CHANGES to the rules have been announced by the Government around food workers having to quarantine amid staff shortages.

Workers in supermarkets and food manufacturers will be exempt from quarantine rules as the government tries to prevent food supply problems across England.

10,000 staff are expected to qualify for this scheme, but supermarket workers will not be edible at this time.

The move comes after the high number of retail staff self-isolating affected the availability of some products.

The new contact testing measures were brought out on July 23 at 15 supermarket depots.

These will be followed by 150 depots in the following week, but they will not apply to supermarket store staff.

It will mean workers who are alerted by the app or contacted by NHS Test and Trace will be able to continue working if they test negative, whether or not they are vaccinated.

The scheme will run from now until August 16.

Manufactures and businesses in Barrow have been affected by loss of staff in the industry, with some needing to change their suppliers due to their staff shortages.

David Vandome, manager of Braklon Limited, a well-established Butchers company in Barrow, said: “I’m pleased to hear the rules are changing.

“There have been some difficulties for me to get hold of some supplies but it’s too early to tell at the moment if the new rules will change that for businesses.

“I hope it does.

“It's understandable how this might happen in the food industry as everyone is working very closely together and, in the environment, they work in it's a difficult one.

"It's affected us all so we welcome some progress."

Janette from the Pastures New health food shop located on Scott Street said: "The government seem to be approaching this from the disease management model rather than the health management model.

"We haven't been as affected by the track and trace, after all as are a health food shop we do like to keep healthy.

"After all we were once told the track and trace app wasn't fit for purpose by the people who made it.

"We are glad to see some progress with the rules but it would go along a lot faster if they asked people to focus on their own personal health and diets which can help stand up against viruses like this one."

"There’s so much flawed information and misinformation about it, and there's no point of view given about personal health."