FIRST Minister Nicola Sturgeon has been commended for her "thoroughly robust statement" on coronavirus today after her press briefing which followed an emergency Cobra meeting.
She elaborated on the Scottish Government's plan to call off mass gatherings of more than 500 people and explained people who are showing the main symptoms of coronavirus (coughing and suffering a fever) should now self-isolate for seven days.
In her announcement, she said Scotland has officially left the containment stage of tackling the Covid-19 outbreak and entered the delay phase and called for international school trips to be cancelled and postponed.
READ MORE: Coronavirus: Piers Morgan furious at Nicola Sturgeon press briefing
Stewart McDonald MP praised her briefing, saying: "A thoroughly robust statement and Q&A with Scotland’s First Minister, Health Secretary and Chief Medical Officer."
He said people who "watch it and conclude it’s a problem that they have dared to update Scotland before the Prime Minister speaks" are "brainless idiots", and added: "This is a serious situation. It requires journalists and commentators to rise to the occasion and apply the best of their professional faculties."
Dr Bahareh Heravi, an assistant professor in Information & Communication Studies, said: "Nicola Sturgeon is articulating the matters so clearly that I feel like it is much more detailed and clear than any other communication I have heard these days."
People getting their knickers in a twist about the choreography of press announcements are seriously missing the point. For the love of God let’s not make this, too, into a constitutional process story.
— Adam Tomkins MSP (@ProfTomkins) March 12, 2020
SNP MSP James Dornan also praised the Scottish leader for her composure whilst dealing with the outbreak. He said: "No matter who you vote for surely there is no one who would rather see any other politician in control of Scotland’s response to Coronavirus than Nicola Sturgeon. Calm, on top of her brief and understanding of the impacts on individuals as well as services and business."
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Tory MSP Adam Tomkins criticised the backlash from people who were unhappy that Sturgeon mad her announcement before Boris Johnson. He said: "People getting their knickers in a twist about the choreography of press announcements are seriously missing the point. For the love of God let’s not make this, too, into a constitutional process story."
Westminster correspondent for The Scotsman, Paris Gourtsoyannis, joined in. He reminded people: "Schools and emergency services are devolved. Sturgeon would have to announce and implement whatever was decided at Cobra. There’s nothing to stop PM giving his own briefing now."
And Jane Hamilton, a reporter at the Daily Record hit out at Johnson. She said: "Where’s Boris? Meanwhile, Nicola Sturgeon gets on with the job."
Joanna Cherry, SNP MP for Edinburgh South West showed her support for Sturgeon:
Her job? https://t.co/l1VH0si2jS
— Joanna Cherry QC (@joannaccherry) March 12, 2020
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