Dear SA Racing Industry,
I am pleased to advise that the COVID-19 Directions released at 11:18pm last night include essential racing participants as authorised workers (Schedule 3, 1-(zw)).
Under the Directions, racing and training will be able to continue with essential persons only permitted to attend these activities with additional protocols in place.
Unfortunately, this means that Owners are not permitted to attend race meetings or training unless they are actively engaged and have the appropriate license in place.
We would like to take this opportunity to thank the State Government, the State Coordinator and SA Health for permitting racing to continue, as it has in all other mainland States, during this period. It is extremely important from an equine welfare perspective that horses in work can continue to be exercised.
Additional protocols required for essential persons attending training and race meetings include the following;
- adherence to all requirements for social distancing at all times;
- trainers must advise the Stewards the names of all staff attending race meetings once acceptances for each meeting have closed;
- staff must check in via QR codes or sign in sheets upon arrival on the race course and be wrist banded for identification purposes;
- essential persons must leave the race course or training venue and return to their place of residence to isolate in line with the level 5 restrictions as soon as their engagement is complete;
- masks are to be worn at all times while present on a racecourse with the exception when persons are riding horses;
We trust all participants will work with us over the next seven days to ensure we comply with the Directions in place and, will not abuse the privilege we have been afforded as an industry at this time.
Nick Redin
Racing SA CEO
