Hong Kong Limits Attendance as Virus Protection Measure

The Hong Kong Jockey Club's Chinese New Year Raceday Jan. 27 will be run with severely limited attendance at Sha Tin Racecourse and off-track wagering locations will be closed—all to protect patrons against the potential spread of the coronavirus emanating from Mainland China.

The Hong Kong Jockey Club said other than "essential parties" including owners, trainers, jockeys, club officials, and stewards, only customers with prior reservations at racecourse restaurants will be admitted to Sha Tin for the program that includes the Hong Kong Classic Mile, the first of three races leading up to the March 22 BMW Hong Kong Derby.

The club said that means only about 8,000 customers will be on hand, along with about 3,000 of the 11,000 temporary employees who usually staff Sha Tin race day. Furloughed employees will receive a "discretionary payment" in lieu of wages and patrons who cancel their reservations will receive full refunds.

Everyone entering the track will receive temperature screening and medical face masks.

Off-track wagering facilities will be shuttered "to avoid potential crowding."

The restrictions and closings will remain in effect "for all subsequent race meetings until further notice. The Club will continue to monitor the situation of the novel coronavirus on a day-to-day basis and, in line with this, will determine if further measures are needed," the HKJC said.

World health experts predict the respiratory disease outbreak, which began in central China and has spread quickly, could last for months. The coronavirus has already spread to the U.S., with the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases announcing Jan. 24 that two U.S. patients were infected.

The action is the second major blow to racing at Sha Tin this season. While it did not put formal restrictions in place, the HKJC intentionally discouraged attendance at the Longines Hong Kong International races Dec. 8 in light of ongoing violent demonstrations. Only 20,965 fans were on site at Sha Tin, compared to 96,388 for the 2018 edition.

Despite that, the program including four international group 1 races produced record local and total turnover thanks largely to electronic wagering.

Two race meetings at the in-town Happy Valley Racecourse were canceled earlier in the season because of street violence.