Are people really asking what it means...

[Whatsuppp]

Lots of posts on here asking what "stay alert" means. Surely these people are not really that thick to ask what it mean

Who is new Monday?

@Laiste we haven't been given the details yet. It would have been so much easier if they released this slogan at the same time as the roadmap

A global pandemic is not the time to ask people to rely on 'common sense'. It's the time for the government to be as clear, specific and detailed as possible.

This is not becoming a nanny state. This is a temporary response to a global crisis to save tens of thousands of lives.

I work in a hospital and can’t work 2 metres apart. We can aim for it, but it’s impossible. So are you suggesting the government say we can’t open Laiste? Personally, I think that would be crazy.

If still confused, they can go to the Online CBBC Newsround tab where all is explained in language easy to understand for the little dears

Why are you being so twatty to people who are viewing what the govt says with a critical eye?

This is why people are so annoyed with some of the posters who are asking if this slogan means lockdown is over., or they need more details. We are going to get more details.

But on the other hand, a lot of people seem to be using this to say that lockdown is definitely over, and we are going back to just social distancing and isolating symptoms. I think that is quite a big jump to make on the basis of that poster.

Why are you being so twatty to people who are viewing what the govt says with a critical eye?

What they said is true though. If you don’t understand it then surely go down to a level where you will?

Also astounded that the majority of people don’t know what ‘stay alert’ means?

Everyone knows what stay alert means. In general terms. According to the dictionary, alert means "quick to notice any unusual and potentially dangerous or difficult circumstances". It implies the ability to react to sudden danger, not an ongoing awareness of an ongoing situation whose difficulties we are already aware of and pretty used to. So people are wondering specifically what it is that the government wants us to be alert to.

So, let's finish the sentence:

Dear British Public, our new instruction is that you must be alert to the following things: ???

Presumably the government just wants us to keep being careful about the things we're already meant to be being careful about. So 'alert' isn't a great choice of word tbh.

People need to apply some common sense to their everyday lives and take responsibility for their own actions. Surely you don't need someone to explain what that means.

We can’t continue like a zombie state forever, there needs to be balance in protecting lives but also slowly opening up and returning to a new normal for now.

I'm sure Boris will explain more tonight at 7pm.

There are a lot of new posters on Mumsnet tonight

Yeah they must be Tory bots because there’s no way there can be Tory voters who actually agree with what the goverment are doing on here. We’ve all got to be left wing.

Don’t sneeze over someone else
Don’t stand close to someone if you have no clue who they are or their recent health history
Don’t go out just for the sake of it
Wash your hands

Seeing as all those have already been ignored by the terminally stupid, I don't see how they'll suddenly start complying now.

To me, 'be alert' means when I do go out I'll have to be on the lookout for even more moronic behaviour on the part of other people than I already have to.

@SmileEachDay you posted earlier the Government press release for ROI showing the different phases of lockdown, that is what we are meant to be getting later for England. Many people on this thread and others think that the new slogan is the equivalent of that, which is slightly concerning.

I can't understand what is so difficult.

Thanks to the newest scientific breakthrough, Boris will be announcing the immediate sale of a new aerosol. There will be 100,000 of them available every day, unless production delays get in the way due to the workers insisting on social distancing in the workplace.

When you have obtained your aerosol, when outside your home, you spray it in the air in front of you. Any coronavirus in the air will light up and glow. If you are alert, you can now dodge the particles and stay infection free.

Aerosols will be available immediately after the broadcast, online purchases only, at the bargain price of £9.99 each. Please don't all rush though, because government websites have a tendency to fall over if more than five people try to access thethem at same time.

@Utterlydespairing

We know that the government hires people to promote their messaging on-line in a fake 'organic' way.

Not saying that people on here tonight are doing that. But it happens.

The onus always was on us, in part!

That hasn't changed.

When I worked as a 999 call handler, one of the questions I had to ask was 'Is he/she alert?' I cannot tell you the number of times callers would say 'Is he a what?!'

@scarbados maybe that is exactly what it means, but they thought it might not look too good if they added 'of the terminally stupid' to the slogan.

ineed

Yep. That could have been avoided by the govt releasing the roadmap first - being absolutely crystal clear, then - if they really had to - releasing this piece of vague nonetheless.

Some proper bootlickers on this thread.

Rob Webb nails it:

twitter.com/arobertwebb/status/1259520167807275009?s=21

user1468953505

All the parties do it. Labour is hugely known for this. Don’t pretend it’s just a Tory thing

STAY ALERT STAY ALERT IT'S A CATASTROPHE!
BUT DONT WORRY!
DON'T PANIC!

I wonder how many people were alert when non social distancing at VE Day parties on Friday, especially those who ended up in A&E due to drunk related injuries. Maybe this is why they have had to introduce this new slogan.

ineedaholidaynow i agree.

It's just so frustrating. A lot of perfectly well meaning people WILL do the wrong thing while all being diligently 'alert' as they do it.

Take my mum - proudly telling her mate that she stayed alert to weather or not there were any folk waiting to come into the village shop ... having shuffled all the way there up the tiny narrow pavements with two walking sticks (stuck out miles each side 'cos that's how she needs to do it) trying to strike up convo's with anyone who might try to squeeze past, and then lean (glove-less and mask-less) all over the counter out of breath just to pass the time of day with the woman who runs the tiny shop ''so woman knew she wasn't dead'' . Dropping her sticks and needing them handed to her. But she was so alert to anyone who needed to come in, like Boris wants. So that was OK and she's pleased as punch.

I realise i'm being an easy target here for ridicule here, but I wish Boris had said ''84 year olds who dodder about on bloody sticks mustn't be going out for walks on bad narrow pavements and then leaning all over shop counters even if they haven't had an actual letter to tell them not to.'' Then she would stay in.

For clarity she doesn't live alone (5 others), has her shopping delivered, by me, has a big well tended garden and is on the phone 50% of the day nattering to her mates.

I'm just venting.

@Utterlydespairing I don't care about Labour/ Tory

My point is that not all posters are genuine. Some have a manipulative message.