In the wake of Friday's announcement that racing will begin again in Ireland on June 8, Horse Racing Ireland on Saturday published a protocol document outlining the procedures that will be in place for operation during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The procedures, developing by HRI in consultation with the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board, must be undertaken by all racecourses hosting fixtures. A series of educational webinars will be announced next week to further assist understanding.
“We have worked closely with the IHRB and the Senior Medical Officer Dr Jennifer Pugh in strengthening our protocols ahead of a return to racing,” said Brian Kavanagh, chief executive of HRI. “The new system of health screening will include the registration of every attendee at every race meeting, from jockeys, trainers, IHRB staff, to racecourse staff, cleaning staff and so on. Everybody will be required to complete a baseline health screening questionnaire followed by a set of further screening questions every 24-hours before attendance at a race meeting.
“We have further strengthened the screening process with the installation of a thermal camera system to check attendees' temperatures. Nobody with an elevated reading will be allowed entry. The infection control policy is such that all surfaces will be regularly disinfected both before racing and throughout the race day, all indoor areas will be well ventilated, and only those essential to that area are present.”
Following government advice, persons over the age of 70 will not be initially permitted to attend race meetings.
“It is incumbent on everybody in the industry to familiarise themselves with the new protocols, to partake in the upcoming webinars which will help bring these protocols to life and to ensure that the racecourse continues to be a safe place to work,” Kavanagh added.
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