Nearly 7,000 ‘pinged’ by test and trace in Sheffield in record week amid concerns of ‘pingdemic’

A record 6,757 alerts were sent through the app in the seven days to July 7, raising fears of a lockdown by stealth as businesses and transport being brought to a standstill by a ‘pingdemic’ next week.

The city saw a rise of more than a third compared to the previous week’s figure of 4,991, and was the seventh highest figure in the country.

There have been claims by some that they had been pinged without leaving their homes, with some suggested signals had passed through walls.