UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson is expected to unveil new government messaging on the Coronavirus as part of a gradual easing of lockdown restrictions.
The announcement is expected to be made in his pre-recorded message to the nation, which will be broadcast at 7pm this evening on TV, radio and online.
According to reports, the longstanding official advice to ‘stay at home, save lives and protect the NHS’ will be scrapped, and people will instead be told to ‘stay alert, control the virus and save lives’.
The new slogan has been branded as vague and unclear by many people. First Minister of Scotland Nicola Sturgeon has expressed her disapproval at the wording of the new slogan, saying she will refuse to switch to using it immediately.
On Sunday, Ms Sturgeon said she had first learnt about the new slogan in the Sunday papers, adding;
“It is of course for him [Boris Johnson] to decide what’s most appropriate for England, but given the critical point we are at in tackling the virus, #StayHomeSaveLives remains my clear message to Scotland at this stage.”
Others have questioned the wording of the slogan, asking how you can stay alert to an invisible virus.
In a tweet, Dave Ward, General Secretary of the Communications and Workers Union said;
“The messaging from this government throughout this crisis has been a total joke but their new slogan takes it to a new level.
Stay alert? It’s a deadly virus not a zebra crossing”
Speaking on Sky News’ Sophy Ridge on Sunday programme, Communities Secretary Robert Jenrick said he believed a ‘broader’ slogan was needed, adding “I think that’s what the public want and that they will be able to understand this message, which is that we should be staying home as much as possible but when we do go to work and go about our business we need to remain vigilant, we need to stay alert”.
It is understood that Mr Johnson will also announce an alert levels system in his address this evening in order to help the nation respond to the virus moving forward. A detailed document with a plan to get the UK economy moving again is expected to be revealed on Monday.
