The prime minister has defended the Government’s new ‘stay alert’ message after facing widespread criticism for being too ambiguous.
Speaking during No 10’s daily press briefing, Boris Johnson rebutted claims that the new message was ‘too vague’, after the British public were left confused over what immediate lockdown changes had been made following his Sunday night speech.
The Government unveiled its 50-page document outlining its coronavirus recovery strategy today, while dropping the ‘stay at home’ message in the slogan and replacing it with ‘stay alert, control the virus, save lives’. Angered devolved leaders rejected the new message after claiming they were not consulted beforehand and urged the public to remain at home.
Mr Johnson said: ‘For those who think that the stay alert is not the right message – I think it’s absolutely the right message for our country right now.’
‘Staying alert for the vast majority of people still means staying at home as much as possible,’ he added, when asked exactly what it meant.
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Many have taken to social media mocking the ‘stay alert’ message, arguing that it’s impossible to be prepared when the virus is an ‘invisible threat’ while complaining the new guidelines were confusing.
It appeared even Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab did not fully grasp the new rules, after sharing conflicting advice three times in the space of an hour this morning.
Mr Johnson attempted to clear up the new rules, adding that ‘people should stay alert by working from home if you can, limiting contact with other people and keeping distance when you go out’ while maintaining social distancing.
He added that washing hands regularly and wearing a face covering when it’s difficult not to distance, are also included in that message. When a person shows coronavirus symptoms all household members must continue to self-isolate, the PM added.
In defence, Mr Johnson added that France has today adopted a similar slogan which he believes is the ‘right way to go’.
The comments come after Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer ripped apart the Government’s ‘road map’, adding that the new guidelines were ‘a bit all over the place’.
Speaking in the House of Commons this afternoon, he said: ‘What the country needs at this time is clarity and reassurance and at the moment both are in pretty short supply.
‘And at the heart of the problem it seems that the prime minister made a statement last night before the plan was written, or at least finalised.’
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Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish leaders condemned the new slogan and said they had not been consulted on the PM’s plans for relaxing lockdown measures before the document was published – signalling an end to the ‘move as one’ message that ministers had initially been promoting.
During the press briefing Mr Johnson also clarified that only one-on-one meetings are permitted with relatives from a different household.
However, only meetings outside are permitted and social distancing must be maintained, with the PM adding that meeting any more than one person would be ‘pushing it too far’.
The Government’s strategy document today revealed that the public will be asked to wear face coverings on public transport, while people may be able to link up with one other household.
Non-essential retail could open from June 1 if businesses are proven to be safe enough for shoppers.
Its ambition is that all primary school and pre-school children will be able to go to school for a month before the summer holidays.
Cultural and sporting events including the Premier League will be able to take place behind closed doors for broadcast from next month, avoiding the risk of large-scale social contact
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Businesses like hairdressers, beauty salons, restaurants, pubs, cinemas and places of worship could open from July 4 if they meet ‘Covid secure’ requirements.
In addition, the Government is also looking at ‘how to enable people to gather in slightly larger groups to better facilitate small weddings’.
Its document also sets out how restrictions may be lifted and implemented on a regional basis depending on local levels of infection.
Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.
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https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMiXmh0dHBzOi8vbWV0cm8uY28udWsvMjAyMC8wNS8xMS9ib3Jpcy1kZWZlbmRzLW5ldy1zdGF5LWFsZXJ0LW1lc3NhZ2UtY3JpdGljaXNlZC12YWd1ZS0xMjY4ODExNi_SAWJodHRwczovL21ldHJvLmNvLnVrLzIwMjAvMDUvMTEvYm9yaXMtZGVmZW5kcy1uZXctc3RheS1hbGVydC1tZXNzYWdlLWNyaXRpY2lzZWQtdmFndWUtMTI2ODgxMTYvYW1wLw?oc=5
2020-05-11 19:41:45Z
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