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COVID-Related Travel Restrictions To Ease

Edited Press Release

The White House Monday announced plans to ease COVID-19 travel restrictions into the United States by foreign visitors from 33 countries, including the United Kingdom and European Union, starting in November. The move is expected to clear the way to make it easier for foreign nationals to attend important equine-related events in the United States like the Breeders' Cup World Championships in California and the November breeding stock sales at Fasig-Tipton and Keeneland in Kentucky.

The new rules will require all foreign nationals from the impacted countries arriving in the United States to show proof of being fully vaccinated and a negative COVID test taken within three days of flight, according to the White House.

“This is very welcome news as Thoroughbred breeding and racing in the United States continues to rebound from the negative impacts of the coronavirus pandemic,” said NTRA President and Chief Executive Officer Alex Waldrop.

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Women Jockeys’ World Cup Cancelled For Second Year

The Women Jockey's World Cup has been cancelled for the second year running due to continuing COVID-19 pandemic restrictions. Started at Bro Park in Stockholm, Sweden in 2017, the event is traditionally staged in June and has seen riders from 12 countries compete during the first three editions.

Dennis Madsen Svensk Galopp's Director of Racing said, “It is very frustrating to have to cancel the Women Jockeys' World Cup for a second year running.

“The international nature of the event requires early planning and even with the concessions that are made for international sports, uncertainty around quarantine rules for jockeys returning home from Sweden forced our decision.

“We remain committed to creating high profile opportunities for top female riders and hope to return the event in 2022. Racing in Sweden continues to grow in popularity, and we recently announced a record entry for the Swedish Derby and Oaks series. The Women Jockeys' World Cup is our most popular international event and we look forward to reinstating it at the earliest opportunity.”

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KY Shippers To Maryland Won’t Face Return Restrictions

Kentucky-based horses that ship to Maryland for this week's GI Preakness S. and supporting races will no longer face health-related return restrictions when they try to re-enter the state, the Kentucky Department of Agriculture announced Monday.

According to a press release issued by the agency, “Effective Monday, May 10, [the] Office of State Veterinarian rescinds restrictions on horses originating from both Pimlico and Laurel. All horses from these facilities that meet the standard health requirements for Kentucky tracks and training centers (including EHV1 vaccination, 72-hour Certificate of Veterinary Inspection, and valid negative EIA test) will be allowed unrestricted entry.”

In the wake of the equine herpesvirus type 1 (EHV-1) outbreak in Maryland that began in early March, Kentucky had restricted the movement of horses stabled at either Laurel or Pimlico, requiring prior approval from the state veterinarian as a condition of re-entry.

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President Lifts Some Travel Restrictions; H2-B Visa Cap Reached For Second Half FY2021

President Biden issued a Proclamation Wednesday to revoke Proclamation 10014 (Suspension of Entry of Immigrants Who Present a Risk to the United States Labor Market During the Economic Recovery Following the 2019 Novel Coronavirus Outbreak) and sections of related Proclamations that added non-immigrants to the travel suspension.

The Proclamation 10014 prevented certain immigrants and nonimmigrants from traveling to the United States. Included in this group were individuals who either were selected to receive the opportunity to apply for visas–including H-2B visas–through the Fiscal Year 2020 Diversity Visa Lottery or who had already received such visas, causing labor challenges for many industries, including the horse racing industry. President Biden's Proclamation revokes these restrictions.

In other foreign worker developments, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced that it had received enough H-2B worker petitions by Feb. 12 to reach the congressionally mandated H-2B visa cap of 33,000 visas for the second half of fiscal year 2021. In December, the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 became law and included a provision that provides the DHS with the discretionary authority to release an additional 64,716 H-2B visas when sufficient need is demonstrated.

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