A pub chain has advised its staff to shut off the NHS Covid-19 app to prevent them having to isolate if they come into contact with someone who's tested positive.
Fuller's brewery, which operates more than 380 pubs across the UK, allegedly sent a text message telling workers to "pause or delete the app to avoid being pinged to isolate".
The Daily Mail reports the message goes on to remind employees that "there is no legal requirement to isolate", before adding: "If you are contacted by NHS Track and Trace you MUST by law comply and isolate."
However, the brewery said it was simply sharing guidance provided by its trade association UK Hospitality, reiterating notifications are only advisory.
A Fuller’s spokesman said: "We have shared guidance provided by our trade association, UK Hospitality, regarding the
NHS app and the confirmation that notifications are advisory only.
"This guidance also recommends that team members turn off contact tracing at work or when phones are in lockers. We have
not told anyone to delete the app."
It comes after more than 350,000 people were 'pinged' by the Covid app and told to isolate in just one week.
A total of 356,036 alerts were sent to users of the NHS Covid-19 app in England in the week to June 30, telling them they had been in close contact with someone who had tested positive for coronavirus.
This is up from 219,391 the previous week - a jump of 62% - and is the highest weekly figure since data was first published in January.
And the total looks set to soar, as double-jabbed contacts will only become exempt from self-isolation from the middle of next month.
Meanwhile, scores of fed up Brits continue to delete the app despite cases expected to soar after Freedom Day on July 19.
Many social media users have reported deleting the app to avoid notifications - with hospitality chiefs warning the ultra-strict rules are devastating businesses.
At Prime Minister's Questions last week Boris Johnson was repeatedly challenged about the expected rise in cases that will occur as restrictions are eased.
He was also warned the prospect of people trying to get around the rules is "entirely predictable".
Most of England's remaining lockdown measures will be lifted if the Government proceeds with Step 4 of the road map in just over a week, but changes to self-isolation rules will not come in until four weeks later.
With around 100,000 cases a day expected in the summer, that has led to warnings that millions of people will be "pinged" by the app or ordered to self-isolate by NHS Test and Trace if they have been in contact with someone who has Covid-19.
The Government now plans to "tweak" the app in an effort to ensure it doesn't completely fall by the wayside.
Kate Nicholls, chief executive of UK Hospitality, said last week: “Around a third of our staff are self isolating at any one time at the moment because they have been pinged...and that number is going to go up in the coming weeks.
“The economy is going to grind to a halt. It is overzealous and people are just starting to delete it.
"My timeline is full of people saying they have turned it off because their sister’s wedding is coming up and they don't want to miss it."
The Mirror has attempted to contact Fuller's for further comment.
