Sturgeon won’t rule out probe into Nike conference outbreak

An independent inquiry could be held into the handling of the Nike conference Covid-19 outbreak, after it was revealed bank staff and tour guides were not traced after meeting delegates.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said she would reflect on the approach taken to Scotland’s first coronavirus cases as she admitted it was “legitimate” to question how they were handled.

But she denied making a “mistake” by failing to make the outbreak public, a step her critics believe would have led to more tracing and testing of those who met conference delegates.

At her daily coronavirus briefing, Ms Sturgeon did not rule out holding an independent review of the approach to the infection at the event, which was attended by 70 delegates at Edinburgh’s Hilton Carlton Hotel on February 26 and 27.

Ms Sturgeon also announced a total of 2,134 patients have now died in Scotland after testing positive for coronavirus, up by 29 from 2,105 the day before.

A total of 14,655 people have tested positive for Covid-19, a rise of 61 from 14,594 the previous day.

The briefing was held as further claims emerged from people who had been connected to the conference, which was linked to at least 25 coronavirus cases in people from various countries.

The cases, the first in Scotland, were not made public at the time to respect patient confidentiality.

Eight of the individuals were Scottish, six of them people who attended the conference and two secondary contacts.

Since details of the outbreak emerged in a BBC Disclosure documentary, several firms have come forward saying they had dealings with the conference but had not been contacted for testing.

Ahead of Ms Sturgeon’s briefing, it emerged that 20 Lloyds banking staff had shared facilities with conference delegates including arrangements for eating meals.

Three guides with a tourism operator had taken groups of 20 delegates on one-hour walking tours around Edinburgh’s Old Town on the afternoon of February 27.

At the weekend, it was reported that workers who fitted kilts for delegates in Edinburgh and staff who shared an office with Nike in Glasgow became unwell shortly after the conference. None of the four groups was contacted following the outbreak.

Ms Sturgeon was asked if there had been an internal examination of the public health management of the outbreak and if she was considering an independent review.

“I’m not ruling anything out. I recognise the need for public assurance around all of this,” the first minister said, adding: “I will, of course, continue to consider if there are further steps we can take.”

At the briefing, it was also put to Ms Sturgeon that if the outbreak had been made public, people like the Lloyds bank staff would have come forward at the time.

Asked if she had made a mistake, Ms Sturgeon replied: “No, I accept there are always different judgments you can come to about these things… I accepted at the outset of this and I accept now that sometimes we will get these judgments wrong.”

However, the first minister did take “exception” to suggestions there had been a cover-up.

“For that to have been true of the government, it would have had to be true of the non-political public health experts and that is not the case,” Miss Sturgeon said.

“What possible motive would there have been to do that?”

Edinburgh South Labour MP Ian Murray said Ms Sturgeon should admit her government made an error of judgment and apologise to the people of Edinburgh.

“As every day passes, the scale of the failure to contact trace those who engaged with Nike delegates becomes clearer,” he said.

“If the government had been honest with the Edinburgh public about a major outbreak in the city centre, those who met with delegates could have come forward to help prevent the spread of the virus.”