Government ‘not involved’ in decision to transfer Covid-19 patients into care homes

Government officials were not involved in the decision to knowingly transfer coronavirus-positive patients into care homes, Nicola Sturgeon has said.

Ms Sturgeon faced a grilling from opposition parties yesterday after reports at least 37 patients across five Scottish health boards had been discharged to homes after testing positive for Covid-19.

Six were in Tayside and four in Fife. Scottish Conservatives Holyrood leader Ruth Davidson accused the first minister of refusing to confirm when ministers first knew infectious patients had been transferred into homes, or give a timescale for when a promised inquiry will get under way.

Ms Sturgeon said: “Scottish Government ministers do not know the individual clinical decisions that are taken in cases of patients being discharged from hospital, whether they’re being discharged to their own homes or to a care home or any other setting.

“The responsibility of ministers is to put in place guidance.

“The March 13 guidance refers to the need for clinical screening of patients being discharged from hospital to take place.”

Meanwhile, travellers from Croatia, Switzerland, Austria and Trinidad and Tobago will have to self-isolate for 14 days on arrival in Scotland from 4am tomorrow, following a “significant rise” in the number of coronavirus cases across the four countries.

Portugal will, however, be added to the list of destinations where travellers will be exempt from the requirement to quarantine. The move was welcomed by the Portuguese government.

All the changes are UK-wide apart from in the case of Switzerland, which currently only applies to travellers on arrival in Scotland.

Justice Secretary Humza Yousaf said he “cannot emphasise enough” that if people choose to travel abroad, they must be aware the quarantine requirements may change while they are away.

Justice Secretary Humza Yousaf has warned travellers of the potential for quarantine measures.