UK Covid Inquiry: Leitch told Yousaf to 'hold a drink' in mask 'workaround'
The National Clinical Director gave evidence at the UK Covid Inquiry today
Professor Jason Leitch, who was one of the most high-profile Scottish Government figures during the pandemic, says his comments about deleting WhatsApp messages being a "pre-bed ritual" were a "flippant exaggeration".
The inquiry has also heard how Professor Leitch told the then Health Secretary Humza Yousaf "to have a drink in your hand at all times" to avoid wearing a mask at an event.
The National Clinical Director has told the UK's Covid Inquiry he was following Scottish Government guidance in getting rid of informal messages during the pandemic.
He said: "I didn't daily delete my WhatsApp. My position is - as I have just described to you - that I tried to do today's work today and if I could assure myself that work had been managed and dealt with, then I would delete the informal messaging that had led to that moment.
"But this was a flippant exaggeration in an informal messaging group and it wasn't done every day before I went to bed."
Exchange with Humza Yousaf
The inquiry was shown a WhatsApp exchange between national clinical director Jason Leitch and now First Minister Humza Yousaf where Mr Leitch told him "literally no-one" wears a mask under official guidance.
On November 19, 2021, Mr Yousaf said: "I know sitting at the table, I don't need my mask. If I'm standing talking to folk, need my mask on? sic"
Mr Leitch responded: "Officially yes. But literally no-one does. Have a drink in your hands at ALL times. Then you're exempt. So if someone comes over and you stand, lift your drink.
"That's fun, you'll go down a treat. Where is it???
"I'm at the Royal College doing the after dinner speech...and I have to be funny!!!!.
Mr Yousaf said: "That's what I've been doing at other events I'm at...!"
Mr Leitch denied giving him a "workaround", saying that it was "tricky" to comply with guidance.
He said he had believed it was "legitimate" to stand without wearing a mask after being approached for a photograph at a dinner.
'I continued to follow that guidance'
Chair of the UK Covid-19 Inquiry Lady Hallett asked Mr Leitch: "There might be a suggestion that some of the messages - some of the people wanted to delete messages to avoid the messages being the subject of a freedom of information request. That would be wrong, wouldn't it?"
Mr Leitch said: "Yes."
Lady Hallett said: "When the Scottish Covid Inquiry was announced, did you seek any advice about deleting messages, or did you continue to delete messages in accordance with the policy as you saw it?"
Mr Leitch said: "I continued to follow the guidance as I saw it."
Lady Hallett asked: "You didn't seek any help as to whether you should, given that there would be a judge who had the right to demand production of documents and information?"
Mr Leitch replied: "I received advice from the Scottish Government, every time new advice came, which I think the inquiry has emails from the director general for corporate, as time passed, from both this inquiry and the Scottish inquiry, and I continued to follow that guidance."
He also said he "made some mis-steps" regarding one speech he gave regarding school closures and does not know if he would do it the same way again.