Chronic shortage of medics led to SNP's alarm and mask law

AT UK COVID INQUIRY

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Nicola Sturgeon insisting it was necessary to help stop the spread of Covid-19.

However, the real reason for the initial order to mask up was because of a dire shortage of protective equipment for medics and the Scottish Government feared a run on what little supply was left.

The revelation is contained in a written statement to the UK Covid-19 Inquiry by the official who was in charge of PPE procurement as the crisis unfolded.

Paul Cackette's testimony will raise further concerns that the public was not being told the truth by ministers during the early days of the pandemic.

Mr Cackette was the former Deputy Director in Organisational Readiness, the former Director of PPE and then, between April 2020 and January 2021 when he retired, the Director of Outbreak Management at the Scottish Government. Questions remain

SNP ill-prepared when Covid struck

about how key decisions were decided because many pivotal figures deleted their WhatsApp messages from the time from their phones.

Last night, Scottish Conservative shadow health secretary Dr Sandesh Gulhane said: "It shouldn't be left to senior SNP government officials to reveal the truth about decisions at the start of the pandemic.

"However, that is the position we are in due to the scandalous industrial scale deletion of WhatsApp messages by senior figures, including Nicola Sturgeon and John Swinney.

"Scots deserve answers as to why there was such contradictory public health messaging from the SNP and if they have bothered to learn any lessons about, clearly, being ill-prepared when Covid struck."