“Plingdemi” in England gives empty store shelves – VG

The UK’s public health service, the NHS, announced on Thursday that 618,903 alerts were sent out on the country’s infection stop app in England and Wales alone the week to 14 July. That’s a 17 percent increase from the week before, according to BBC.

That is, over 600,000 people, including Prime Minister Boris Johnson, have been asked to isolate themselves for ten days because, according to the infection tracking app, they have been close to someone who has tested positive for covid-19.

This has according to AP led to many empty store shelves in England on Thursday. This time it is not because of hoarding, but because very many workers who transport goods to the big chains have been affected by what the British call a “pingdemic”.

Employees at food stores except

On Thursday, it became clear that workers in the supermarkets’ food warehouses and in food production will be exempted from the call for isolation. They will instead be able to test themselves daily.

– If you get a ping, you should go in isolation. I know it presents challenges, and we see warnings of shortages that we follow. But the rules are clear and I think they should be followed, said Minister of Trade and Industry Kwasi Kwarteng BBC Thursday.

While it was initially expected that employees in 16 sectors such as health, transport and energy would be exempted, Minister of the Environment George Eustice says to Sky News Friday morning that only employees in the food supply chain will be exempt. Some key roles for finance and public services will be partially eased by the isolation guidelines.

He said he understood this was frustrating, but stressed the need to control the proliferation rate.

Expecting further increase

Johnson has warned that registered cases of infection could rise further this week, after England removed most coronary restrictions on Monday.

Also read: Here the British celebrate full reopening

In addition to supermarket chains such as Iceland, which is struggling with delivery, the kiosk chain Pret a Manger has closed 17 stores and the petrol station chain BP has closed several outlets due to a lack of petrol.

– Knows if the neighbor has corona

Telegraph wrote last week about anecdotal warnings that the app can also affect people who have never been in contact with infected people, because the bluetooth signal can be registered through walls.

According to the Ministry of Health and Johnson’s spokesperson Independent denied that this is a problem for many.

Many believe that the “pling demi” is only a result of the steep increase in registered infections in the UK after the spread of the delta variant.

According to the BBC, the app works so that it uses the Bluetooth function to determine if your mobile has been within two meters for at least 15 minutes with someone who later tests positive. Then you will be “pinged”.

This means that you are recommended, but not legally required, to go into isolation for ten days.

Vaccinated people are also notified of isolation, but this is waived on 16 August.

26,826,748 million Britons have downloaded the infection tracking app corresponding to the Norwegian Infectious Disease Control. A recent survey by YouGov suggests that around ten percent of these sites have deleted the app.

England and Wales have the NHS ‘Test and trace app, while Northern Ireland and Scotland have their own.

Wondering what separates quarantine and isolation? VG Explains:

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