Racegoers gearing up for a return to watching a day’s live racing at Haydock Park Racecourse are being urged to add a symptom free test to their pre and post race day routines. Symptom free testing helps to prevent the spread of COVID-19 as some people with the virus don’t get symptoms but can still spread it to others.
Haydock racecourse are set to welcome visitors back to live racing from Friday 21st May, with afternoon, Saturday and evening racing all set to return throughout May and June.
Anyone planning to attend the races over the coming weeks are being urged to take a symptom free test as close to their visit as possible – either on the day or the day before to help reduce the risk of any potential spread of COVID-19. In addition to this racegoers will also be asked to take a test two days and five days after visiting the racecourse, to ensure that we identify cases of covid-19 early to prevent further spread.
Contact details will also be available to NHS Test and Trace to ensure everyone can be traced in the event of a positive test.
A full refund will be available for anyone who has purchased tickets but can’t attend a meeting due to a positive COVID-19 result, or if they have been informed that they have come in to contact with someone who has tested positive.
Can we please remind you that anyone self-isolating, for whatever reason, should not attend a race meeting, this includes;
- If you or anyone in your household has recently returned from any country on the red or amber travel list in the last 10 days
- If you have any symptoms of COVID-19 (a high temperature, a new, continuous cough or a loss or change to your sense of smell or taste)
- Someone in your household has symptoms or has tested positive for COVID-19
- If you’ve tested positive for COVID-19
- If you’ve been told you’ve been in contact with someone who tested positive by NHS Test and Trace or the NHS COVID-19 app.
Prior to attending people are advised to take a test as a community test site, collect a test kit or test at home. Home COVID-19 testing kits will be given out to everyone attending a race meeting, at the end of the day, for testing to be completed at home two days and five days after your visit. It is very important that you upload the result of each of your tests as this will help us to reduce the spread of the virus and help protect others. You can tell us your results by going to www.gov.uk/report-covid19-result or by calling 119 between 7am and 11pm.
Councillor Anthony Burns, Cabinet Member for Public Health, Culture and Heritage, said: “I’m sure many of us are delighted to be able to visit Haydock Racecourse once more for an exciting day of live racing.
“We are fortunate that thanks to people following the rules and getting vaccinated when eligible our Covid-19 rates are now low, and we want to keep them that way. Regular symptom free testing using Lateral Flow tests are one of the ways we can keep on top of our rates as they help to detect cases among people without symptoms or before they develop.
We recommend that everyone should take a regular test just to make sure you’re not potentially spreading the virus unknowingly. Even if you’ve never taken a symptom free test before we would encourage anyone visiting a racing event to take a test either that day or the day before your visit, and again two and five days afterwards, to ensure you continue to be symptom free.”
If you live in St Helens Borough you can get a test at our symptom free testing centres, with no need to book, at St Mary’s Market and Chester Lane Community Centre Monday to Friday from 8:30am to 6pm and 10am to 3pm at weekends. You can also collect test kits from a collection point. To find out where to access test kits visit https://maps.test-and-trace.nhs.uk/
You can also collect test at home kits at these centres, our mobile testing van which is out and about at weekends, at a local pharmacy or order one online at https://www.gov.uk/order-coronavirus-rapid-lateral-flow-tests subject to availability.
Lateral flow tests are free and simple to use, and only take 30 minutes to complete.
To find out more about symptom free tests visit www.sthelens.gov.uk/letsgettested
