Does the new ‘Stay Alert’ slogan convey a clear message?
There are mixed reactions to Government’s new Covid-19 slogan
Britons are now set to be asked to ‘Stay alert, control the virus, save lives’.
The Government’s new slogan for the next phase in the fight against coronavirus has drawn a lot of scorn, and a certain amount of praise.
After the successful bluntness of the shutdown message of “stay at home, save lives, protect the NHS”, Britons are now set to be asked to “stay alert, control the virus, save lives”.
Top-selling Harry Potter author JK Rowling immediately hit out by saying: “Is Coronavirus sneaking around in a fake moustache and glasses? If we drop our guard, will it slip us a Micky Finn? What the hell is ‘stay alert’ supposed to mean?”
Is Coronavirus sneaking around in a fake moustache and glasses? If we drop our guard, will it slip us a Micky Finn? What the hell is ‘stay alert’ supposed to mean? pic.twitter.com/8cUmAVBVL7
— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) May 9, 2020
Andy Burnham, the Labour Mayor of Greater Manchester, tweeted that it “feels to me like a mistake to me to drop the clear” stay at home message.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson is expected to unveil a coronavirus warning system when he outlines his plans to gradually ease the lockdown while dropping the “stay home” slogan.
He is set to outline his “road map” to a new normality during an address to the nation on Sunday.
Mr Johnson is planning to urge workers who cannot do their jobs from home to begin returning to their workplaces while following social-distancing rules.
The old message was to ‘stay home’
Dave Ward, general secretary of the Communication 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.”
He wondered: “Stay alert? It’s a deadly virus not a zebra crossing.”
Writer and comedian Adam Kay added that it would be “difficult to stay alert to something that’s 0.0001 millimetres in diameter. This pandemic is going to have as many spikes as a coronavirus”.
There was praise for the new message from the Bruges Group think tank.
In a tweet, it stated: “The Government’s new slogan is good. Green replaces red for a calmer feel. ‘Stay Alert’ replaces ‘Stay Home’ and underlines individual responsibility. ‘Control the Virus’ is a positive message. It’s within our power to achieve.”
What are your views? Does the updated slogan convey a clear message? Did the slogan need changing? Are we in danger of reducing some of the caution we have been taking?
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Here in Turkey, as elsewhere in the Muslim world, we are entering a four day celebration of the end of Ramadan. It will be my first experience here but from what I can gather it's similar to our Christmas in that normally, there is lots of visiting friends and families, sharing meals and the children get money or chocolates. Except here, the whole country has been put on 100% curfew for the four days of the celebration. No one can leave their homes, the beaches and parks remain closed and there are massive fines and/or imprisonment for those who flout the rules. But then in the last 7 days we've had under 46% of new cases that the UK has had and less than 10% of the deaths.
I am by no means a fan of Mr Johnson but his biggest mistake was to expect common sense from 100% of the population. In the unprecedented situation the Government found itself in there was bound to be mistakes. The experts who gave advice varied greatly in their opinions, some suggested going down the herd-immunity route but the Government considered that they were shouted down. Others still fail to agree on the lockdown easing, should it happen or not and if it does, how gradual should it be.
Being in the vulnerable category, I am keeping my head down, trying to ignore the media hysteria and hoping for the best.
Even more (younger?) folk just flooded the streets, shops and public areas as soon as there were hints(/leaks to the 'media') that the message and slogan were going to change.!!!
Attitudes have changed over the years. Nowadays, a lot of folk believe there have the right to do whatever they like, regardless of others, and that they'll never be challenged, or caught.
Slogan should have stayed the same, or changed to:-
"KEEP EVERYONE SAFE,
and AVOID A FINE!
STAY HOME,
(whenever possible)."
a few things I think the govt should have done differently
1. keep lockdown until 1st june
2.cancel schools for this academic year restart 1st September
3. face masks to be worn on public transport. masks handed out at transport hubs as is done in other coutries
4. pay cut by MPs to show we are all in it together
They get too much money for not a lot of intelligence .
Slogans. Not sending 'ministers' to answer quality questions.
Handcock will not say if he would take a pay cut, like the PM in New Zealand.
I wish we could sack the lot of them.
I wonder how long emergency service workers will be valued when this all ends ?
Its the poor that pay all the time.
We should have an open enquiry NOW. So people do not have time to forget the shambles that this has been.
I thank God that this isn't 1939.
Dont vote tory again
Like in the war " the enemy is listening" and then came the slogan, but here there is nothing.
B.J.latest message is too ambiguous and will be interpretated in many different ways. The phrase give an inch and take a yard comes to mind. I am prepared to stay in Lockdown until I feel confident that we have things under control. I could have a long wait but knowing people who have had the virus I am not prepared to risk it.
In the last 24 hours government ministers have:
1 Accidentally made it illegal to drive to Wales
2 Stated, wrongly, that Covid-19 is in the water supply
3 Made it easier to see other people's parents than your own
4 Issued guidance about business that the London Chamber of Commerce have instructed us to ignore
5 Issued guidance about lockdown that 3 of the 4 nations in the Union have instructed us to ignore
6 Released advice top experts were not given a chance to review and approve
7 Said the announcement had to be on Sunday, so it could start Monday
8 Then said they meant Wednesday
9 Then said we must go to work
10 Then said we must not travel to work
11 Then blamed the public for not understanding them
12 Then appeared on TV to explain the rules, got them wrong, and had to be corrected by Piers Morgan
13 Then appeared in Parliament to explain the rules, got them wrong, and had to be corrected by the opposition
And that’s just Monday
Unlike the seasonal UK flu epidemic every year, this has some sort of pattern and can expect 60,000 deaths each year from it. Apart from the misery and suffering this covid 19 causes. It is not yet known what the long term effects will leave on those who have recovered, as there is no previous history to fall back on.
We've had wall to wall C19 media coverage 24/7, experts screaming at us at every chance of a moment of fame, journos writing and speaking by the yard ... how does Johnson better that? How may he hold our hands and walk us through?
It's all been out there for us. What we should and should not do. If some people want to be an exception to the rules, as occurs in most walks of life now, then let them. Let's just be sure the penalties fit the crime.
I'm no great fan of Johnson but it is we who will dig ourselves out of this hole, not him. All he may do is advise. It is we who must take all appropriate measures setting down selfishness and using our better judgement.
I think that the message being sent around by Johnson is very confusing and in my opinion would only escalate the virus more. I must say that Scotland has the right idea. Stay on lockdown a bit longer to make sure. The West Country has the lowest death rate I wonder how long that will last with the new proposals. Sorry I am going off on one but I am gettin very worried
Exasperated!
1. They want the government to provide the detailed interpretation of the rules for their particular situation, instead of them making a sensible interpretation themselves using common sense and following the spirit of the message. Maybe these people are not used to or capable of doing this on their own. Someone else usually makes the decisions for them.
2. They want someone, the government, to provide them with an answer to this bizarre and unexpected crisis. They expect a government to be like an all powerful parent keeping them safe and always knowing exactly what to do. They need to accept some uncertainty and understand there may not be a perfect answer out there from someone else. They need to use their judgement in the context of governmental direction.
I am no fan of the way the government has responded to this pandemic but feel it is wrong for uncertain people to rubbish the advice and cause disquiet. This also applies to certain politicians in the 'north'.
I believe most people expect a degree of uncertainty in their lives and do understand there are rarely perfect answers for all of life's twists and turns. However, when something as devastating as a pandemic occurs, it is right and proper to expect the government of the day to give guidance and advise, as they have a much bigger picture than the average person.
Today's announcement was a little confusing though: will it lead to packed roads tomorrow, with people heading for the hills? Will guys be fishing and guys be sailing? Its great that open air is open again but I think a caveat should have been included to limit expeditions, if only for the sake of the rescue services. As an RNLI volunteer I know the difficulties that will occur if the 'silly season' kicks off while we are operationally restricted, and the same must apply for mountain rescue teams etc.
Here in Scotland we are still on full lock-down on Nichola's orders. Will we see crowds heading for the highlands again and the police having to turn people around at the border?
The message often has an alternative implication. The slogans the government have been using have on most occasions been too open to misinterpretation.
Those who choose to flaunt the "rules or are they guidelines?) will not take any amount of notice, even it was imprinted on the back of their eyeballs
What we have needed, and still do is a positive, definitive non-apologetic, non-British message saying exactly what we should all be doing and to be more specific as to who can do what
Our government has been too British in its approach, in as much as we've been very apologetic about the inconvenience. If that inconvenience saves lives then inconvenience it is
As someone that must self isolate due to health reasons, this scares me. The prospect of returning to work in a prison and no 2m distancing possible is serving such anxiety. I am considering downsizing, retiring at 56, living off the surplus equity which is not massive. There is only my 90yr old Dad and I . I am not willing to risk my life and leave him for ANYBODY! Very worried is an understatement!
I've heard people say they don't believe in "all this virus stuff". A viral epidemic is not a matter of "belief" it is a matter of fact and evidence. How many body bags do they need to see before the truth hits home?
An annoyed, frightened, worried blood cancer sufferer.
I agree with the comment from Dave Ward, general secretary of the Communication Workers Union,
“Stay alert? It’s a deadly virus not a zebra crossing.”
Stay Alert is a clear enough message in itself but what does it really mean ? Do we report on people disregarding the rules now ?
Despite insults and inconvenience, we are making an informed choice on isolation and social distancing, and will welcome the tracking App. We are certainly not brainwashed Government lackeys. We see it as no different to having a yearly flu jab or annual blood tests. We would like to enjoy a few more years yet so think that simple precautions are sensible.
For those doing this, stay safe. For those who choose not to, good luck, we hope you avoid infection or passing it on.
Or do most people walk about with their eyes closed????
but staying in will
So Boris and Co. Give us clear and firm instructions. Provide us will accurate information. Don’t just throw any political waffle at us. This is our lives and our nation’s future..
Please stay safe and well all.
( "The message is clear. This virus is lethal and indiscriminate. We have to behave in a manner that is going to protect ourselves and loved ones and if that means the extension of this unpleasant but absolutely necessary lockdown then so be it." )
WELL DONE SIR!
I can only see a peak in infections that could be worse than the first.
There are still the those who thought and still think the are immune to the virus and treating the lock down as one big holiday having gatherings and BBQ.
I agree the country needs to get back to work as 60% of the population are now paid for by the government and this labour utopia cannot last.. However, I feel another 3 weeks of the same conditions may have seen us enter June in a much better state than the risk Boris is now seemingly going to take.
Fingers crossed it will work but I wont be venturing out to any garden centre anytime soon !r