Horse Racing Ireland publish Covid-19 protocols for upcoming fixtures behind closed doors

Horse Racing Ireland has published a protocoldocument for key personnel necessary to run race fixtures, whichwill resume behind closed doors in Ireland on June 8. The document details Covid-19 protocols for each industrygroup and the procedures which must be undertaken by allracecourses hosting racefixtures.Aseries of educational webinars will be announced next week toassist further understanding of the changes people will encounterwhen returning to work on the racecourse. These protocols have been developed by Horse Racing Ireland inconsultation with the IHRB and are essential to safeguardeveryone's health and wellbeing, and to ensure that racing willresume in a safe and appropriate manner. BrianKavanagh, Chief Executive of Horse Racing Ireland,said: “We have worked closely with the IHRBand the Senior Medical Officer Dr Jennifer Pugh in strengtheningour protocols ahead of a return to racing. “The new system of health screening will include theregistration of every attendee at every race meeting, from jockeys,trainers, IHRB staff, to racecourse staff, cleaning staff and soon. Everybody will be required to complete a baseline healthscreening questionnaire followed by a set of further screeningquestions every 24-hours before attendance at a race meeting. “We have further strengthened the screening process with theinstallation of a thermal camera system to check attendees’temperatures. Nobody with an elevated reading will be allowedentry. “The infection control policy is such that all surfaces willbe regularly disinfected both before racing and throughout the raceday, all indoor areas will be well ventilated, and only thoseessential to that area are present.” In line with Government advice, persons over the age of70 will not be permitted to attend in the initial stage of thereturn. BrianKavanagh added: “It is incumbent on everybodyin the industry to familiarise themselves with the new protocols,to partake in the upcoming webinars which will help bring theseprotocols to life and to ensure that the racecourse continues to bea safe place to work.”