UK ‘pingdemic’ raises fears of food shortages

Supply chains are heavily disrupted with hundreds of thousands of workers in self-isolation as COVID cases surge.

Britain’s supermarkets, wholesalers and hauliers are struggling to ensure stable food and fuel supplies after an official health app told hundreds of thousands of workers to isolate themselves after contact with someone with COVID-19. On Thursday, newspapers carried front-page pictures of empty shelves in supermarkets, while shoppers also took to social media to highlight shortages of certain products in stores across the country. The Reuters news agency reported food items were widely available in shops in the capital, London, although there were some shortages of bottled water, soft drinks and some salad and meat products. The United Kingdom’s second-largest supermarket group Sainsbury’s said customers would generally be able to find the products they want, though perhaps not every brand.