Opinion : Are you managing to ‘Stay Alert’?

As the Covid crisis evolves it seems we are now being asked to ‘stay alert’ rather than to ‘stay at home’.

Personally my good self finds the message most confusing. Indeed when yours truly first heard the ‘stay alert’ message I though it meant that we must stay awake and concious in case something happens!

In fact your humble servant only found out the real meaning of the message this morning when a friend called me, sadly my good self had been up all night in my effort to ‘stay alert’ and not fall asleep.

Apparently, after listening to a more detailed description, ‘staying alert’ also seems to include ‘staying at home’ if you can’t work.

The next part of the message is to ‘Control the Virus’. But how does one do that? Is it perhaps like a toy radio controlled car or an electric train set? Can we in some way control the virus through the power of telepathy?

The new slogans seem to convey a rather ‘woolly’ message, indeed it’s the sort of thing a hundred member committee would dream up after many long meetings and endless cups of coffee and sandwiches. My good self can see how the new slogans are causing confusion throughout the country.

Also, it seems we now have a five level warning alert system which ranges from 5 (Critical), 4 (Severe), 3 (Substantial), 2 (Moderate) to 1 (Low).

Did they really need five levels? Could it not have been done in just three with perhaps a traffic light system ranging from red to green?

Would the people have not understood the alert level better if it has been construed as follows :

• Red : Danger the virus is openly being transmitted and the ‘R’ (virus reproduction) rate is too high.
• Amber : Take care, ‘R’ rate is below 1 but there is still a risk.
• Green : Virus is under control so go about life as normal.

In my opinion the five level alert system is over bureaucratic and the sort of thing that only those whose profession is entirely centred around making matters more complicated would dream up.

At least it seems that finally those arriving in the country from abroad will have to go into quarantine for fourteen days. Of course the powers that be are trusting the travellers to self-isolate – do you think they will comply? However it transpires that if a traveller comes from certain countries, such as France, then quarantine is not necessary!

In my opinion the further the Covid crisis goes on the dafter and more muddled the messages are becoming from the powers that be.

To address the nation once and end up looking silly is one thing but if it’s done again then, in my opinion, some serious questions need to be asked about the competence of the leader.

Perhaps the stupidity is being exposed now so a new leader can take over before the end of the year so the Brexit issue can be steered in a more favourable direction for the country?

With the confusion and changes that have been made recently my good self fears the virus will take hold again and we will be back to square one with all the lockdown effort so far wasted.

Thank heavens the security of the country is not at stake. Can you imagine what would have happened if such daft, unclear and questionable decisions had been taken back in the early 1940’s? One thing is for sure, it’s unlikely we would have been celebrating VE Day last Friday….

What do you think?

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