Royal Mail is warning of disruption to deliveries in 12 postcodes across the UK after a wave of staff were forced to self-isolate.
Posties are the latest workers to be hit by the so-called “pingdemic” which has forced thousands of workers to stay home after being messaged by the NHS Test and Trace App.
Pub chain Greene King said it had to close 33 pubs last week due to staff being off, while Wetherspoon told Sky News it had "maybe a couple of hundred" employees that had to stay home.
Iceland and M&S bosses yesterday warned of store closures and reduced hours after members of staff had to self-isolate.
Posties that are being hit by disruption due to the “pingdemic” include those who work in locations from Bath to Blackpool, according to the Royal Mail website.
A notice reads: "Due to resourcing issues, associated self-isolation and safety measures, deliveries in some areas may be disrupted this week."
See the full list below to check if your town or city is affected.
A Royal Mail spokesperson told The Mirror: “The health and safety of our colleagues and our customers is our number one priority.
“In a limited number of areas, we are experiencing some disruption to service due to COVID related absences.
“In impacted areas, we are focused on providing as comprehensive a service as possible to our customers.”
Staff shortages are affecting the following areas and postcodes:
- Bath (BA1 and BA2)
- Blackpool (FY1 to FY6)
- Chorley (PR6)
- Debden (IG7, IG8, IG9, IG10)
- Enfield (EN1, EN2, EN3)
- Henley on Thames (RG9)
- Middleton (M24)
- Newton Abbot (TQ12, TQ13)
- Plympton (PL7)
- Rochdale (OL11, OL12, OL13, OL14, OL15, OL16)
- Southport (PR8)
- Worthing (BN11, BN12, BN13, BN14)
The disruption to Royal Mail deliveries comes as Brits are being warned not to fall for a new delivery scam text doing the round.
The con involves scammers texting people, claiming they’ve had a parcel returned to a Post Office branch or Royal Mail depot - but this message isn’t legitimate.
The text contains a link to a fake website that looks exactly like an official Post Office platform.
It then asks the victim to enter their personal details - including full name, address, date of birth and phone number - supposedly to identify their closest depot and reorganise the delivery.
But in reality, this is sent directly to the scammers, who might use this information to commit identity fraud or gain access to your bank accounts.
