Edinburgh’s Hogmanay events have been cancelled and football matches will be effectively spectator-free as part of tough new Covid rules in Scotland.

All outdoor events will be limited to just 500 people to help slow the spread of Omicron.

Indoor events such as concerts will be limited to 200 people if they are seated, or 100 for standing. The new restrictions come into force on Boxing Day.

They will be in place for at least three weeks – although there will be no limit to how many people can meet up at Christmas.

The physical distancing of 1m will also need to be in place for all events that go ahead under the restrictions.

Pubs and other hospitality venues selling alcohol will need to reintroduce table service from 27 December.

And indoor hospitality and leisure venues will be required to ensure there is a 1m distance between groups of people who are attending together.

A package totalling £375 million, including £175 million of additional funding from the Treasury, will be made available to support sectors affected by the latest protective measures to combat Omicron. An update will be provided on the breakdown and allocation of funding as soon as possible.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said:

“This will of course make sports matches, including football, effectively spectator-free over this three week period.

“And it will also mean that large-scale Hogmanay celebrations – including that planned here in our capital city – will not proceed”.

All of the major Hogmanay events in Edinburgh – including the street party, the torchlit procession and the midnight firework display – have now been cancelled.

New Year celebrations in other towns and cities, including Aberdeen, have also been cancelled.

The announcement came as UK Chancellor Rishi Sunak set out a £1bn fund to help businesses across the UK hit by the rise in Covid cases, including the leisure and hospitality sector.

Commenting on the First Minister’s COVID-19 update, Dr Liz Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Chambers of Commerce said:

“Businesses across Scotland have already lost millions of pounds in trade due to the return of restrictions and the confirmation that yet more restrictions will come into place from Boxing Day will be another hammer blow for employers and Scotland’s economy.

“Businesses across Scotland, who have been doing everything they can to keep their employees and customers safe, will be bitterly disappointed by these further restrictions. Some businesses and sectors will view this update as the equivalent of receiving a lump of coal in their Christmas stocking, further compounding the downturn in trade they have experienced in the crucial run up to the festive period.

“Businesses now urgently need to see the guidance and regulations that underpin this announcement to understand the full impact these changes will have on their capacity, how they operate and if they will even be able to open at all.

‘It’s essential that the Scottish and UK Government do everything they can to get financial support out to businesses as quickly as possible and go further to ensure additional financial support is made available as a matter of urgency or the viability of more and more businesses will be put in the balance.”

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