Health Secretary praises TRNSMT organisers over covid safety

Health Secretary Humza Yousaf has said he is confident the TRNSMT festival can go ahead and praised the "excellent'' job organisers are doing to make it as covid safe as possible.

Up to 50,000 people a day are expected to attend the festival which is taking place at Glasgow Green from September 10-12, with performers including Liam Gallagher, Snow Patrol, Amy Macdonald and The Chemical Brothers.

The event will happen before the proposed introduction of vaccine passports, which from October 1 would be required at any event with more than 10,000 people in attendance.

However, to gain access to the site everyone who attends TRNSMT must provide proof of a negative NHS Covid-19 Lateral Flow Test (LFT), which must be taken no more than 48 hours before they arrive.

Ticket holders will be refused entry without proof of a negative LFT, and those attending on multiple days must take a second test 48 hours after the first one.

Mr Yousaf told the PA news agency: "I'm very confident that TRNSMT can go ahead partly because the organisers of TRNSMT have been very responsible, working really hard with government, with our clinical experts, the likes of Jason Leitch our national clinical director, working with others in that clinical team to say how do we put on as covid safe an event as possible, and in all the communications they are putting out they are rightly reminding people to test themselves before they arrive and don't arrive if you get a positive test or if you have symptoms.

"So I think the event organisers are doing an excellent job.

"What I would say to people is please use your judgement, you know the good behaviours that can help to reduce transmission so please make sure you are co-operating in that respect using your best judgement.''

TRNSMT is asking fans to avoid sharing cars with people outside of their household and to wear masks if travelling on public transport.

It also recommends that face coverings are worn in any queues on entry, as well as at toilets or bar areas.

The festival is operating as a completely cashless site for the first time, with all vendors accepting contactless payments.

Other bands on the line-up include Courteeners, Twin Atlantic, Primal Scream and Keane.

Geoff Ellis, festival director of TRNSMT, said previously: "For lots of people, this will be the first big weekend out they've had in over a year - long overdue and extremely well-deserved after some really tough months.

"But we all need to work together and we're reaching out to fans to make sure they order and take lateral flow tests 48 hours prior to entry and upload the result, use the on-site hygiene points and wear a mask when queuing.

"It's impossible to completely eliminate the risk of Covid, but we're doing our best to reduce it as much as possible.''

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