First Minister Nicola Sturgeon lost her temper as she answered questions during her coronavirus briefing on Wednesday. Peter Smith from ITN demanded an answer to who was responsible for allowing 356 people who had tested positive for coronavirus back into care homes. Mr Smith remarked that he had spoken to a widow of someone who had died of coronavirus in a care home and said they felt “disgusted and numb” after hearing of the 356 infected people allowed back into care homes.
He also demanded to know whether the SNP leader was aware this was happening, earlier in the pandemic.
Ms Sturgeon attempted to argue that as leader of the Government she is responsible for all actions taken.
However, she pivoted to say that clinicians are responsible for these individual decisions.
Unsatisfied with her response, Mr Smith again said that while the percentage of those that were ill that were allowed back into care homes were low statistically, he demanded to know who was responsible for this happening specifically and whether Ms Sturgeon knew this was happening.
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He said: “First Minister you may say that it is not statistically significant but surely you would concede that it is downright dangerous to send 356 people who had tested positive into care homes.
“The question we are trying to get to the bottom of is who is responsible for doing that.”
Ms Sturgeon snapped: “I think I have answered that question.
“I am responsible as the head of the Scottish Government and Peter, it might help you if you let me answer and actually listen to the answer I am giving you.
She continued: “I knew what the policy was, I am responsible for the policy.
“Up until the 21st of April, the guidance did not mandate routine testing so I am responsible for that.”
Ms Sturgeon then went into details of why this guidance was not in place at the time.
She said: “That was not because we didn’t care about people in care homes.
“That was at a stage in the pandemic where we didn’t have the same understanding about asymptomatic transmission.
“We didn’t have the same views as we do now flowing from that about the efficacy of testing people without symptoms.
“That was not something we just shrugged our shoulders about and said we don’t care.
“We were acting on the basis of the best evidence at that point.
“The judgements were informed by clinicians and our expert advisers and this is still the case, that the focus should be on infection prevention and control.”
