An emergency plan to tackle the pingdemic's impact on the UK’s food supply network has been an 'absolute disaster' and has done ‘more harm than good’, industry bosses have today warned.
Food industry leaders claim they are yet to receive further details from the Government about which workers will be allowed to skip isolation rules if they are 'pinged' by the NHS Covid-19 app.
They also say hundreds of businesses who are to be allowed to take part in the scheme have not yet been briefed on the full details.
It comes after the Government bowed to growing pressure from the industry earlier this week to allow a key-worker exemption for food supply chain workers from Monday.
Instead of being forced straight into isolation, food supply chain workers and other key workers will instead be allowed to take part in daily testing if they receive a 'ping'.
The move came after it was revealed how more than a million adults across the UK have been forced into isolation in the last week - 600,000 of which have been 'pinged'.
The sheer number of workers being forced into isolation - even if they never end up having Covid - has sparked fears of a disruption to the food supply chain and empty supermarket shelves.
But plans by ministers to fix the issue have today come under fire by industry leaders, who have criticised the Government over a 'lack of communication'.
James Bielby, of the Federation of Wholesale Distribution (FWD), which supplies food to outlets other than supermarkets, told the Observer that the industry still had no idea who is on the list of exempted groups.
He also said that of the 500 businesses supposedly included, only 3 per cent had actually been notified.
Mr Bielby told the paper: 'It's total chaos. There are 15 businesses who were part of the initial run through [of the scheme] on Friday, but there's supposed to be 500 businesses in total, it's entirely opaque.
The Government's emergency plan to tackle the pingdemic's impact on the food supply industry has been an 'absolute disaster' and has done more harm than good, industry bosses have today claimed. Pictured: A shopper walks past a row of empty shelves in ASDA Cardiff on Friday)
Food industry leaders claim they are yet to receive further details about which workers will be allowed to skip isolation rules if they are 'pinged' by the NHS Covid-App. Pictured: Empty soft drinks shelves in Tesco in Cardiff on Friday
It comes after the Government bowed to growing pressure from the industry earlier this week to allow a key-worker exemption for food supply chain workers. Pictured: Empty shelves in Sainsbury's Cardiff on Friday
Meanwhile, Shane Brennan, chief executive of the Cold Chain Federation, the organisation representing companies that move frozen and chilled foods, said: 'Several days after the prime minister told us the food supply chain was critical and would be exempt, we still don't have a definitive list of who will be exempt and what is required of them.
James Bielby, of the Federation of Wholesale Distribution (FWD), which supplies food to outlets other than supermarkets, told the Observer that the industry still had no idea who was actually on the list of exempted groups
'Businesses are fighting to keep food on shelves, and I regret that despite the best intentions in some places, government has done more harm than good.'
It comes as frontline workers paralysed by Pingdemic chaos will get access to 200 new testing sites from Monday.
The Government on Saturday said in a statement that an expected initial extra 200 testing sites would be opened so that daily contact testing could be 'rolled out to further critical workplaces in England'.
But it came as it was claimed the system causing the problem could not be stopped - because there is not enough testing capacity to allow the 'test and release' method to take over.
The chaotic situation sparked harsh words from some sectors over the lack of clarity from the authorities.
Nick Allen, chief executive of the British Meat Processors Association, added: 'We desperately need this detail and need it quickly.
'The last we heard, communication could be coming on Monday, so we have a long weekend to get through yet. We need a sense of urgency here.'
Some 200 new test centres are going to be set up throughout the country to try and stem the chaos caused by the pindemic
Freedom day has prompted an extraordinary onslaught of pings to people following the coronavirus rules still left
Richard Harrow, chief executive of the Frozen Food Federation, said: 'The Government announcement last night that parts of the supply chain will be allowed to test and release workers that are pinged by Track and Trace only goes part of the way.
'It shows that yet again Government does not understand how connected the food supply chain is.
Only opening part is unlikely to solve the overall issue. Plus, who is in and who is out, who decides and how do they decide?
'Confusion continues to pervade and I have been advised no list until Monday. This is worse than useless.'
Cornwall Airport Newquay said it was being 'very much affected' by staff shortages due to isolation orders and its boss was not optimistic over discussions over exemptions with the Department for Transport.
Managing director Peter Downes told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: 'We've been told to expect exemptions in very small numbers of people, in ones and twos, rather than large numbers of staff.
Empty shelves in Asda as Britain was caught in a perfect storm of staff shortages and a lack of lorry drivers
Empty shelves and signs on the soft drinks aisle of a Sainsbury's store in Blackheath, Rowley Regis. Bosses asked customers to 'bear with us' blaming 'high demand'
'When we have between a quarter and a third in some cases of individual teams being pinged by the system in one go, and as soon as you get people back you're often losing others to fresh notifications, we don't believe that the scheme is going to cater for that.'
One industry not to feature in the exemptions list was hospitality, with its trade association warning the sector will have 'one hand
