Microsoft Azure Issues Impacts COVID-19 Updates

An issue with Microsoft Azure has impacted the UK’s Public Health England (PHE), interfering with its ability to update the notification dashboard.

The PHE notified individuals via Twitter that it was experiencing an issue.

According to PA Media, Microsoft quickly confirmed the issue was a result of a cooling failure in its UK South data center. As a result, “Storage, Networking and Virtual Compute resources have been shut down as part of our automated processes to preserve the equipment and prevent damage.”

Companies and organizations have migrated to the cloud in record numbers in the wake of the pandemic. This latest issue, however, demonstrates the challenges involved in maintaining access and uptime when relying on outside companies for mission-critical infrastructure.