Festivals demand immediate end to tougher social distancing rules
festivals have attacked the Scottish Government over its controversial Covid curbs on culture - amid warnings more than 7000 jobs are at risk over a refusal to treat them the same as hospitality businesses and sporting events.
Event organisers have joined forces to demand ministers ease a two metre social distancing rule said to have left “a world recognised Scottish success story stands on the brink.”
They claim long-running businesses will be forced into bankruptcy without “immediate” changes to guidelines which are also much stricter than for events and festivals in England.
Organisers say it is “beyond credibility” that the performers arts are seen as more of a risk to public health than pubs and restaurants in Scotland.
They say decision-makers seem “oblivious” to anomalies with the current guidelines and the “precarious position” they have left the festivals in, and that there has been a betrayal of trust by the government over its insistence that the arts must operate under tougher distancing rules.
Their frustration has been “intensified” by a controversialfanzoneonglasgowgreen created for the European Footedinburgh's
ball Championships. Restrictions have been relaxed for a month-long event described as “low risk” by Scottish health secretary Humza Yousaf.
The joint statement – released ahead of a delayed review of the distancing restrictions next week – has been backed by the organisers of the Edinburgh International Festival, the Fringe, and the jazz, visual art, science, book, children’s and storytelling festivals.
The statement reads: "We watched and supported the hospitality sector as it fought a long hard battle to secure such one metre restrictions, trusting that the government would ensure such changes could then be fairly applied to cultural venues and events.
"However, that trust now seems misplaced and patience is running out with those who seem oblivious to both the anomalies in the current legislation and the precarious position
of the festivals and their supply chain.
"It makes no sense to allow groups of people to eat and drink together and then have to separate to watch live cultural events – and our frustration has been intensified by the apparent special treatment applied to events surrounding the current European Football Championships.
"It’s beyond credibility that our covid-mitigated live events pose a greater risk to public health than the conditions the public is now experiencing in pubs, restaurants, shops and sporting and leisure.
"We’re not seeking special treatment but rather to be treated the same as others, especially the hospitality sector. It is our deep hope that someone at the centre of government will realise that what is required now is one clear set of rules for all.
"Livelihoods within the wider cultural sector are now at stake. Without immediate changes, it is clear that we will see the bankruptcy of many well established and much valued cultural companies and their support businesses, with the probable loss of more than 7000 jobs.
"A sector that has evolved over many decades into a world recognised Scottish success story stands on the brink.”
Festivals Edinburgh director Julia Amour said: "We’re very much aware that the delay in addressing this anomaly is too late for the summer season for some in the Scottish cultural sector.
"It's so important for this to be fixed as soon as possible as the festivals are the last chance of having a meaningful flagship offer up and running for August. It’s absolutely critical in keeping a creative pipeline going across Scotland.
“All of the discussions that the festivals have had so far with the government have required them to plan on the basis of two metre distancing.
"We were due to hear about a review of that restriction by 7 June and that didn’t happen. We’re now less than eight weeks away from these festivals opening.”
Fringe Society chief executive Shona Mccarthy said: “I just find it hard to believe that any of this is being driven by science any more.
"If you go into the body of a theatre you have to sit at two metre distancing, but if you go to the bar you can right across from somebody. There doesn’t seen to be any logic behind it.”
Liz Mcareavey, chief executive of Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce, said: “Edinburgh’s festivals are vital to the city’s economy, to the city’s global status, and they also contribute massively to the mental and emotional health and well-being of its citizens.
"This united plea for support and fairness has to be taken seriously by the Scottish Government, which must do all it can to aid the safe return of our cultural event.”
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon insisted there had be no “special treatment” for the Euros.
She said: "None of this is perfect or easy. We will absolutely try to iron out any genuine inconsistenciesnextweekand I will try to explain why certain other things may appear inconsistent but actually there is a rational explanation for them.
“I know it causes people frustration when they see fans celebrating football on Glasgow Green when other things are still restricted.
"But we have a process for allowing certain events to forward if it can demonstrated that they are safe and highly regulated.”
Scottish Labour demand clarity on health and care workers deaths
Nicola Sturgeon has been asked to come clean on the number of deaths from coronavirus among Scotland’s NHS staff and care home workers and if they are being investigated by a new specialist team.
Scottish Labour’s health spokeswoman, Jackie Baillie, has written to the First Minister demanding clarity on whether all healthcare staff who died as a result of contracting Covid-19 through their work are being investigated by the Crown Office’s new Covid-19 Deaths Investigation Team (CDIT).
The issue was raised at First Minister’s Questions on Thursday by Anas Sarwar, who claimed 49 workers had lost their lives to Covid, but the CDIT was only looking at 27 deaths.
Now Ms Baillie has writ
Gina Davidson
ten asking for assurances all workers who died as a result of their jobs will have their deaths investigated.
“The families of those frontline workers who gave their lives deserve answers and it is the role of the independent Crown Office to investigate on their behalf,” she said. “It would be hard to see the decision not to refer these cases as anything other than a political one.”
According to a letter Ms Baillie received from outgoing Solicitor General Alison Di Rollo, the Lord Advocate had confirmed “all and presumed deaths” from Covid “involving any person who might have contracted the virus in the course of their employment or occupation or who was resident in a care home when the virus
was contracted, must be reported to the Crown Office."
Ms Di Rollo added: “It is a fundamental feature of the system for the investigation of deaths in Scotland that the Crown should conduct an independent, professional investigation into unexpected, sudden, and suspicious deaths.”
In her letter to the First Minister, Ms Baillie writes: “Yesterday in Parliament you were asked whether all Covid-19 deaths of health and care workers would be referred for investigation to the Crown Office. Your reply suggested that this may lead to accusations that the Government may be trying to politicise prosecutions.
“The Scottish Government’s Covid-19 data confirms that, in total, 21 healthcare staff and 28 social care workers have lost their lives to Covid-19 in Scotland. Yet, the most recent figures from the CDIT for May 2021 suggest that only 27 deaths of workers have been referred to them and there is no guarantee that these will be exclusively health and care workers. Can you confirm how many deaths of NHS staff and social care workers have been reported to the Crown Office’s CDIT and when will this happen for all such deaths not yet reported?"
A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “As the First Minister made clear, the Lord Advocate is solely responsible for the system of investigation of deaths, including determining where an investigation is required.”