Their ‘stay alert’ slogan just adds to the confusion

The Government’s ‘stay alert’ message, and its confusing message over who could go back to work and when, feels typical of its reaction to this crisis.

It was slow on the uptake – don’t forget that herd immunity was being talked about in the early days – and then imposed a very restrictive lockdown. Now the gradual easing of demands to stay at home seems haphazard and badly thought through, especially with the prospect of quarantine for those entering Britain. Surely if this had been put in place two months ago, we could have avoided the mass contagion we have experienced. S. Jones, London

What is wrong with those who keep bleating, ‘We need clarity’, especially over the ‘stay alert’ slogan. I’m sure the rear gunner in a RAF Lancaster over Berlin during the Second World

War knew exactly what the pilot meant when he said: ‘Be alert, chaps.’ The snowflakes who question the Covid-19 lockdown rules seem to have no common sense in understanding social distancing. What’s not to understand? Two metres apart and be alert – simple! Michael Robins,

Ditton, Kent

What part of ‘stay alert’ do people not understand? Where Boris Johnson and his pals have slipped up is trying to micro-manage the situation. All that needed to be said was: ‘Stay alert and look after yourself and other people.’ John Collins, Chelmsford

The Government advice to stay alert and go to work if it is safe to do so seems clear enough but the blindingly obvious would seem to be insufficient information for some. Other than specifying that people should refrain from licking shop-door handles or sharing an ice lolly with a group of strangers, it’s hard to see what other instruction is required. Roy Conolly,

Haverfordwest

Relaxing the lockdown rules to allow people to travel as far as they like for their daily exercise is a recipe for disaster. With public loos closed, is it expected that they will all cross their legs until they reach home again? Maggie Cobbett,

Ripon, North Yorkshire

If we were waiting for proof of the incompetence of politicians, now we have it. It seems we are now going to quarantine people coming to the UK. I and about 60 million others figured that this should have be done about three months ago. Jon Sebastian, West Bridgford, Nottinghamshire

After watching the superb coverage of VE Day, I was just glad that Winston Churchill wasn’t surrounded by so-called advisers, as Boris Johnson is. How Professor Neil

Ferguson got into the senior position as Boris’s adviser on lockdown is hard to fathom after the huge mistakes he has made in the past. Arthur Lane, Ballymena, County Antrim

It is obvious to everyone that the UK started the lockdown far too late, which is why we have had so many coronavirus deaths. Our Prime Minister was still shaking hands with people when we should have already locked down. We also should have closed our borders (as other countries did). But being the soft touch we are, we let anybody and everybody in. Only now are we told about quarantine for those arriving in the UK. Talk about shutting the stable door after the horse has bolted. I wouldn’t like to be in charge of this country, but would have made better decisions than those who are. Deena Colworth,

Somersham, Cambridgeshire