Britain fears labor shortages due to 'pingdemic'


The U.K. is facing a so-called "pingdemic" as hundreds of thousands of people are being told to self-isolate after being in close contact with someone who tested positive for COVID-19.
Between July 8 and July 15, over 600,000 people using the NHS' COVID-19 app received alerts telling them to self-isolate for up to 10 days, BBC News reports. Now, "the drastic reduction in staffing that has resulted has sown chaos through sectors as diverse as food supplies, haulage, supermarkets, hospitality, manufacturing and media," Reuters reports. According to Axios, the supermarket group Iceland said it had to close a number of stores because of staff shortages.
"We have a structural issue with [a shortage of] HGV drivers for a variety of different reasons, but of course the 'pingdemic' has made it even worse," Iceland managing director Richard Walker said, referencing the British term for truck drivers, per Axios. "We are starting to see some availability issues."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Amid reports of empty store shelves, a spokesperson for British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said that "we're aware of the impact on some industries and services and working closely with them particularly food and supermarkets," but that "we have a robust and resilient food supply chain," per BBC News. Johnson, who lifted COVID-19 restrictions on July 19, recently went into isolation himself due to a COVID-19 contact.
"If you are pinged, you should self-isolate," Business secretary Kwasi Kwarteng told BBC. "I know it poses challenges, and we are seeing reports of shortages which we are monitoring, but the rules are clear and I think they should be followed."
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.
-
Lies, damned lies, and statistics: what's gone wrong at the ONS?
Beleaguered government agency has been widely criticised for struggling to fix problems with data
By Jamie Timson, The Week UK Published
-
The fight for control of Ukraine's nuclear reactors
The Explainer How serious is Donald Trump about US ownership of Kyiv's nuclear power plants?
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
Quiz of The Week: 15 - 21 March
Have you been paying attention to The Week's news?
By The Week Staff Published
-
RFK Jr. offers alternative remedies as measles spreads
Speed Read Health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. makes unsupported claims about containing the spread as vaccine skepticism grows
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Texas outbreak brings 1st US measles death since 2015
Speed read The outbreak is concentrated in a 'close-knit, undervaccinated' Mennonite community in rural Gaines County
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Mystery illness spreading in Congo rapidly kills dozens
Speed Read The World Health Organization said 53 people have died in an outbreak that originated in a village where three children ate a bat carcass
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Ozempic can curb alcohol cravings, study finds
Speed read Weight loss drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy may also be helpful in limiting alcohol consumption
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
New form of H5N1 bird flu found in US dairy cows
Speed Read This new form of bird flu is different from the version that spread through herds in the last year
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Microplastics accumulating in human brains, study finds
Speed Read The amount of tiny plastic particles found in human brains increased dramatically from 2016 to 2024
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
FDA approves painkiller said to thwart addiction
Speed Read Suzetrigine, being sold as Journavx, is the first new pharmaceutical pain treatment approved by the FDA in 20 years
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Study finds possible alternative abortion pill
Speed Read An emergency contraception (morning-after) pill called Ella could be an alternative to mifepristone for abortions
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published