Woodbine Jockey Tests Positive for COVID-19

The Woodbine Entertainment COVID-19 Health and Safety Committee confirmed Nov. 19 that an active jockey has tested positive for COVID-19.

Following the track's COVID-19 prevention protocols, the jockey will not be permitted to access Woodbine for a minimum of 14 days while self-quarantining. At the conclusion of the self-quarantine, the jockey will be required to provide proof of a negative COVID-19 test prior to being allowed to return to Woodbine.

Since starting live Thoroughbred racing in early June, Woodbine has established and enforced COVID-19 prevention protocols that include limiting access to the backstretch to essential personnel only; daily screening, including temperature checks, for those essential personnel accessing Woodbine property; mandatory wearing of face masks or face coverings; extensive disinfecting of commonly touched surfaces and common areas; the deployment of hand-sanitizing stations throughout the property, including on the backstretch; and contact tracing and other protocols to manage any suspected or confirmed COVID-19 exposure. Woodbine's response and management of COVID-19 is included in its Guide to Working and Racing Safely.

In following these established protocols, contact tracing has been performed, and people who were in close contact with the jockey who tested positive are being notified. Those people, including one other jockey, will be required to provide a negative COVID-19 test prior to being permitted to return to the racetrack. Contact tracing also confirmed that the jockey who tested positive contracted COVID-19 outside of Woodbine.

Woodbine did not announce the jockey testing positive for COVID-19, or the jockey identified by contact tracing. The Toronto Sun reported veteran jockey Sunny Singh tested positive and fellow jockey Kazushi Kimura did not ride Thursday due to precautionary reasons. Both were declared by the track as off their mounts.

As part of regular COVID-19 prevention protocols, the jockey room and other common areas at Woodbine received thorough electrostatic disinfection following the conclusion of racing Nov. 14, the last day Woodbine hosted live racing.

Considering the result of the contact tracing suggests exposure to the jockey who tested positive is limited, and with the confidence in the COVID-19 prevention protocols and after reviewing with outside medical professionals, live racing proceeded Thursday as scheduled.