The First Minister urged world leaders to listen to the experts and be clear in their advice after Donald Trump sparked confusion on coronavirus.
Nicola Sturgeon said leaders must offer clear messages to the public after President Trump appeared to contradict himself.
Speaking about the US response to the virus, he said: “So the difference is that they’re doing – they’re being proactive. We are being proactive. We’re going out and looking for spots. Nobody else is doing that – not by leaving samples or anything else. We’re going out and proactively looking to see if we can find areas which are trouble spots.”
But he then said he was unsure whether he agreed with that proactive approach, adding: “I even – don’t know if I agree with that. You’ll find out those areas just by sitting back and waiting. But they’re trying to find out before – before you would normally find out by waiting. And, you know, I think that’s great. But that’s what they’re doing.”
Ms Sturgeon used Twitter to respond to the comments yesterday and call for clarity.
She tweeted: “There’s a massive responsibility on all leaders at a time like this (I know I feel it acutely) to listen to the science, understand its implications, apply judgment, and ensure all of that is reflected in clear, consistent and responsible public messaging. #coronavirus.”
Donald Trump has previously been criticised for his response to the virus in the US. However, he dismissed Democratic complaints about his handling of the crisis as “their new hoax”.
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