Chief medical officer apologises for visiting second home during coronavirus lockdown
A newspaper's published photos of her in Fife
Last updated 5th Apr 2020
Scotland's chief medical officer has apologised after she was pictured contradicting her own coronavirus advice, by visiting her second home in Fife.
Photos of Dr Catherine Calderwood and her family in Earlsferry were published in The Scottish Sun.
The 51-year-old - whose main residence is in Edinburgh - has been leading calls for us all to stay at home to slow the spread of Covid-19.
The paper says the home in the capital is just two-and-a-half miles from the Scottish Government building where Dr Calderwood delivers daily briefings on the virus with First Minister Nicola Sturgeon.
Earlsferry meanwhile is more than an hour's drive away.
On Sunday morning, Dr Calderwood issued an apology.
She said: “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.”
Just last month, the Scottish Government issued a travel warning criticising the "irresponsible behaviou"' of people with second homes and campervans travelling to the Highlands in a bid to isolate.
On Friday, the First Minister said the upcoming Easter break would be "a holiday period unlike any we've had in our lifetimes''.
Dr Calderwood also stressed people should adhere to the restrictions, and said it was looking less likely summer holidays will take place this year as they have done previously.
Dr Calderwood's colleague, Scotland's National Clinical Director Jason Leitch said nobody knows the social distancing guidelines better than her and she would not have put people in the area of her holiday home at risk.
Speaking on morning television on Sunday, he said: "My understanding is that she has worked like the rest of us 24/7 on this for weeks now and that family do have a home a little bit away from Edinburgh and they went to check on it.
"They observed social distancing throughout, so they were very safe. Nobody knows those guidelines better than Catherine and the rest of us.
"So I'm confident that she was safe during that, her family were safe and those around them were safe.''
A Scottish Government spokesman said: "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.''
Opposition politicians are now calling for Dr Calderwood to go.
Scottish Tory health spokesperson Miles Briggs wrote: "Lockdown is incredibly difficult for everyone but the rules apply to us all.
"I really don't know what Dr Calderwood can have been thinking to go against the official Coronavirus Government advice she has been advocating and act in this irresponsible way."
Liberal Democrat politicians - and Fife representatives - Willie Rennie and Wendy Chamberlain also issued a joint statement on the story.
It said: “It is difficult to see how the Chief Medical Officer will be able to carry the important messages about the virus and the lock down if she has not even followed it herself.
"There is no doubt she has worked incredibly hard and led the country well through the early stages of this crisis. Yet it it is difficult to see how she can continue to do that when she has made this massive error of judgement.
“Local people are irate that holiday makers and second home owners have ignored the warnings from the Chief Medical Officer to stay at home.
"The main street was described as being like a motorway and many second homes are full up. There is real concern that with a swollen population and a virus sweeping through the local health services will just not cope."
“The First Minister and her top team must lead by example during this crisis which continues to take lives on a daily basis.
“The message that people should stay at home to save lives and protect the NHS is the right one.
Scottish Labour health spokesperson Monica Lennon said: “The Chief Medical Officer delivers that instruction on behalf of the government but has failed to follow her own advice.
“Her actions have undermined Scotland’s pandemic response and her own credibility. Unfortunately, it means she cannot and should not continue in her role. Her position as CMO has become untenable.”
The Scottish Greens said she can "no longer credibly front" the public health campaign.
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