Sturgeon asks Merkel for help - Scotland turns to Germany amid 'party politics' claim
NICOLA STURGEON'S government has called on Germany for support in dealing with Scotland's fight against the coronavirus pandemic.
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Scotland's expert group, which was set up by First Minister Nicola Sturgeon separately from the UK to fight the coronavirus crisis, is taking advice from a think tank working with the Angela Merkel's German government. The Scottish scientific group has quizzed “a member of the think tank group advising the German government” over a number of topics, according to Herald Scotland.
They have discussed mass testing, “public opinion and compliance in Germany", plans for “contact tracing” and “lockdown exit strategies under consideration”.
The Scottish Government confirmed talks were with "an external scientific adviser to the German government" who was "expressing his own views".
Mrs Merkel's government's main public health advisory body is The Robert Koch Institute and they have also been advised by Leopoldina Science Association and the German Ethikrat.
It comes as some areas in Germany have started to relax lockdown measures introduced last month to slow the spread of the coronavirus, but big events are still banned until August 31.
Ms Sturgeon set up her own rival advisory group to give "bespoke" scientific advice on the coronavirus outbreak for Scotland to supplement UK advice last month.
The new Scottish Government Covid-19 advisory group aims to supplement the work of Sage – the UK Scientific Advisory Group on Emergencies – which has been advising ministers north and south of the border.
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Ms Sturgeon's work with Germany comes after she was accused of putting a "severe strain" on the joint working arrangements of the UK Government and Scottish Government to tackle the coronavirus crisis together.
Ms Sturgeon has been accused of playing party politics by announcing decisions in relation to a COBRA meeting ahead of Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
The First Minister also Ms Sturgeon was accused of announcing decisions in relation to a Cobra meeting ahead of the prime minister.
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She has also set up a Scottish volunteer scheme instead of a UK-wide scheme and has named the UK-funded NHS hospital after a Scottish nurse instead of NHS Nightingale Glasgow.
Yesterday, the Scottish leader stressed that she would not "rush" into moves which could lead to a resurgence of the virus.
A total of 915 patients have died in Scotland after testing positive for coronavirus, up from 903 on Sunday, the First Minister said.
Ms Sturgeon said 8,450 people have now tested positive for the virus in Scotland, up 263 from 8,187 the day before.
There are 169 people in intensive care with coronavirus or coronavirus symptoms, a decrease of five on Sunday, she added, and 1,809 people are in hospital with confirmed or suspected Covid-19.
She said: " Towards the end of this week I will set out some of the factors that will guide our thinking for the future."
Ms Sturgeon added: "We are simply not yet in position to take those decisions in a properly informed way and I will not rush to do anything that could risk a resurgence of this virus, because to do that would risk overwhelming the national health service and it would put many more lives at risk."
She said the Scottish Government will set out its objective to "continue to suppress the virus while considering how even we can even gradually restore a semblance of normality to everyday life".