Professor Jason Leitch has defended Nicola Sturgeon after she was filmed and not using a face masks in a hairdresser for "a matter of seconds" over the weekend.
The First Minister has been reported to Police Scotland after a clip on-line confirmed her and not using a protecting whereas in a barber store on Saturday in East Kilbride.
Police confirmed they'd obtained a criticism and mentioned it was being assessed.
The SNP mentioned Sturgeon was invited into the barbers throughout an out of doors go to on the road.
On the BBC 's Good Morning Scotland present Nationwide Scientific Director Professor Jason Leitch mentioned the FM forgot to put on a protecting for a brief second, saying it occurred to him just lately.
He added: "I've received up from the dinner desk fairly just lately out for a meal gone to the toilet and midway there you realise 'oh, I have to put my face protecting on' as a result of as a result of this does nonetheless really feel like a barely odd factor to should do.
"My understanding is it was a matter of seconds, she realises the place is crowded, places her face protecting on which is definitely what we're asking individuals to do.
"The steerage says in case you are in a crowded space, inadvertently or intentionally, then put a face protecting on and that can defend you and others."
An SNP spokesman mentioned: "Inside a couple of seconds, she realised she hadn't put her masks again on and instantly put it on."
A Police Scotland spokesman mentioned: "We will verify that we have now obtained a criticism which is presently being assessed."
Persons are now not legally required to put on face masks on public transport and in most indoor public areas in Scotland because the rule moved into steerage from at present.
Nonetheless though the ultimate coronavirus restriction in regulation has lifted, the Scottish Authorities continues to be strongly recommending that folks proceed to put on face coverings the place applicable as Covid-19 continues to unfold.
Craig Hoy, Scottish Conservative MSP, mentioned it was "inappropriate" for Leitch to be defending the First Minister.
He added: "It's inappropriate for a civil servant to defend Nicola Sturgeon on this method. These sorts of questions must be left to politicians to reply. As an alternative, SNP ministers are in hiding and Jason Leith is blurring the strains between ministers and authorities officers.
"Mr Leitch can also be misrepresenting the Covid legal guidelines as they stood when Nicola Sturgeon clearly broke them on the weekend.
"Face masks use was nonetheless in regulation till at present however Mr Leitch backed up Nicola Sturgeon's excuse that she solely needed to put the masks on when in a crowded house.
"If the SNP had listened to us weeks in the past and altered face masks guidelines from regulation to steerage, he and Nicola Sturgeon would have been appropriate.
"However they failed to do that and Mr Leitch shouldn't be complicated the general public, or doing the SNP's job for them, by making an attempt to defend Nicola Sturgeon on this method."
Prof Leitch was requested concerning the state of the virus in Scotland on GMS.
He mentioned: "We have now to maintain within the again cabinet something we are able to. There is no method you possibly can rule something out in the course of this.
"The WHO (World Well being Organisation) has a committee that decides the type of escalation degree for the world.
"It meets now and again to resolve if the pandemic is over.
"So the query the query is, is the pandemic over? And it met final week and it mentioned, no, definitively, no, this pandemic shouldn't be over.
"Most specialists assume it is midway by means of globally. So we're in all probability two years or 4 or 5 earlier than we are able to take our foot off the accelerator totally."
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