The measures announced by Nicola Sturgeon to tackle Covid-19 may add to concerns about this year's Edinburgh Fringe Festival.
The Scottish First Minister has advised that mass gatherings of over 500 attendees should be cancelled from next week.
This is not to stop the spread of the virus but to free up services to help deal with the coronavirus, she explained: "Mass gatherings require to be policed, they require to have emergency ambulance cover, they require the services of voluntary health services. At a time when we need to be reducing the pressures on these frontline workers - in order to free them up to focus on the significant challenge that lies ahead - I do think it's inappropriate that we continue as normal."
It does not say how long these measures will be in place. The Fringe is due to run from August 7 - 31. One would hope the pressure on services has eased off by then.
Performers have already been worried about whether they will lose the money they have paid for their shows to be listed in the Fringe brochure and what their rights are about accommodation refunds if the Fringe does not go ahead.
Most Fringe comedy shows attract much smaller audiences than 500 - the average attendance is actually a lot less than 50 – but there may be concerns over the large numbers of visitors to the festival who will gather in places such as the Royal Mile. Though inevitably there are also fears that attendances will be dramatically down this year.
The Festival attracts followers of the arts from all over the world so if there are travel restrictions in place that could also be a worry the Fringe.
If any restriction on large gatherings continues this may also have major implications for the main Edinburgh Festival which stages much larger shows and also for the nightly Military Tattoo at Edinburgh Castle, which attracts a lot of tourists.
Some comedians have inevitably tried to see the funny side. Stand-up Tony Cowards joked that if the notoriously expensive Fringe was cancelled comedians would actually save money rather than lose money.
Update: BTJ has contacted the Edinburgh Fringe Press Office for a comment/statement. See link at bottom of story. Comedian Philip Simon has drawn my attention to this below: "I spoke to the Ed Fringe office yesterday (earlybird deadline day) regarding refunds if the Fringe is cancelled as a result of the dreaded Coronavirus. This is their formal response."
"We are monitoring the Coronavirus outbreak closely, taking guidance from both the UK and Scottish Governments. At the moment, our understanding is that there is no clear rationale for any changes to our planning and operations. The health and safety of Fringe participants, audience and staff is our priority, and we will be regularly reviewing the situation. We will update participants and stakeholders in the event of any changes. Updates on public health advice for coronavirus can be found on the NHS Inform website, and a free helpline has also been set up for those who do not have symptoms but are looking for general health advice: 0800 028 2816.
At the moment, our understanding is that there is no clear rationale for any changes to our planning and operations. Our current policy is that, prior to being listed on tickets.edfringe.com, refunds of the registration fee are at the discretion of Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society and are not guaranteed in the event of a show registration cancellation. We work on a case-by-case basis, to ensure any decision is arrived at in the most fair, appropriate and human way considering the circumstances of the individual involved. Participants are not eligible for refunds if the show is already on sale.
With the festival dates five months away, much is still unknown and unpredictable at this stage. However, in the event of any clearer changes to our policy, we will update participants and stakeholders as soon as possible."
Update: Further Statement has been issued by Edinburgh Fringe. Read it here.
