Government to urge people to ‘keep life moving’ in new Covid slogan
The government is set to drop its “hand, face, space” Covid slogan and replace it with “keep life moving” as it urges people to enjoy newfound freedoms while still taking some precautions.
Restrictions were lifted en masse in England on Monday, however more than 1m are currently being forced to self-isolate due to the so-called pingdemic.
Covid cases are surging above 50,000 a day, meaning that hundreds of thousands of people are being pinged by the NHS Test and Trace app and told to self-isolate.
The Times reports that the government is set to start a new print and broadcast advertising campaign with the strapline of “let’s keep life moving” to encourage people to take precautions and to self-isolate when told.
It will come as a part of the government’s pivot toward letting people take responsibility for themselves when dealing with Covid-19 instead of setting stringent social distancing rules.
Tory MPs have been told to set a good example themselves, including by not filling the House of Commons benches for today’s Prime Minister’s Questions – the last before parliament’s summer recess.
One Conservative MP told The Times: “There’s a very clear message of ‘don’t pack it’.”
It comes after yesterday was blighted with confusion over the government’s self-isolation advice.
Downing Street slapped down London minister Paul Scully for saying it is up to people to “make informed decisions” about whether to self-isolate if pinged by the app.
“It’s up to individuals and employers,” Scully said.
However, a Downing Street spokesperson reiterated the need to self-isolate and said it “remains the most important action people can take to stop the spread of the virus” just hours later.
The Times also reported yesterday that ministers have written to manufacturers to tell them there is no legal obligation to self-isolate if alerted by the Test and Trace app.
Boris Johnson’s spokesman went on to tell journalists that businesses can apply for exemptions to the self-isolation rule in critical industries to minimise disruption.