FURY AS MEDICAL CHIEF CRACKS COVID ‘JOKE’ ON RADIO
ONE of the Scottish Government’s key Covid advisers was last night criticised for joking about the pandemic.
Only 24 hours after appearing alongside Nicola Sturgeon at a TV press conference to warn about the devastating threat posed by the Omicron variant, National Clinical Director Jason Leitch was a guest on BBC Radio Scotland’s football show Off The Ball.
On Friday the First Minister warned of a ‘tsunami of infections’ and called for festive parties to be delayed to limit the virus and reduce hospitalisations and deaths.
But yesterday, in a move branded ‘poor taste’ by critics, Mr Leitch used the pandemic as a source of comic word play.
During a discussion on the football show about jokes he said: ‘I’ve got one Covid one, but we shouldn’t really make light of Covid.’
But he then asked: ‘What’s the difference between Covid-19 and Romeo and Juliet?
‘One is a coronavirus, and the other is a Verona crisis.’
The Shakespearean reference to the fact that Romeo and Juliet was set in the Italian town of Verona met with approval from presenter Tam Cowan, who replied: ‘That’s very clever, that’s one for Radio 4.’
However, it sparked criticism from one veteran politician.
Lord George Foulkes said: ‘I think it’s in bad taste. Mr Leitch needs to make up his mind about whether he is a serious medical expert or an entertainer. It’s a bad look and reminds me of Allegra Stratton laughing in the briefing room.’
Ms Stratton, Boris Johnson’s press secretary, resigned after a leaked video showed her joking with colleagues about a Downing Street party held last Christmas.
Lord Foulkes added: ‘People who want to be considered serious medical advisers, and expect the public to take them seriously, should act more like Professor Chris Whitty.’
Earlier in the show Mr Leitch admitted the situation with Omicron was severe.
He said: ‘It is bad. We’re really worried about it. You’ve heard the tone change over the past few days. From us, from the First Minister, from other countries.’
On Friday, asked if he could shed light on what constitutes a party, Mr Leitch said: ‘I feel like Billy Connolly, though not as funny. He does a joke about when he’s walking down a road, listening for a party. I think you know if it’s a party.’