Seamstress adds notes of gratitude
BRIEFINGS to newspapers have led to more people flouting the Government’s Covid-19 lockdown rules, the Shadow Health Secretary has said.
Jonathan Ashworth said headlines on several national titles’ front pages last Thursday – based on briefings – suggested an easing of restrictions will be brought in today. However, at the daily Downing Street press conference on Saturday, Transport Secretary Grant Shapps warned that the Government would proceed with “extreme caution” when lifting lockdown measures.
Speaking to Sky News’ Sophy Ridge on Sunday, Leicester South Labour MP Mr Ashworth said: “The frustration is that we had different briefings to different newspapers throughout the week.
“I think some of those briefings to newspapers has led to the situation yesterday and on Friday
JONATHAN ASHWORTH: of lots of people going to parks, enjoying the sunshine. We have seen an increase in road traffic and I think we have seen more coastguard call-outs than at any other point during the lockdown.
“This lockdown, which we have been in now for seven weeks, has contributed to hospital admissions falling and the death rate falling, and you’d hope and expect that, and that is a tribute to the
British public who have followed the stay home advice.”
Behavioural expert Professor Susan Michie, who is a member of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies , was also critical of how essential information was making its way into the media.
“It is deeply unhelpful to trail an important communication event with bits and pieces of messages coming out in inevitably inconsistent ways, devoid of the context of the rest of the advice and of explanation,” the UCL professor said.
“It also raises expectations that then may be dashed, or that will shape the way the overall message is perceived so that important parts of the message, vital to saving lives, are not engaged with.”
Meanwhile, Professor Peter Horby, chairman of the UK Government’s New and Emerging Respiratory Virus Threats Advisory Group, said ministers should be “incredibly cautious” about easing the lockdown.
NHS: A seamstress who is part of an online group sewing scrubs has shown her gratitude to frontline workers by including personal messages in some garments.
Jen Legg, 52, from Maltby, North Yorkshire, has added the message “You Are Loved” to some of her donated scrubs, which she made after joining the Sewing Scrubs for James Cook Facebook page.