Couples getting married in the UK must self-isolate if they are pinged by the NHS Covid app, they have been told, even if it is on the morning of their wedding.
This would mean the ceremony would have to be cancelled, potentially incurring thousands of pounds in costs.
Questioned on London radio station LBC, home office minister Vicky Atkins acknowledged that it was a "terribly, terribly difficult scenario" but said the guidance is that couples "must stay at home".
The UK is in the grip of a so-called pingdemic, and last week a record 618,903 people in England and Wales were instructed to self-isolate by the NHS Covid app.
The spate of pings his being sparked by increasing Covid case numbers in the UK, with daily infections for more than a week now consistently topping 40,000.
A combination of the highly transmissible Delta variant and the easing of UK restrictions are proving to be a potent pairing for spreading the virus.
Restrictions pertaining to weddings were removed as part of Monday's Freedom Day in the UK, meaning the requirement to limit guest lists to no more than 30 people was abolished.
The wedding industry has been badly hit by the pandemic and its attendant restrictions.
Prospective spouses are not the only people to be affected by the pinging. Supermarkets expressed concern about supply chain shortages as a result of staff having to self-isolate, and many other retail and hospitality businesses are struggling to cope with absences.
The situation led to calls for the app to be either modified or scrapped. One leading epidemiologist believes it is no longer useful.
"People working in the NHS have been told to delete it ... I don't think the app saying someone might have passed [you] by in a supermarket is actually that useful any more," King's College's Prof Tim Spector told Sky News.
"Employers have got to use common sense in this. It seems to be overkill."
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who is isolating, has urged the public to continue to self-isolate if pinged but confirmed that from August 16 the system would change to contact testing and not contact isolation.
Profile
Company name: Jaib
Started: January 2018
Co-founders: Fouad Jeryes and Sinan Taifour
Based: Jordan
Sector: FinTech
Total transactions: over $800,000 since January, 2018
Investors in Jaib's mother company Alpha Apps: Aramex and 500 Startups
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
match info
Maratha Arabians 138-2
C Lynn 91*, A Lyth 20, B Laughlin 1-15
Team Abu Dhabi 114-3
L Wright 40*, L Malinga 0-13, M McClenaghan 1-17
Maratha Arabians won by 24 runs
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
The biog
Favourite colour: Brown
Favourite Movie: Resident Evil
Hobbies: Painting, Cooking, Imitating Voices
Favourite food: Pizza
Trivia: Was the voice of three characters in the Emirati animation, Shaabiyat Al Cartoon
Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
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End of free parking
- paid-for parking will be rolled across Abu Dhabi island on August 18
- drivers will have three working weeks leeway before fines are issued
- areas that are currently free to park - around Sheikh Zayed Bridge, Maqta Bridge, Mussaffah Bridge and the Corniche - will now require a ticket
- villa residents will need a permit to park outside their home. One vehicle is Dh800 and a second is Dh1,200.
- The penalty for failing to pay for a ticket after 10 minutes will be Dh200
- Parking on a patch of sand will incur a fine of Dh300
RESULTS
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F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
'Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore'
Rating: 3/5
Directed by: David Yates
Starring: Mads Mikkelson, Eddie Redmayne, Ezra Miller, Jude Law
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Analysis
Members of Syria's Alawite minority community face threat in their heartland after one of the deadliest days in country’s recent history. Read more
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
Developer: Treyarch, Raven Software
Publisher: Activision
Console: PlayStation 4 & 5, Windows, Xbox One & Series X/S
Rating: 3.5/5
BeIN Sports currently has the rights to show
- Champions League
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Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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United States
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China
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UAE
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Japan
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5
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Norway
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Canada
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Singapore
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Australia
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Saudi Arabia
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South Korea
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