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The new UK government advice for people to “stay alert” rather than “stay home” has been criticized for not being clear if the shutdown is over, and Nicola Sturgeon said Scotland would keep the original message in this critical point of the epidemic. .
The government informed the media of the latest “stay alert” message overnight, before Boris Johnson’s speech Sunday at 7 p.m. on reducing the blockade, but Sturgeon, Scotland’s prime minister, said the slogan had not been released to him.
Labor also said that the new “stay alert” message risked people thinking that the shutdown was over, and that people had already flocked to parks, beaches and street parties during the warm holiday weekend.
Johnson is expected to reveal a cautious path to ease the restrictions in a speech, starting with unlimited exercise and the reopening of garden centers this week.
Speaking to Sky News, Robert Jenrick, the communities secretary, defended the new catchphrase and said it was the right time for the UK to gradually return to work as normal as the coronavirus epidemic has passed its peak.
Jenrick acknowledged that the virus “continues to be prevalent, many people still die from this and we will have to live with it for a long time.”
But he told the Ridge program Sunday that it was okay to “update and expand” the message to the public.
“I think that is what the public wants and that they will be able to understand this message, which is that we should stay home as much as possible, but when we go to work and take care of our business, we must remain vigilant, we need to be alert” he continued.
“And that means things like respecting others, staying 2 meters away, washing your hands, following the guidelines of social distancing because the virus is still frequent, many people still die from this and we will have to live with it for a long time. . “
Jenrick said the message needed to be changed to encourage people to resume their roles at work while staying safe. It follows concerns in the Treasury over the large number of people who have been suspended at a cost of £ 8 billion by May 3.
“We are not going to take risks with the public. I understand that people are eager for the future, but now we want to have a message that encourages people to go to work,” he said.
“Staying home will continue to be an important part of the message, but you will be able to go to work and, over time, you will be able to do other activities that you cannot do today.”
Pressed if there was a danger that the message would be too woolly, Jenrick said, “Well, I hope not. We need to have a broader message because we want to slowly and cautiously restart the economy and the country. “
Opposition politicians and some scientists said the slogan was too nonspecific and would leave people thinking that they no longer need to stay home.
Ashworth also told Sky that the country needed clarity from the government today on how they should act, as “there was no room for nuance” when it comes to a life-threatening virus.
“The problem with the catchphrase is that people will see it a little bit puzzled,” he said.
Sturgeon said: “The newspapers on Sunday are the first I see of the Prime Minister’s new catchphrase. Of course, it is up to him to decide what is most appropriate for England, but given the critical point we are at to combat the virus, #StayHomeSaveLives It remains my clear message to Scotland at this stage. “
Ian Blackford, the leader of the SNP in Westminster, said: “What kind of jester thinks of this kind of nonsense? It is an invisible threat. Staying alert is not the answer.
Susan Michie, a professor of health psychology at UCL, who has participated in the government’s Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage), tweeted: “If a central source tracks that picnic in the parks it will be allowed on Monday, one day. Skillful To many, is it surprising that it happened two days earlier on a sunny holiday weekend? Who to blame? The government or the people? We need managers # COVID-19 messaging and strategy. “
However, the government’s move to start reopening the economy won praise from some conservatives who have been pushing for an end to the blockade. David Davis, a former Brexit secretary, said he believed the government should allow “people to trust more common sense than general rules.”
Jenrick also explained that the government will adopt a new “five-tier” threat system to describe the risk the UK faces of the coronavirus.
“Right now we believe that the country is in four on a scale of five,
with five being the most worrisome and our aspiration is to bring
get it down as fast as we can to three, “he said.
“And at each stage, at each of those milestones, we will be in a position to open and restart more aspects of the economy and of our lives.”
The decision on when and how to lift the blockade has been the subject of a major battle within the cabinet and the broad Tory group.
Johnson has been on the cautious side of the discussion, along with health secretary Matt Hancock, with cabinet ministers Michael Gove, Rishi Sunak, and Liz Truss, as well as many other conservative MPs, among whom they are lobbying for think more. The economic consequences.
With tensions high, the Mail on Sunday reported a dispute between Johnson and Hancock, who is said to have asked the prime minister to “give me a break” because of the pressure he felt on the crisis.
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