SANTANDER has had to shut 25 branches due to pingdemic staff shortages.

It comes as swathes of workers across the UK are isolating after being pinged by the NHS COVID app.

This has brought some businesses to their knees due to the staffing crisis.

Last week, supermarket shelves were empty, postal services were delayed and fuel stations had to close as the worst of the chaos took hold.

Now banks have revealed that their high street branches have also been affected.

Santander said around 20 to 25 branches are closing on a temporary basis.

The specific branches that are shut are changing day by day depending on when they are short of staff, the bank revealed.

Santander said those that have closed are reopening as quickly as possible but in the meantime the majority of services can be handled online or over the phone.

Its head office and call centre staff are working largely from home,meaning these service are not affected.

Barclays also told the Sun that both the Oxford Circus and Walthamstow Central branches closed for a few days due to a small number of Covid cases among the staff.

But the bank added that the pingdemic has not had a "significant impact" on its bank branches or opening hours.

Meanwhile, Metro Bank also reportedly admitted on Thursday that its operations had been affected by some staff self-isolating.

The bank told This is Money that the pingdemic was also causing a slowdown in customer activity in July.

The Sun has contacted Metro Bank, Barclays, Natwest, RBS, Lloyds Banking Group and HSBC for comment.

We explain if your boss can stop you travelling abroad for your holidays.

Elsewhere, we take a look at the businesses which have had to close due to the pingdemic.

In just one week, more than 600,000 Brits were told to self-isolate by the NHS Covid-19 App, according to NHS figures

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