Playing the odds? Tens of thousands of revellers pack Cheltenham racecourse despite coronavirus fears as critics warn it’s ‘a ticking timebomb’
- Cheltenham Festival is branded ‘ticking timebomb’ amid coronavirus outbreak
- Up to 70,000 spectators expected to attend the first day of horse racing event
- Concerns have been raised over why the meet was allowed to go ahead
- It comes as the killer virus claimed its sixth victim today, with 373 cases in total
Cheltenham Festival has been branded a ‘ticking timebomb’ and after bosses made the decision to go ahead with the four day event despite the coronavirus outbreak.
Up to 70,000 spectators are expected to attend the first day of the annual horse racing festival with fans travelling from across Britain to the Gloucestershire course.
But concerns have been raised over why the meet, which begins today, was allowed to go ahead as the killer virus claimed its sixth victim in the UK, with 373 cases across the country.
His death comes after leading experts today warned Britain may be heading straight for a coronavirus crisis like the one which has crippled Italy.
Social media users have questioned the decision to go ahead, with more than 260,000 fans expected to travel to the course over the four days.
They demanded the event should be ‘cancelled’ while another said: ‘A total joke that Cheltenham is going ahead, are people not listening, it’s a ticking time bomb.’
Another said: ‘Allowing Cheltenham2020 to proceed is one of the most irresponsible decisions made by the British government in decades. Its clear human live are irrelevant against monetary gains.’
Up to 70,000 spectators are expected to attend the first day of the annual horse racing festival with fans travelling from across Britain to the Gloucestershire course
Social media users have questioned the decision to go ahead, with more than 260,000 fans expected to travel to the course over the four days
Speaking earlier this week a Cheltenham Racecourse spokesman confirmed there were no plans to postpone the event.
He said: ‘British Racing has been in close communication with the Government.
‘We welcome the guidance that the business of the country should continue as usual at this time, while ensuring we adhere to the latest public health advice in full.’
Hand sanitiser stations have also been installed at Cheltenham Racecourse in response to the Coronavirus outbreak.
Social media users have questioned the decision to go ahead, with more than 260,000 fans expected to travel to the course over the four days
Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden said that events such as Cheltenham should go ahead as planned despite cancellations and postponements being made public in other European countries.
‘We are guided by the facts and we are guided by the evidence.
‘At the moment the advice is clear from the chief medical officer: there isn’t a need to cancel such events.’
The coronavirus outbreak has had an impact on the sporting schedule.
Hand sanitiser stations have also been installed at Cheltenham Racecourse in response
A range of sports have had to take action to prevent the spread of the outbreak, with postponements hitting the Guinness Six Nations and Formula One, while all domestic sporting action in Italy has been suspended until April 3 at the earliest.
Sports governing bodies in the United Kingdom attended a meeting with broadcasters and Government officials on Monday to discuss contingency plans in the event that advice around coronavirus changes in the coming days or weeks.