Scotland’s chief medical officer, Dr Catherine Calderwood, has been photographed visiting her second home in Fife during the UK Coronavirus lockdown - despite issuing advice to stay at home.
Photos of Calderwood and her family near a coastal retreat in Earlsferry were published in the Scottish Sun late on 4th April - mere days earlier, she’d tweeted a photo of her family from their main residence in Edinburgh as they clapped for NHS staff working to stop the spread of Covid-19.
Catherine Calderwood CMO goes to holiday home, makes puny excuses, refuses to follow ScotGov advice, so when the masses start going where they will, they can now say if it's good enough for her, it's good enough for us. What a stupid woman #noexcuses4it pic.twitter.com/sb1vEyUAFe
— Helen Nadine (@HelenNadine2) April 5, 2020
Calderwood lives just two-and-a-half miles from the Scottish government building where she delivers daily briefings on the virus to first minister Nicola Sturgeon - although her Earlsferry retreat is over an hour’s drive from Edinburgh. On 3rd April, Sturgeon said the upcoming Easter break would be “a holiday period unlike any we’ve had in our lifetimes”.
All right, that's us all packed for a wee trip to the Lochs. If the polis stop us, I shall use the "Calderwood defence". pic.twitter.com/beAr850v84
— Mr Nobody. What's been 'Scotified' today? (@nobodytoknow) April 5, 2020
Catherine Calderwood 23 Mar: “We have the virus in Scotland and this is no longer a rehearsal for something that might have to happen." "(New measures) can restrict the spread but only if people comply with EACH & EVERY ONE of these measures”. When do you start complying Cath? pic.twitter.com/8rkQRVCh0k
— Cuddlemahumph (@cuddlemahumph) April 5, 2020
The images emerged amid continuing urging from the CMO and other leading medical professionals and politicians to stay at home in order to protect lives and the NHS. In March, the Scottish government issued a travel warning criticising the “irresponsible behaviour” of those with second homes and camper vans travelling to the Highlands in an effort to isolate.
“Since the 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,” a Scottish government spokesperson said.
