The domestic holiday industry was relying on this crucial summer season to make up for losses from the past year. But hotels, theatres and cafes are being forced to close due to staff shortages caused by the "pingdemic".
More than nine in 10 Brits would test positive for antibodies against Covid, according to the latest ONS data. But that hasn't stopped the NHS app 'pinging' a record 620,000 people in England and Wales in just one week.
The ability of the police to deal with crime is being stunted by the "pingdemic", with officials saying that response times are "under strain" due to staff shortages caused by self-isolation rules.
Supermarket chain Iceland is having to recruit 2,000 backup staff to stave off disruption caused by the "pingdemic" after the Government told businesses they "should not be encouraging to break isolation" rules.
There was likely a sigh of relief this morning when a minister said "it’s up to individuals and employers" whether to follow self-isolation rules after being 'pinged'. But the Government was quick to reject the claim.
Reports that the Government could lower the sensitivity of the NHS Covid app in weeks have been denied, with the Prime Minister's spokesman saying the scheme is "working as it is designed to".
When factoring in people 'pinged' by the Covid app alongside those contacted by Test and Trace and children in school 'bubbles', up to 1.6 million people in England were told to self-isolate in a single week.
More than half a million people in England alone were told to self-isolate last week after coming into contact with a person who tested positive for Covid. It's no wonder so many people are deleting the NHS Covid app.
19% of people have deleted the NHS Covid app, joining the 32% of people who never had it. If actions speak louder than words, is this the true level of opposition to restrictions?
Almost three million people have signed up to the NHS app since the addition of the "NHS Covid Pass" section, allowing users to show their vaccine status, as well as recent test results.
