Colleagues down. I’m very sorry’
When and why we are allowed leave our homes
“Since this start of this epidemic, the CMO has been working seven days a week preparing Scotland’s response.
“She took the opportunity this weekend to check on a family home in Fife as she knows she will not be back again until the crisis is over.
“She stayed overnight before returning to Edinburgh.
“In line with guidance, she stayed within her own household group and observed social distancing with anyone she was in passing in the village.”
“I wish to apologise unreservedly for the issue reported in the media today. While there are reasons for what I did, they do not justify it and they were not legitimate reasons to be out of my home. “While I and my family followed the guidance on social distancing at all times, I understand that I did not follow the advice I am giving to others, and I am truly sorry for that. I know how important this advice is and I do not want my mistake to distract from that.
“I have a job to do as chief medical officer to provide advice to ministers on the path of this virus and to support the medical profession as they work night and day to save lives, and having spoken with the First Minister this morning I will continue to focus entirely on that job.”
She added later at the press conference “As well as this weekend it is important to be clear that I also was there last weekend with my husband. I did not follow the advice I am giving to others. I am truly sorry for that.”
The issue of what is and isn’t allowed outside of the home during the current crisis has become a matter of much debate.
The government has stated that there are four prescribed reasons for leaving home: to travel to work if needed – although people should work from home where possible; for buying food; for health reasons or for one daily form of exercise.
When people are outside, for whatever reason, they should stay more than two metres apart from anyone who is not a member of their own household.
What that exercise entails has been unclear, however many people have jumped on off-the-cuff comments made at the beginning of the lockdown made by Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove, who said when asked that he “would have thought for most people a walk of up to an hour, a run of 30 minutes or a cycle ride of between that, depending on their level of fitness, is appropriate.”
That doesn’t, however, as many believe, automatically rule out other forms of exercise outside of running, cycling and walking, as long as they do not involve people mixing outside of their family groups.
Some police forces have also cracked down on people travelling short distances to exercise in more quiet areas such as parks or woodland, although official guidance to police says that the public shouldn’t be sanctioned for “travelling a reasonable distance to exercise”.
Health secretary Matt Hancock has clarified that sunbathing is not allowed as part of a person’s daily exercise, after some parks in London were shut down yesterday due to groups of people congregating to enjoy the good weather.
Separate rulings state that anyone who is high risk – for example if they have underlying health conditions – should not go out at all for at least 12 weeks, while anyone suffering from symptoms relating to the coronavirus should self isolate at home and not leave the house. Other members of the household of an unwell person should also stay at home.
In England, Scotland and Northern Ireland there is no legal ban on exercising more than once a day. In Wales, which sets its own regulations, exercising more than once a day is now illegal.