Chronic shortage of medics led to SNP's

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