Boris Johnson announces six new lockdown 'rules' ahead of speech

10 May 2020, 14:12

By EJ Ward

Boris Johnson has used social media to update the public on six new rules ahead of his Sunday evening speech during which he will set out the "roadmap" out of lockdown.

The Prime Minister included the Government's new slogan "stay alert, control the virus, save lives" which has generated criticism after claims it was too ambiguous.

The PM tweeted his new advice, saying that people should "stay at home as much as possible", keep two metres apart when outside and "limit contact with other people" as the coronavirus lockdown continues.

Read more: Boris Johnson to reveal five-stage warning scheme ahead of easing restrictions

The advice from the Prime Minister:

-Stay at home as much as possible

-Work from home if you can

-Limit contact with other people

-Keep your distance if you go out (2 metres apart where possible)

-Wash your hands regularly

-If you or anyone in your household has symptoms, you all need to self-isolate

Read more: New 'stay alert' coronavirus slogan criticised ahead of PM's speech

In his address to the nation, it is understood Mr Johnson will set out a five-tier warning system for the coronavirus in England as part of plans to begin slowly easing lockdown measures.

The system is understood to use colour coded alerts similar to the terror threat level.

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Earlier on Sunday Downing Street sought to explain the "control the virus" aspect, saying the public could do that by keeping the rate of infection down by "staying alert and following the rules".

"This is how we can continue to save lives and livelihoods as we start to recover from coronavirus," a No 10 spokesman said.

As we reported earlier, in a televised address to the nation at 7pm on Sunday, Mr Johnson will outline his "road map" to a new normality with a warning system to track the outbreak, while official figures suggest the UK death toll has passed 36,500.

Read more: What time is Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s press conference today?

The PM is set to urge those who cannot work from home to start returning to their workplaces while following coronavirus social-distancing rules.

Mr Johnson acknowledged "this is the dangerous bit" but hopes to restart the economy by encouraging people back to work while maintaining social-distancing rules.

Boris Johnson releases video reiterating five steps to lockdown easing

But Mr Johnson's attempts to maintain a UK-wide response to the Covid-19 crisis seemed to be in jeopardy as the leaders of the devolved administrations rejected his message.

Ahead of a Cobra meeting with Mr Johnson, the leaders of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland said they had not been consulted over the "stay alert, control the virus and save lives" slogan.

Opposition politicians and a scientist advising the Government criticised the new message and Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said the first she had heard of "the PM's new slogan" was in newspaper reports.

"It is of course for him 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," she tweeted.

Her Welsh counterpart, Mark Drakeford, said the "stay home" message has not changed in Wales and Northern Ireland First Minister Arlene Foster also said the nation will continue to use the "stay at home, protect the NHS, save lives" message.

On Monday, the Government will publish a 50-page document outlining the full plan to cautiously re-start the economy to MPs after figures suggested the overall death toll for the UK has passed 36,500.