Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon on Tuesday announced the cancellation, due to the spread of the Omicron variant, of the traditional New Year’s Eve celebrations, which take place over three days in Scotland. In England, Prime Minister Boris Johnson has promised his compatriots that no hardening will come before Christmas, leaving the door open to further measures next week.
But in Scotland, which determines its own health policy, the independence leader immediately announced limitations on gatherings because the highly contagious variant of the coronavirus “is currently spreading rapidly across Scotland”, where it now represents the majority of cases . As a result, “the broad celebrations of Hogmanay (the New Year’s holidays, editor’s note), including those planned here in our capital (Edinburgh, editor’s note), will not be able to take place,” Ms. Sturgeon told deputies of the local parliament.
“I know how disappointing it will be for those who are impatiently awaiting these events, and for their organizers,” she conceded, recalling however that “major events place an additional burden on the emergency services” .
Reduce the spread of the virus
The announcement is part of the introduction of broader restrictions to reduce the spread of the virus in Scotland which, like every British nation, decides its own health policy. Nicola Sturgeon has announced that, from Boxing Day and for three weeks, outdoor public events will be limited to 500 people and indoor events to 100 people standing or 200 people seated. “This of course means that sports matches, including football, will take place without spectators during these three weeks,” she said.
While this does not apply to private events like weddings, the Prime Minister still encouraged people to “reduce their outings as much as possible”, especially for Hogmanay.
90,000 cases per day in the UK
These new restrictions come as the United Kingdom, a country among the most affected by the pandemic in Europe with more than 147,000 deaths, has for some time been facing more than 90,000 new cases of contamination every day (+90,629 Tuesday). However, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson again refused on Tuesday to proceed in England with the turn of the screw demanded by some and dismissed any new restrictions before Christmas.
“Given the lingering uncertainty on several points – the severity of Omicron, the uncertainty over the hospitalization rate or the impact of vaccine rollout or boosters – we do not believe today that it there is enough evidence to justify tougher measures before Christmas, “he said in a video posted on his Twitter account.
“We continue to monitor Omicron very closely”
He warned, however, that the “situation remained very delicate” and encouraged the British “to exercise caution”. “We continue to monitor Omicron very closely,” he added, “and if the situation deteriorates, we will be ready to take action if necessary.” However, his government has announced financial aid for sectors affected by worsening health, in particular catering and theater which are subject to series cancellations or have to close because of their sick staff.
In Wales, the local government has now introduced a fine for failing to respect telework. An employee contravening this instruction will risk from December 20 60 pounds (70 euros) in fine, and employers from 1,000 to 10,000 pounds, if the facts are repeated.