Ministers were warned confusion over the Coronavirus alert level would cause “public anxiety”, days before Boris Johnson appeared to ignore the scale and announced the easing of lockdown measures.
A draft paper prepared for the Government’s SAGE scientific advisory group warned the public needed to “know what to do at a particular alert level” and how to prepare for a change.
The advice was drawn up on May 26, two days before Boris Johnson announced lockdown restrictions were to be relaxed before the alert level was reduced from four to three.
On May 28 Mr Johnson announced up to six people would be allowed to meet outside and some shops and schools would reopen from the following Monday.