WITH COVID-19 Wealthy Londoner dismisses travel warning to bolt up in Scottish home
that requires admission to hospital”, the royal’s test sparked fury among some.
One doctor tweeted: “We as NHS doctors are being refused testing and have numerous colleagues self isolating. We are then unable to work and help people.
“This is an unjustifiable breach of NHS Scotland’s own protocol. Does this man truly merit testing when essential staff are being denied?”
‘W
E are all in this together’ is the message. This virus respects neither status, wealth nor nationality.
Your country needs you, we are all told. Except Prince Charles, apparently.
Covid-19, to give it its formal title, doesn’t curtsey, it doesn’t bow. It doesn’t give a manky bat’s wing whether or not a knighthood or a damehood might be conferred upon its spikey little head.
Every single person in the country, and indeed around the world, has to do all they can to ensure they do not catch it and that if they have it, they do not spread it.
The Prime Minister, First Minister, chief medical officers and scientific experts have pleaded, begged and then ordered people to take heed of the advice, with a warning it applies to everyone. Except Prince Charles, apparently.
It is natural to think you could escape the big population centres where the virus is spreading rapidly. London, Madrid, Paris all have huge, growing numbers of cases and in Scotland it is no coincidence Glasgow has by far the most cases.
But you can’t outrun it, all you can do is give it a lift to new places.
In the Western Isles and Orkney there are as yet no cases. Let’s hope it stays that way.
The UK Government advice on Sunday could not be clearer: “This guidance is for people planning to visit second homes or holiday premises during the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic.
“Essential travel does not include visits to second homes, camp sites, caravan parks or similar, whether for isolation purposes or holidays. People should remain in their primary residence. Not taking these steps puts additional pressure on communities and services that are already at risk.”
Except Prince Charles, apparently. Because on that day, despite the warning from His Mother’s Government not to, the Duke of Rothesay travelled north to Birkhall, next to Balmoral.
Prince Charles rarely, if ever, travels alone, he has an entourage, security, catering, all manner of people following, wherever he goes.
They were at risk, everyone, including the locals they come into contact with, is at risk, and so the chain goes on. That’s how a virus spreads. We have all, by now, seen the flow charts. Except Prince Charles, apparently.
Even if all precautions were in place and risks were minimised, the heir to the throne should have been setting an example – not making an exception of himself.
Last week, when a Glasgow MP did not close his constituency office when everywhere else was closing the doors, he was told by the Heath secretary: “You are neither an exception nor are you exceptional.”
He was also told by a former presiding officer of the Scottish Parliament: “With all due respect you are an idiot.”
Those sentiments, like the coronavirus rules, must also apply to HRH The Prince of Wales.