The coronavirus advice issued by Brighton and Hove City Council this evening (Monday 16 March) has been dismissed as inaccurate by some of those receiving it.
The council said that the government had not banned large gatherings – which one recipient said was at odds with official advice.
And it said: “The government has not yet introduced ‘social distancing’ because preventing general interaction could have a negative impact, especially on elderly people.”
But the Prime Minister Boris Johnson said: “Now is the time for everyone to stop non-essential contact with others and to stop all unnecessary travel.”
Mr Johnson urged people to stay away from pubs, clubs, theatres and other social venues.
And Health Secretary Matt Hancock said: “Today we are advising people against all unnecessary social contact with others and all unnecessary travel.
“We need people to start working from home if they possibly can. We should steer clear of pubs, clubs, cinemas and restaurants. We should only use the NHS when we really need to.
This advice is directed at everyone but it’s especially important for the over-seventies, for pregnant women and for those with some health conditions.”
Ironically, the council also said: “Please also be aware that media speculation is rife about coronavirus and not everything you read in the newspapers and online is accurate.”
One recipient of the council’s briefing said that, a number of times since the first cases had been reported, people had felt compelled to turn to websites like Brighton and Hove News.
The reasons included the lack of accurate and relevant detail in official information, with news stories written more clearly for the public – and published more promptly.
The council also said on its website: “We’ve been actively communicating the latest information and advice to all stakeholders including … media including TV, radio and press.”
But although the government has emailed Brighton and Hove News and other media outlets several times a day, none of the eight council briefings for stakeholders has so far been sent to Brighton and Hove News.
