An estimated 70,000 racegoers are expected to flock to Cheltenham Racecourse today for the Gold Cup as Boris Johnson refuses to ban mass gatherings to combat the worsening coronavirus pandemic.
More than 60,000 spectators turned out yesterday for the third day of the Cheltenham Festival in Gloucestershire despite other countries banning mass gatherings.
Yesterday’s attendance was down by just 7,000 with many happy to ignore concerns over the deadly virus and use the Festival as an opportunity to let off a little steam.
But others have expressed concern it is still going ahead saying the gathering seems like a ‘terrible idea’ claiming that ‘punters are not only gambling on the horses’.
Race course boss Ian Renton, speaking to 5 Live Sport, said organisers have been careful to ensure the safety of fans attending the event.
‘We have heard from the government that racing does continue in this country and that the festival will continue to its ultimatum.
‘We have put the measures in place – as we said we would here – and we’ve been pleased to see the crowds enjoying some fantastic racing.’
The Gold Cup is the prize race on the last day of the Festival and will take place at 3.30pm in front of huge crowds.
Yesterday afternoon, the Prime Minister refused to prevent huge public gatherings including sports fixtures and concerts despite Scotland and Ireland imposing or advocating bans.
However, he told a No 10 press conference that his Government is ‘considering’ scrapping large gatherings temporarily after he was accused of ‘complacency’ and ‘playing roulette’ with people’s lives.
Racegoers arrive during day four of the Cheltenham Festival today. An estimated 70,000 racegoers are expected to flock to the racecourse for the prize race this afternoon
A woman uses hand a sanitiser disposer that is mounted at the racecourse. Race course boss Ian Renton said organisers have been careful to ensure the safety of fans attending the event
Racegoers as they arrive for day four of the Cheltenham Festival amid rising tensions with the Coronavirus epidemic in Cheltenham
British jockey and former track cyclist Victoria Pendleton (left) arriving for day four of the Cheltenham Festival today. She is among thousands still attending despite fears over coronavirus
Racegoers appeared in good spirits today as concerns over coronavirus grow across the country. It comes as The English Football League today called off all matches for three weeks until April 4 due to the coronavirus outbreak
Many put on their finest attire to attend Cheltenham Festival in Gloucestershire despite concerns over the virus. Some countries have banned mass gatherings but yesterday Boris Johnson said such measures were not needed yet
Large numbers of racegoers are flocking to Cheltenham today for the prize race of the festival – the Gold Cup
Many appeared in good spirits as they arrived at Cheltenham Festival today. It came after the PM introduced new measures to protect the elderly and vulnerable from the Covid-19 sickness. Anyone with even mild symptoms, such as a continuous cough or high temperature, must stay home for seven days
Tennis star Andy Murray’s mother was among those arriving on the fourth day of the festival in Gloucestershire today
Nick Knowles takes a selfie with racegoers during day four of the Cheltenham Festival. Thousands are at the racecourse despite fears over coronavirus
Others have expressed concern Cheltenham is still going ahead saying the gathering seems like a ‘terrible idea’ claiming that ‘punters are not only gambling on the horses’ (pictured, racegoers arrive this morning)
Hand sanitizers are put into place during day four of the Cheltenham Festival. A sign reading ‘don’t pass it on’ was placed above the dispensers
Horses on the gallops during day four of the Cheltenham Festival. The event is still going ahead today and yesterday afternoon, the Prime Minister refused to prevent huge public gatherings including sports fixtures
Some on Twitter were happy to see the Festival going ahead today despite concerns over coronavirus. While others were more concerned and feared it could lead to a spike in cases (above and below)
Mr Johnson chaired an emergency Cobra committee, where it was decided to shift the UK’s tactics in fighting coronavirus from a policy of ‘containment’ to ‘delaying’ its inevitable spread.
The Prime Minister said he was following ‘scientific advice’ that ‘banning such events will have little effect on the spread’, but appeared to cow slightly to public pressure as he said he was ‘considering’ the option.
On Twitter, eager racegoers have said they are keen to attend despite concerns over the virus with one joking: ‘Off to Cheltenham, I’ve heard alcohol kills coronavirus so it should be the safest place in Britain today.’
While another said: ‘Get Cheltenham out the way then its lockdown.’ And another said: ‘Excuse the pun but the horse has bolted. Had four days of Cheltenham, thousands been going each day, you’re not telling me none of them will have coronavirus. We are just going to have to ride this out.’
Others were more concerned the races are still going ahead, with one saying: ‘I wonder how many cases of coronavirus will arise from Cheltenham this week. Punters not only gambling on the horses.’
While another said: ‘Absolutely astounding (and alarming) that with so many sporting events and public gatherings being cancelled or postponed, the Cheltenham Festival is still going ahead. 70,000 people gathered in close proximity seems like a terrible idea.’
Sam Lissiaman, 20, who was getting ready to go to Cheltenham festival with his friends said he isn’t worried about using public transport.
He said: ‘Not many people take precautions on the trains but I’m not worried.
‘I wash my hands and use hands sanitizer as much as I can but I’m young and healthy. The train was rammed this morning.’
Mr Johnson said that public advice would be expanded as he warned the bug – which has its tenth UK fatality – will continue to spread. He also said the most dangerous period is weeks away.
He called coronavirus the ‘worst public health crisis for a generation’ and ordered anybody with even mild symptoms – like a continuous cough or high temperature – to stay at home for seven days.
Elsewhere, other races including Musselburgh and Kelso in Scotland, are waiting to discover if their meetings next week will go ahead – or take place behind closed doors – following Scottish Government advice to delay the spread of coronavirus by cancelling mass gatherings.
School trips abroad should be stopped, the Prime Minister said, while people over 70 with serious medical conditions should not go on cruises. But he ruled out closing UK schools for the time being.
Chief scientific adviser Sir Patrick Vallance, stood by the Prime Minister’s side during the briefing, made the unsettling claim that at least 5,000 and as many as 10,000 Britons could already be infected.
Mr Johnson said: ‘We are considering banning major public events like sporting fixtures. The scientific advice is this has little effect on the spread – but it does place a burden on other public services.
‘The most important task will be to protect our elderly and most vulnerable people during the peak weeks when there is the maximum risk of exposure to the disease and when the NHS will be under the most pressure. So the most dangerous period is not now but some weeks away depending on how fast it spreads.’
Thousands are expected to be at Cheltenham Racecourse today as the fourth day of the festival gets underway (pictured, punters arrive for the start of today’s races)
Racegoers arriving during day four of the Cheltenham Festival. It comes as concerns over coronavirus grow across the country
Racegoers as they arrive for day 4 of the Cheltenham festival amid rising tensions with the Coronavirus epidemic
Many donned their finest attire for another day at the races. The Gold Cup is the prize race on the last day of the Festival and will take place at 3.30pm in front of huge crowds
Adam Henson (left) and Nick Knowles (right) arriving for day four of the Cheltenham Festival
Thousands have arrived at the festival for the fourth day of races. The Gold Cup takes place this afternoon at 3.30pm
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has stopped short of cancelling major sports events as yet – and the Cheltenham Festival will reach its conclusion with upwards of 70,000 expected to attend Friday’s Gold Cup (pictured, racegoers arriving today)
The festival is still going ahead despite concerns over mass gatherings. Organisers have put out hand sanitiser in a bid to stop germs spreading around racegoers
A sign encouraging people to wash their hands at the onsite Pharmacist during day four of the Cheltenham Festival
Some were concerned the festival was still going ahead, while others had resigned themselves to the possibility of people getting it as a result of attending
He warned that families would lose ‘loved ones before their time’, saying: ‘Due to the lack of immunity this disease is more dangerous [than the flu]. It is going to spread further and I must level with you, I must level with the British public: many more families are going to lose loved ones before their time.’
He continued: ‘We’ve done what can be done to contain this disease, and this has bought us valuable time, but it’s now a global pandemic. The number of cases will rise sharply, indeed the true number of cases is higher – perhaps much higher – than the number of cases we have so far confirmed with tests.’
Mr Johnson said the disease was ‘particularly dangerous’ for the elderly, as he called upon ‘millions of people to help and support each other’. He claimed that most people would experience a ‘mild-to-moderate illness’.
Sir Patrick told the press briefing over 20 people in the UK with the virus were in intensive care units. ‘Currently we are on a trajectory that looks as though it is about four weeks or so behind Italy,’ he added.
England’s Chief Medical Officer Prof Chris Whitty revealed that the NHS will alter its approach to testing for coronavirus, with only those at hospitals to be formally examined.
Prof Whitty also said people from now on would be tested ‘irrespective of their travel history’ if they showed severe symptoms, adding: It is no longer necessary for us to identify every case’.
He said: ‘We will move from having testing mainly done in homes and outpatients and walk-in centres, to a situation where people who are remaining at home do not need testing.
‘We will pivot all the testing capacity to identify those in hospitals who have symptoms so we can pick them up early, make sure we treat them well and ensure they don’t pass on the virus to other people in hospitals.
‘So there will be a change in hospital and other testing systems.’
Prime Minister Johnson came under fire for alleged ‘complacency’ and was accused of ‘playing roulette’ with people’s lives after the coronavirus claimed its tenth life on British soil today.
His press briefing was undermined by fiery Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, who vowed to restrict mass gatherings of more than 500 people throughout the country from Monday next week.
Addressing the Holyrood assembly in Edinburgh, Ms Sturgeon thundered that it would be ‘inappropriate that we continue as normal’ as the number of confirmed infections in Scotland jumped from 36 to 60.
PM Boris Johnson, who said the Government is ‘considering’ banning mass gatherings to combat the bug’s spread
Chief scientific adviser Sir Patrick Vallance (left) and Chief Medical Officer Prof Chris Whitty (right) at Downing Street
Mr Johnson’s administration was also blasted by the World Health Organization, which designated the coronavirus outbreak a ‘pandemic’ this week and slammed Governments across the planet for their ‘inaction’.
The UN agency, which has warned about the virus for a number of weeks, is ‘deeply concerned by the alarming levels of spread and anxiety’ as the number of global confirmed cases surpassed 120,000.
Director-General of the UN agency Dr Tedros Adhanom took aim at Governments accused of ignoring repeated WHO pleas to take urgent and aggressive action, with cases of the illness outside of China rising 13-fold in the space of a fortnight because of escalating crises in Italy, Iran, Spain, Germany, and France.
The WHO said: ‘Pandemic is not a word to use lightly or carelessly. It is a word that, if misused, can cause unreasonable fear, or unjustified acceptance that the fight is over, leading to unnecessary suffering and death.’
Earlier today the Republic of Ireland became the third European country to go into coronavirus lockdown, closing schools, nurseries, and universities and sending non-critical public employees home.
Last night, Denmark ground to a halt as Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said: ‘This will have huge consequences, but the alternative would be far worse. Under normal circumstances, a government would not present such far-reaching measures without having all the solutions ready for the many Danes concerned.’
She warned ominously at a press briefing: ‘But we are in an extraordinary situation.’
President Donald Trump shocked the world as he declared US borders shut to traveling Europeans from the mainland for 30 days from Friday as the number of coronavirus cases in the States soared.
Addressing the nation from the Oval Office, his extraordinary statement made no mention of measures to stop the spread of the virus internally, like closing schools and restricting mass gatherings.
Though he did announce co-payment waivers for coronavirus treatment, the President made only a brief mention of test kits – and did not say whether or not the waiver would apply to testing.
Global stock markets tumbled as the President waded into the crisis, with the FTSE 100 of Britain’s major companies closing by more than one tenth in its worst bloodbath since 1987.