‘It’s difficult to deal with’: Tom Kerridge facing staff shortages and forced to close one of his businesses amid Covid-19 test and trace ‘pingdemic’

Tom Kerridge has described his struggles with staff shortages at his venues as employees have been pinged by the NHS Test and Trace app.

The number of people being instructed to isolate after being in close contact with a confirmed Covid-19 case is increasing as infections rise in the country.

The number contacted via the app passed 500,000 for the first time this week and millions are projected to be effected this summer, in a phenomenon that has been dubbed the ‘pingdemic’.

Appearing on Tuesday’s Good Morning Britain, the chef said he had had a ‘difficult’ time trying to manage his spaces, with one having to remain closed.

He told hosts Susanna Reid and Ben Shephard: ‘One of our businesses sadly has to stay shut at the minute.

‘We got it open, but then like so many people up and down the country we’re suffering from staff shortages or staff shortages that have been put in place by people getting pinged or testing positive for coronavirus.

Like many businesses, Tom has been dealing with staff shortages (Picture: ITV)

‘We’ve had to shut one of our spaces which is very difficult but there’s so many businesses and so many places that are having to do the same thing.

‘Hospitality is always at the forefront, it feels, of getting hammered but it affects so many different people, so many different businesses, it’s very difficult to deal with at the minute.

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‘It is one of situations that we’re all trying to deal with and understand and get on with.’

He also weighed in on the announcement that you will need proof you have been vaccinated against Covid-19 to get into nightclubs and other venues with large crowds from September, saying it was ‘a bit discriminatory’.

Tom added that it could be beneficial if it encouraged people to be vaccinated however ‘it shouldn’t be on hospitality to enforce it’.

Good Morning Britain airs weekdays from 6am on ITV.

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