Lectern sign carrying the message 'Stay Alert. Control the Virus. Save Lives'

Lectern sign carrying the message 'Stay Alert. Control the Virus. Save Lives', as used in the televised pressing conferences from 10 Downing Street, London, during the Covid-19 pandemic, England, 2020. Collected as part of the SMG Covid-19 Collecting Project.

Public health messaging has been central to the UK’s strategic response to the COVID-19 pandemic and underpinning the more complex range of messages aimed at different audiences have been a series of simple, baseline slogans. The most high profile stage for such messaging have been at the daily UK government press conferences held at 10 Downing Street from March 2020, where this lectern sign was used. This message "Stay Alert, Control the Virus, Save Lives” was introduced on 10 May 2020, on a yellow background with a green border. Many felt it introduced a level of ambiguity compared to the “Stay at home, Protect the NHS, Save Lives.” message it replaced.