He told Sky News: “I think the situation is concerning and it’s up and down the supply chain.

“It’s not consistent across the country – there are some places where shops and factories are working perfectly normally and in other parts manufacturers are under extreme pressure to continue producing because they may have up to 25% of their staff off.

“This is partly as a result of structural labour shortages but increasingly the cause is pinging, and it’s getting worse, there is no question about that.”

Wright said the issue was posing a big problem to abattoirs, distribution and to service staff in the hospitality sector.

“As I say, these are not consistent in every part of the country, in every part of the supply chain, but where it’s happening, it’s bad.”

Waste collection services

Local councils across the country have announced that waste and rubbish collection services have been suspended or delayed, accordng to local media reports.

Many areas have seen disruptions to garden waste collections, including Liverpool, Solihull, Folkestone and Hythe, Copeland, Reading, Somerset and Bristol, which has suspended services until September.

Meanwhile, other disruptions include green and food waste collection services in West Berkshire, recycling services in Doncaster, and delays to general waste in Oxford.

An Local Government Association spokesperson, said: “Councils know how important waste and recycling is to their residents and have been working hard throughout the pandemic to keep these services running as best as possible.

“Local authorities and their contractors have a duty of care to their employees and must adhere to government guidelines on self-isolating when staff show symptoms of COVID-19 or are in close contact with someone who has tested positive.

“While most councils have been able to keep services running, many could possibly face difficult decisions and must prioritise services designed to protect the most vulnerable in their communities.”

Breakdown services and transport

The AA’s boss Jakob Pfaudler recently emailed customers to apologise to those who “may have had a longer wait than usual”.

He said the delays occurred because call centres had been “impacted by the recent surge in the Delta variant”.

On the weekend, transport networks including the London Underground, Northern Rail services and buses in East Yorkshire faced disruptions due to the pingdemic.

Meanwhile, Tim Morris, the chief executive of UK Major Ports Group, said a number of big port operators had reported 10% of their staff being work.

It comes as Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng also revealed that workers will find out today if they are exempt from self-isolating after being pinged.

Meanwhile, we take a look at the businesses which have had to close due to the pingdemic.

In just one week, more than 600,000 Brits were told to self-isolate by the NHS Covid-19 App, according to NHS figures. 

This post first appeared on thesun.co.uk