Covid: What the 'ping' rule changes mean for small businesses

Woodbridge is a key town in the East Suffolk district, where three quarters of all business employ just four people or fewer

From Monday double-jabbed adults and unvaccinated under-18s will no longer have to self-isolate if they come into contact with someone with Covid-19. What do small business owners make of the changes?

The town of Woodbridge is home to about 8,000 people.

It is a key town in the East Suffolk district, where three quarters of all business employ just four people or fewer.

The small businesses here say the impact of staff having to self-isolate after coming into contact with somebody with Covid has made staying open a stressful struggle.

In recent months, millions of people across the country have been "pinged" by the NHS Covid-19 app telling them to self-isolate because they have been in contact with somebody who has tested positive.

In the week up to 21 July, a record 689,313 people were "pinged" and the phenomenon was even dubbed the "pingdemic".

Until this week, those "pinged" were advised - but not legally obliged - to self-isolate for 10 days.

Instead, they are now advised to take a PCR test - but this is not compulsory.

'It has been very, very stressful'

Emma Cole, who owns The Boathouse, says losing staff through self-isolation coupled with guest cancellations has been difficult

Emma Cole owns The Boathouse restaurant.

"Cancellations have been really bad with people having to ring up at the last minute become someone in their party has been pinged," she says.

She hopes the change in guidance will put an end to that, and reduce staffing pressures.

"As a business owner, it will make quite a lot of difference," she says.

"It has been very, very stressful when you lose staff [who have been pinged]. That has a knock-on effect and you really feel the pressure and there's a financial effect, too - when people cancel you are losing money.

"Stress and shortage of staff, especially in the kitchen, has been really hard."

'I had to isolate at home for 10 days'

Travel agent Lee Hunt says getting "pinged" was a "bit of a disaster" for his business

Lee Hunt, owner of Deben Travel in the town, has first-hand experience of being "pinged".

"It was a bit of a disaster," he says. "My two children tested positive for Covid in the last week of high school so I had to isolate at home for 10 days.

"So not only from my perspective was that difficult, but from a business one, too, it was very challenging.

"The travel industry is really struggling anyway, so when I was pinged and we were running on just one person a day, we were having to close early, open late, do half days and there's a good chance we lost bookings and business because of that."

He is also pleased at the change in guidance.

"For us this is definitely a step in the right direction," he says.

"We are only working on two staff members at the moment so it gives me confidence that we are not going to need to unexpectedly take time off and we can roster, and it is good for those on the high street, too, and hopefully it will increase footfall."

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'I'm nervously excited about getting back to normal'

Rebecca Brooker says most independent shops have taken a cautious approach to trading

Rebecca Brooker owns the interior design company, Little White Box, and says the rule changes are "great".

"It means businesses can get to normal and it means deliveries can flow better and we can get stock more easily," she says.

"But I'd say I'm slightly anxious, too. We have half of our staff who have only just been vaccinated or are waiting for the second vaccines.

"I would have preferred it if we had carried on wearing masks, and we are currently [wearing masks] in our store."

She says most independent shops have taken a cautious approach to trading.

"We're not blessed with having thousands of staff that we can rely on.

"We are small teams and some independents might only have one member of staff so if they are pinged then that they have to close. Fortunately, we've been not been affected too badly and only I have had to self-isolate recently.

"I know that others businesses have been affected worse than we have.

"I'm nervously excited about getting back to normal."

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Photography by Jamie Niblock