Medical chief sorry for flouting own advice
SCOTLAND’S chief medical officer was forced into a humiliating public apology yesterday after she was photographed visiting her family’s second home during the coronavirus lockdown and warned by police.
Amid calls from some politicians to stand down, Dr Catherine Calderwood, 51, admitted her reasons for visiting the house were “not legitimate” and she was “truly sorry for not following advice she gave to others”.
She announced she was now withdrawing from daily media briefings during the coronavirus pandemic. Dr Calderwood’s visit with her husband to their coastal retreat in Fife came days after she tweeted a photo of her family clapping for frontline NHS staff from their main home in Edinburgh.
Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said Dr Calderwood had “made a mistake” and was “learning from her error”.
Ms Sturgeon said: “Whatever her reasons for doing so, it was wrong and she knows that.”
Police Scotland’s chief constable, Iain Livingstone, said officers had visited Dr Calderwood and warned her about her conduct.
Members of the Scottish Liberal Democrats and Scottish Labour called for Dr Calderwood to resign.
But Dr Calderwood said she had spoken to Ms Sturgeon and would “continue to focus entirely” on her job of advising ministers over the Covid-19 outbreak.
Last month, the Scottish Government issued a travel warning criticising the “irresponsible behaviour” of people with second homes and campervans travelling to the Highlands in a bid to isolate.