Boris Johnson tells Brits to ‘Stay alert, control the virus, save lives’ as he reveals Covid-19 lockdown plan
BORIS Johnson will unveil a revamped slogan to fire up the nation for the next phase of the battle against coronavirus.
The message “Stay home” will be replaced by “Stay alert” in a subtle change of the PM’s message.
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'STAY ALERT'
It will be seen for the first time when he addresses the nation on live TV at 7pm.
The new catchphrase in full will say: “Stay alert. Control the virus. Save Lives.”
It will replace the now familiar message: “Stay at home. Protect the NHS. Save Lives.”
Mr Johnson believes that now the NHS has been protected from being over-run and families will be given greater freedom, the emphasis must change.
People will be allowed to leave home more often but must stay alert to stop the spread of the virus.
The new phrase came amid fears the “stay at home” message had been too effective and had made many families terrified to venture out.
It was dreamed up by Aussie strategist Isaac Levido, a former brains of the Vote Leave campaign, Ben Guerin, a 25-year-old Kiwi who advised the Tories on their 2019 election strategy.
LOCKDOWN CHANGES
Anyone unable to do their job from home will be told to return to work but to keep following social distancing guidelines.
The changes will also reportedly include a coronavirus warning system administered by a new "joint biosecurity centre" and modelled on the system used to announce the level of threat from terrorism.
The alerts will range from green in level one to red in level five, and Mr Johnson is expected to say the nation is close to moving down from four to three.
The system will include a means of monitoring increases in infection rates in different areas with a view to adjusting restrictions throughout England locally.
BORIS' BLUEPRINT
The PM will chair a meeting of the emergency Cobra committee with Cabinet ministers, leaders of the devolved nations, and London Mayor Sadiq Khan before his 7pm pre-recorded address.
Later in the week, Mr Johnson will address the 1922 Committee of backbench Conservatives, some of whom are beginning to voice concern about whether the lockdown can or should be sustained.
Despite the move to relax measures, a Downing Street source told the the prime minister would be proceeding with “maximum caution and maximum conditionality”.
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The news comes after the Bank of England forecast that the UK is set to see the sharpest recession on record because of the disruption caused by the coronavirus.
The virus has so far infected more than 215,000 people across the country and killed at least 31,587.
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