In the week leading up to 21st July, nearly 700,000 people were ‘pinged’ by the NHS Covid Tracing App meaning they needed to isolate for 10 days.
This has led to huge staff shortages in areas such as retail, with businesses like Iceland recruiting up to 2,000 extra staff to cover absences to prevent closure of some of their stores. This in turn has led to some businesses advising employees to delete the app so they cannot be told to isolate.
To try and reduce the amount of people isolating and keep the economy running smoothly, the Department of Health has now tweaked the Track and Trace system. You will now only get ‘pinged’ if you came into contact with someone two days before they tested positive for Covid, rather than the previous five. The Government insist this still allows those most at risk to be protected, whilst creating less disruption to people and businesses.
Even though we are seeing a slow decline in the number of Covid cases reported, 1 in 3 people who are advised to isolate do go on to get the virus. From the 16th August people who are fully vaccinated will no longer have to isolate if they come into contact with someone who tests positive, so this may bring some relief to business owners.
However if you still find you have a short term need for support due to the ‘pingdemic’, ResourceBank Flex can help. We can dedicate a team of recruiters to source the talent you need on your behalf, enabling you to concentrate on keeping your business running.
