NHS Covid app is causing chaos on factory production lines, union says

Unite said the issues was prevalent in the automotive sector. There are calls to bring forward the August 16 date, where the fully vaccinated will not have to self-isolate if they come into contact with someone with Covid-19.

Stephen Phipson, chief executive of manufacturing organisation Make UK, said: “This is a problem that has escalated significantly over the last week with more and more companies being affected by isolation, with not just an impact on production but a hit to actual shipments of goods going overseas. This is an increasingly serious issue affecting companies of all sizes and sectors.

“There is now an urgent priority for government to bring forward the August date given the likely impact of restrictions being lifted next week.”

The government has urged people to follow the guidance. A spokesman for the Prime Minister said: “We are seeing case numbers increase, and obviously as a result you would expect to see the numbers of people being notified to self-isolate increase also.”