Omicron Edinburgh: Fears over safety of capital's Christmas market

Concerns have been raised about the safety of Edinburgh’s Christmas market after crowds of people were seen without masks and confusion over the enforcement of test and trace.

Scenes of large crowds packed into the Princes Street market have appeared on social media over recent days, with many commenting on the lack of social distancing and mask wearing.

Currently, no restrictions on crowds or gatherings are in place in Scotland, however the Scottish Government has warned the reintroduction of some measures to curb the spread of the virus are highly likely as the Omicron variant rips through the population.

It is expected the latest mutation — which is rapidly spreading across the capital — will become the dominant Covid variant in Scotland within days.

The Christmas Market is a huge draw for locals and visitors to Edinburgh.

Council chiefs say they are continuing to “monitor announcements” on the spread of Covid-19.

Edinburgh's Christmas 2021: Thumbs up or thumbs down? - Liam Rudden

Underbelly, which the council pays to run the popular market, said test and trace is “in operation at all sites within Edinburgh’s Christmas with QR codes available at each site entrance”.

But staff working for Edinburgh’s Christmas said test and trace is not currently in place at the market.

One witness said the market is a ‘free for all’ with stewards not ensuring people complete test and trace and only instructing visitors where to enter and leave.

In a post online, one person dubbed the festive attraction “Omicron Market” and said they saw “thousands of tourists packed in like sardines with zero social distancing.

Another wrote: “Just back from Edinburgh Christmas market , the place was absolutely full. Mask wearing to the minimum.”

Someone else said: “The queue for the Christmas market in Edinburgh was clearly about 20 minutes long, rammed full of people smushed together, and I didn’t see a single mask between them.”

An attendee added there is “zero crowd control” and “hardly anyone wearing masks”.

READ MORE: The Christmas Market's back with the same old problems - Kevin Buckle

A spokesperson for Edinburgh City Council said: “We continue to monitor announcements from the Scottish Government, Health Protection Scotland and other partners to ensure we manage this developing situation as effectively as possible.”

An Underbelly spokesperson said: “Covid-19 has been fully considered in planning Edinburgh’s Christmas and we continue to work closely with the Scottish Government and City of Edinburgh Council to create a safe environment for all of our visitors and staff.

“Almost all of our attractions and events are outdoors, and we have significantly increased the circulation space for visitors this year by expanding the markets and attractions into West Princes Street Gardens and George Street.”

“Edinburgh’s Christmas is an unseated outdoor event, we are working within the current Scottish Government guidelines, and so although Test and Trace is advised to all guests by Edinburgh’s Christmas staff, it is not mandatory.”

A message from the Editor:

Thank you for reading this article. We're more reliant on your support than ever as the shift in consumer habits brought about by coronavirus impacts our advertisers.

If you haven't already, please consider supporting our trusted, fact-checked journalism by taking out a digital subscription.