AN INDEPENDENT shop and garage in a north Herefordshire village is starting to be affected by the "pingdemic", as supply chains are disrupted by staff being told to self-isolate by the NHS Covid-19 app.

Griffiths Garage, in Leintwardine's High Street, said its delivery schedules were "severely disrupted" but it was still getting stock in – even if "a little randomly at times".

Bosses took to social media on Thursday evening to share an update about stock, saying it was expecting disruption of certain chilled lines, mainly yoghurts and butters over the next week or so.

"Our frozen lines are being rationalised into core products to ensure availability of frozen staples like your peas, vegetables, fish and pizzas," the Facebook post said.

"You can expect to see some of the quirkier frozen items (why do we stock frozen macaroons?) take a break from our shelves for a time, this shouldn’t last for more than a month. 

"Supplies of fresh produce are sporadic but our main supply is being supplemented from elsewhere and levels are quite good."

Hereford Times: A notification from the NHS Covid-19 app. Picture: PA Wire A notification from the NHS Covid-19 app. Picture: PA Wire

Griffiths Garage said the hot weather had disrupted supply of some lines which "don’t do so well in the heat", adding there was "apparently a truck full of slushy Carrot Cake floating about somewhere".

But unlike at the start of the coronavirus pandemic in March 2020 when shops ran low on stocks of toilet roll, the shop said it had a "simply huge" backstock.

"There’s good stock levels otherwise generally across the store with limited disruption of multipack alcohol and price marked packs," it said.

"Excellent stocks of household staples, we take a bread delivery from our awesome local baker six days a week, three from Warburtons who are maintaining supplies and it’s worth remembering that we carry locally supplied butters and yoghurts as well as the big brands, while you might not get your usual, you’ll find something and it might be the beginning of something beautiful.

"Fuel prices are unfortunately quite stable, although wholesale prices fell briefly this week they’ve since rebounded.

"Our price remains one of the tightest in the district but keep your fingers crossed for a fall."

Pictures of empty shelves at supermarkets had been widely shared on social media amid warnings of a "pingdemic" caused by NHS Covid-19 app self-isolation notifications.

On Thursday, the Government announced plans to allow firms in sectors including transport, energy, local councils and digital infrastructure to deploy the daily testing of workers as an alternative to self-isolation.