The Sturgeon and Swinney led Scottish Government’s crisis management of the coronavirus pandemic was modelled their desire to prove to the world that they were strong, decisive leaders of a Government totally independent from Westminster. In that respect they will, surely, one day be held to account by the Scottish public.
The start of the Covid pandemic
A study of events, which the Scottish government chose not to publicize was conducted by a team of scientists at Edinburgh University and revealed that the death rate in Scotland could have been reduced by about 80% with earlier action. (around 2,000 deaths) if lockdown measures had been introduced two weeks earlier in Scotland in response to a spate of coronavirus infections at a business conference in Edinburgh.
26 February 2020: The Hilton Carlton Hotel, in Edinburgh was the venue for a two day conference for the sportswear giant Nike, attended by more than 70 employees from all over the world. One of the delegates from abroad had the virus and infected at least 25 other delegates, (8 of whom were resident in Scotland).
Afternote: The company acted without delay, closing its stores in the UK and worldwide and completing disinfecting programmes and contact tracing procedures. All of its infected delegates recovered.
1 March 2020: The first confirmed coronavirus case, (in Tayside), was announced.
2 March 2020: The Scottish health authorities were alerted to the death of the Dundee patient and advised that eight cases of residents in Scotland had been identified, their close contacts had been traced and public health authorities were satisfied there was no further infection risk.
But a guest who had been staying at the hotel during the conference said he had been in close contact with numerous Nike delegates and he had not been contact traced by anyone from the Scottish health service to tell him about the risk.
16 March 2020: Mass public gatherings banned.
23 March 2020: Lockdown imposed. Well aware the virus had been in Scotland since at least late February, the Scottish Government did not order a lockdown for over three weeks..
25 March 2020: Scottish Government set up an advisory panel
The leader, Professor Devi Sridhar, chair of public health at Edinburgh University said there had “definitely” been more than enough information about the coming pandemic for action to have been taken much sooner than 23 March 2020, adding: “We should have been acting by mid-February 2020. Early evidence indicated this was not a virus which could be contained easily.”
Professor Dame Anne Glover, President of the Royal Society of Edinburgh and former chief scientific advisor to the Scottish government, said: “Mistakes have been made and that has resulted in lives being lost.”
A team of epidemiological scientists at the University of Edinburgh, led by Professor Rowland Kao (using figures published by the National Records of Scotland, (reporting that a total of 2,795 people had died with a confirmed or suspected case of the virus) modelled what might have happened to Scotland’s death rates had the lockdown been imposed around two weeks earlier. The model, allowing for uncertainty, predicted the death toll would have been around 577 – about 80% lower than the actual total.
Deputy First Minister, John Swinney responding to the findings, said: “I think what the figure represents is the retrospective application of a model to an earlier date from when lockdown started so I don’t think the conclusion is particularly surprising, but what we have to look at is the scientific advice that was available to us at the time. The Scottish government acted “promptly and swiftly” on the basis of the scientific advice available and in some respects, such as the ban on large gatherings, was ahead of this advice.
Scottish political journalist Ben Wray, commented: “when the death tolls are tallied up and compared internationally, Scotland is going to look to be very far from a star performer.”
Comment: A typical Swinney defence of the indefensible. Nike didn’t delay a response until receipt of a scientific report and many other countries worldwide acted swiftly introducing measures to protect the public by containing the virus. Swinney’s callous dismissal the impact of avoidable deaths meant that 1200 souls and their families didn’t even warrant a mention in passing. It is to be hoped a Public Inquiry will expose the gross incompetence of Sturgeon and Swinney
GROK analysis below:
caltonjock 
When I think of that woman standing at that podium looking up at the ceiling when questions from the press were being put to her, as though I have to give this question my fullest attention. when all the time she knew she had blown it. She was never pushed or contradicted. Unnecessary deaths of which my elderly sister was one. The crimes this person has committed against Scotland and her people are so numeral the key would have been thrown away if it was a member of the public. Thanks for your blog.
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Her entire life has been a sham. Retrospective I know but all the warning signs were being flagged by voters who rejected her many times before Alex Salmond rescued her from obscurity, unknowingly providing her the opportunity to implement her long held Shakespearian dream in which she played the role of Mark Anthony.
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