Workers in supermarket distribution depots and food manufacturing plants will be exempt from Covid isolation rules as the government tries to prevent further disruption that has led to empty shelves in some stores around the UK.
The government said specific workers, regardless of vaccination status, could do daily Covid testing instead of isolating. However, the new rules for a list of key industries do not apply to supermarket shop staff, raising concerns that stores will continue to struggle to maintain product availability.
Retailers including Iceland and M&S have already warned that they have been forced to change opening hours and close some stores due to staff being told to self-isolate from the NHS test & trace app. Meanwhile, Sainsbury’s said yesterday that customers may not be able to find the exact product they want due to availability issues across the industry.
Environment Secretary George Eustice said the government had identified about 500 “key strategically important” sites in the food supply chain, including supermarket depots and some large manufacturing facilities.
He told the BBC that shop staff had been excluded from the scheme because their inclusion would have been a “really significant undertaking”.
“You’re talking then thousands of different shops and many more people and we still want to maintain the test, trace and isolate system.”
However, he stressed that the government would keep the policy “under review”, adding: “We’re never going to take risks with our food supply chain”.
Over 600,000 people were told to self-isolate by the NHS Covid app between 8 and 15 July in England and Wales, causing staff shortages in various sectors.
Retailers have played down fears of food shortages, saying the problems weren’t widespread and customers should not be ‘panic buying’.
Helen Dickinson, Chief Executive of the British Retail Consortium, said “disruption is limited at the moment”, but stressed that it was vital the government rolled out the isolation exemption scheme as fast as possible and was prepared to take further action if necessary.
However, Richard Walker, MD of Iceland Foods, said that including only processing and distribution roles was “idiotic”.
“You cannot do one half of the chain but not the other … we’ll end up with fully stocked stores but too few people to run them.”
Another supermarket executive quoted by the FT described the approach as “half-cocked” and said the government was “not hearing what we’re saying”.
“It’s called a supply chain for a reason – it’s only as strong as its weakest link,” they said. “The success of keeping the nation fed last year was that every link in the chain was protected, not just one.”
NAM Implications:
- Environment Secretary said that shop staff had been excluded from the scheme because their inclusion would have been a “really significant undertaking”…..
- “…and we still want to maintain the test, trace and isolate system.”
- A little more shopkeeping experience required at government level.
- i.e. anticipate fully stocked shops with no one to run them…
