The British Beer & Pub Association (BBPA) has welcomed news that, based on public health advice, changes will be made to the NHS app to reduce ‘pings’.
The trade association has revealed that as many as 1,000 pubs have been forced to temporarily close due to large numbers of their staff being pinged on the app and having to isolate.
Further analysisfound that, on average per week, being forced to close due to the ‘pingdemic’ costs a pub £9,500 in trade. For bigger venues it is much, much more. To date, it is thought the pingdemic has cost the pub sector £36 million in lost revenue.
Despite welcoming changes to the app, the BBPA said more support was still needed from government to boost the beer and pub sector as it starts its recovery. In line with the beer and pub sector’s Long Live The Local campaign, the BBPA is urging the government to invest in the sector through the reform of VAT, beer duty, and business rates which unfairly penalise pubs.
Emma McClarkin, chief executive of the BBPA, said: “We welcome any changes to the NHS app which reduce the severity of the pingdemic and prevent unnecessary isolation.”
