The 'pingdemic' is now set to ruin staycations for thousands of families just 48 hours before the school holidays start, a holiday lettings boss warned today – as one in five parents said they would be prepared to take their children out of the classroom to avoid ruining summer
Kate Allen, owner of the luxury holiday lettings business Salcombe Finest, warned that with coastal hospitality businesses making up to 80% of their annual turnover in the next six week, failing to abolish the app would be a death blow to the industry.
Hospitality businesses are being hammered both by a shortage of staff caused by them getting pinged by the NHS Covid app or contacted by Test & Trace, as well as cancellations from customers.
It comes as increasing numbers of parents are planning to pull their children out of school early to reduce the risk of having to cancel their plans, with 20% not not ruling out removing their children from school before the school break to ensure they did not catch Covid or be asked to self-isolate.
Kate Allen, owner of the luxury holiday lettings business Salcombe Finest, warned that the 'pingdemic' risks ruining staycations. Pictured is Salcombe's high street
It comes as increasing numbers of parents are planning to pull their children out of school early to reduce the risk of having to cancel their summer holidays
Headteachers have urged parents to ensure their children still attend if they are not ill or self-isolating despite accepting holidays were important after a 'torrid year'.
Ms Allen - whose business operates a range of luxury holiday homes in Salcombe - described the effects of widespread isolation demands from the NHS Covid app as 'frankly ludicrous'.
'It's no surprise the app is being deleted in the hospitality industry faster than a U2 album on iTunes,' she said.
Hospitality businesses are being hammered both by a shortage of staff caused by them getting pinged by the NHS Covid app
'Coastal hospitality businesses make between 70% and 80% of their annual turnover in the next six weeks during the school holidays. If the app isn't abolished right now, our window of opportunity will be gone.'
An estimated 1.7million people across the country are currently self-isolating after being 'pinged' by the app or contacted by NHS Test and Trace. It is only a legal requirement to isolate if you are contacted, and not if you are pinged.
The survey app Parent Ping asked its users if they would consider taking their children out of school early to avoid being asked to self-isolate by the Covid app or contacted by NHS Test & Trace.
The app, which surveys thousands of parents each day, found 20% would not not ruling out removing their children from school before the summer break to ensure they did not catch Covid or be asked to self-isolate.
Some 1% of parents said they would ‘definitely’ take their children out of school early, 5% said ‘maybe’ and 15% said they probably would not do so but weren’t sure.
The Clubhouse at the Golden Gate holiday centre in Towyn, Conwy said on social media that its clubhouse would have to shut after several staff were contacted by NHS Test & Trace
A teacher and pupils wear face masks at a school in London in March this year (file picture)
Geoff Barton (left), general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, and Justine Roberts (right), the chief executive of Mumsnet, have spoken about the situation
Geoff Barton, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, described the situation as a 'grim end to a highly-disrupted academic year'.
Mr Barton told MailOnline: 'We are concerned about parents keeping children at home over the last days of the summer term to avoid the risk of them being asked to self-isolate and this interfering with family holidays.
'We are not casting blame on parents because we understand the importance of holidays after such a torrid year but we would encourage attendance where children are not ill or self-isolating.
