Supermarkets, ministers and business leaders have urged the public not to panic to buy food and other essentials amid reports of empty shelves and self-related supply shortages. – saying pingdemia.
Richard Walker, managing director of the Icelandic channel, insisted there was “no problem with stock supply” and said panic buying was “just an option for those who can afford it and that often means others are missing out, “while the head of the British Retail Consortium said there was still” a lot of food in the country “.
Kwasi Kwarteng, the business secretary, made a similar appeal to shoppers not to panic over supermarket shortages despite retailers warning that the situation around the government’s Covid app alerts was “untenable.”
Complaints of empty shelves in some supermarkets have escalated in recent days, as a shortage of truck drivers is believed to put increased pressure on the country’s food supply chain. Trade disruptions caused by Brexit are also hampering overseas deliveries.
Petrol stations in some areas are also running low on fuel, with BP shutting down a “handful” of its UK sites due to a shortage of truck drivers and the closure of a distribution terminal after staff have been cut off. invited to isolate himself.
A spokesperson for Co-op said the supermarket was “running low on certain products” and had been “affected by uneven disruptions to our deliveries and store operations”, while a spokesperson for Sainsbury’s acknowledged that the retailer “might not always have the exact product that a customer is looking for”.
Photos reminiscent of the first lockdown when supermarket shelves were emptied by anxious shoppers have been shared on social media, but business leaders have urged the public to remain calm.
The managing director of the British Retail Consortium has warned that some grocery retailers will be forced to close stores due to the number of employees being asked to self-isolate.
Speaking to BBC Breakfast, Helen Dickinson said: “There will be a lot of small businesses where, if they only have one or two employees and they have to isolate themselves, then they have to shut down completely. “
But she added: “What is most important is that people don’t panic because there is no need to panic, because there is a lot of food in the country.”
Icelandic Mr Walker told BBC Radio 4’s Today program: “The dramatic images you have seen in the media are isolated and uncommon incidents.
“But the people who should be panicking are the government, and I think, you know, the sooner they sort out this mess and include retail workers and truck drivers on the key worker list, the better. “
Mr. Kwarteng replied, “He was right that buyers shouldn’t panic.
“I’m not sure what he meant that the government should panic, I’m not panicking.”
The rules regarding self-isolation following contact with an HIV-positive person are not expected to change until August 16.
A large number of businesses and industries have been affected by staff shortages in recent weeks.
Transport for London was forced to shut down the metro line on the underground network due to staff being asked to self-isolate by the app.
Restaurants, pubs and bars are also struggling with staff shortages.
Up to a fifth of workers in companies have to self-isolate after receiving a notification, and the number of people notified by the app in England and Wales recently exceeded 500,000 in a single week.
Auto giant Nissan has been hit at its Sunderland plant and a spokesperson for the British Meat Processors Association said some of its members have seen between 5 and 10% of their workforce “pingered” by the application.
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Source: www.independent.co.uk
This notice was published: 2021-07-22 09:49:33
