The leaders of the United Kingdom’s devolved nations – Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland – have rejected Boris Johnson’s revised coronavirus guidance, which now advises citizens to “stay alert” as opposed to “stay-at-home” to control the outbreak, the Press Association (PA) reported Sunday.
According to the Press Association, the three leaders said they had not been consulted over the new government guidance ahead of a national security meeting on Sunday morning.
In a Tweet, Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said that she had first seen the prime minister’s new “stay alert” slogan in the Sunday newspapers.
“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,” Sturgeon added.
Her Welsh counterpart, Mark Drakeford, said that Wales will not be dropping the “stay-at-home” message from its policy on containing the spread of coronavirus, while Northern Ireland First Minister Arlene Foster said she will continue to promote the “stay at home” message, according to the PA.
“We’re not out of the woods. It’s about steady progress, rather than making a dash for the exit,” Foster tweeted.
