. .
Horse racing to continue in the UK despite the announcement of new national bans in England and Scotland.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced on Monday evening that a third national lockdown would be imposed in England. The new Covid-19 variant, which is 50 to 70 percent more transferable, has « spread » in a « frustrating and alarming manner ».
« As I speak to you tonight, our hospitals are under more pressure from Covid than ever since the pandemic began, » he said in an address to the nation.
« I know how difficult this is, and I know how frustrated you are, and I know you had more than enough government guidance on how to fight this virus, but now, more than ever, we need to pull ourselves together. «
During the first national ban in March, all professional sport was suspended and racing was closed on March 1. June successfully resumed behind closed doors and under strict protocols.
It has since continued under the tiered restrictions in force across the country and the UK Horse Racing Authority confirmed that it would continue to do so.
A statement from the BHA said: « After this evening’s broadcast, we can confirm that the race will continue behind closed doors during the upcoming national suspension.
« Participation will be limited to those essential to make fixtures happen and strict adherence to UK racing’s Covid-19 protocols will continue to be required for all participants. «
Earlier in the day Prime Minister Nicola Sturgeon announced a lockdown in Scotland, but Scottish Racing – the agency for Ayr, Hamilton Park, Kelso, Musselburgh scheduled to race Thursday, and Perth – moved to allay any fears.
A tweet from Scottish Racing stated: « Following today’s announcement that Scotland will once again comply with full Covid restrictions, ScotGov has confirmed that racing in Scotland can continue behind closed doors.
« Only individuals essential to the running of the Games should participate in the racing events and must continue to adhere to the strict protocols already in place.
Premium Independent Comments can be posted by members of our Independent Premium membership program. It enables our most dedicated readers to discuss the big issues, share their own experiences, discuss real-world solutions, and much more. Our journalists will try to respond by joining the topics when they can to create a real meeting of independent premium. The most insightful comments on all topics are published daily in special articles. You can also be notified by email when someone replies to your comment.
The existing Open Comments threads will persist for those who do not subscribe to Independent Premium. Due to the size of this comment community, we cannot pay the same attention to every post, but we have preserved this section in the interest of an open debate. Please continue to respect all commentators and have constructive debates.
Would you like to bookmark your favorite articles and stories for later reading or reference? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
Lockdown, Horse Racing, Scotland, Great Britain, Boris Johnson, British Horseracing Authority, Nicola Sturgeon
World News – AU – Racing continues despite new lockdown measures in England and Scotland
Ref: https://www.independent.co.uk
