Government quietly changes coronavirus slogan AGAIN

The Government has quietly rolled out a new coronavirus slogan after its ‘Stay Alert’ message was slammed by critics as being too vague and polls showed the public did not know what they were being asked to do. 

Number 10‘s original slogan for the outbreak was ‘Stay Home. Protect the NHS. Save Lives.’

But that was ditched as Boris Johnson set out his plans for easing the nationwide lockdown to ‘Stay Alert. Control the Virus. Save Lives.’

However, the ‘Stay Alert’ message prompted an instant backlash as opponents of the UK Government said it was essentially meaningless. 

Ministers have now introduced a new slogan, according to The Telegraph, in an apparent move to try to explain exactly what is being asked of people. 

The new slogan states: ‘Keep our distance, wash our hands, think of others and play our part. All together.’ 

Boris Johnson changed the coronavirus slogan to ‘Stay Alert. Control the Virus. Save Lives.’ when he set out his lockdown exit strategy

But critics said the new slogan was vague when compared to the original message of ‘Stay Home. Protect the NHS. Save Lives.’ 

Adverts featuring the new message reportedly began appearing yesterday and feature rainbow imaging in an apparent reference to public support for the NHS. 

The new and slightly more descriptive slogan was rolled out without a formal announcement by the Government. 

Sources insisted it is part of the wider ‘Stay Alert’ message rather than a wholesale overhaul of the Government’s public information campaign. 

Polling published last week after ‘Stay Alert’ was adopted showed that many Britons were left confused by the message. 

A YouGov survey revealed some 91 per cent of people felt the old ‘Stay Home’ slogan made it clear what they should do. 

But just 30 per cent said they believed they knew what the ‘Stay Alert’ message actually meant. 

There was further confusion caused by the slogan switch after the original messaging had a red border while ‘Stay Alert’ had a seemingly contradictory green border.         

Ministers today appeared to admit that the ‘Stay Alert’ slogan was not clear enough on its own and needed to be clarified.  

Justice Secretary Robert Buckland was grilled this morning about why the Government is introducing additional lockdown slogans. 

He told Sky News: ‘Stay Alert is very much still part of what it is all about.

‘I think what we’re trying to do is explain underneath that general direction what that means.

The new COVID-19 slogan is pictured on the BT tower, in central London on May 13. Polling suggested just one in three Britons knew what ‘Stay Alert’ meant

‘Of course the different elements to staying alert, which include washing hands, keeping our distance, builds up to that general approach which is that we all must be very much aware not only of each other but what we can do in order to minimise the inadvertent transmission of this terrible disease.’

He said ‘Stay Alert’ was ‘more difficult’ to explain than ‘Stay Home’ because it involved ‘more nuanced messages’ because of the easing of only some lockdown measures. 

‘It is going to be a tough ask, it is a very difficult time for everybody and the Government doesn’t pretend anything otherwise,’ Mr Buckland said. 

‘We have to keep developing those messages and that’s why you’re hearing that kind of detail.’