Some spectators will be allowed to attend the final day of the Qatar Goodwood Festival on Aug. 1 as part of a pilot test of crowds at sporting events organized by The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport. Attendance will initially be offered to Goodwood annual members and their guests. People onsite, including spectators and participants, will be capped at 5,000. The Racecourse Association said Goodwood was chosen as an appropriate location for the pilot because it is in a “rural setting with a low prevalence rate of the virus.”
David Armstrong, chief executive of the Racecourse Association and chair of the welcoming crowds industry group, said, “We welcome the fact that horse racing is to be selected as one of the pilot events to welcome back crowds and my team and I acknowledge the great responsibility upon us. The safety protocols involved will be stringent and the Goodwood Racecourse team are in a fantastic place to implement them.
“The sport has come together to offer support to ensure the pilot event provides us with sufficient learnings that others may follow in time. These learnings will allow us to draft industry-wide protocols for the wider scale return of crowds as soon as we are able.”
Sports Minister Nigel Huddleston said, “For months millions of us have felt the void of being unable to go to the match to support our team or attend a top-class sporting event. So I am pleased that we are now able to move forward with a plan to help venues safely reopen their doors to fans.
“I recognise that not every sport, team or club has the benefit of huge commercial revenue, and it is often their dedicated fans that are the lifeblood which helps keep them going. By working closely with sports and medical experts, these pilots will help ensure the safe return of fans to stadia. Although it will remain some time before venues are full to capacity, this is a major step in the right direction for the resumption of live spectator sport across the country.”
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