Environment Secretary George Eustice says absence levels in some companies reached 20% this week.

But the cabinet minister said that emergency measures to exempt food supply chain workers from coronavirus self-isolation rules will not be extended to other businesses.

On excluding other sectors such as hospitality Mr Eustice said he understood it was frustrating, but stressed the need to 'dampen the pace and velocity' at which the infection was spreading.

It comes after the Government announced moves to protect food stocks in the face of mounting warnings about the impact of the so-called 'pingdemic'.

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