From Wednesday 17 February, raceday officials will be able to issue specific fines for repeated COVID-19 protocol breaches, following changes agreed by the Racing Industry COVID Group.

The amendment to the COVID-19 Requirements – which apply to all racecourse attendees – will enable Social Distancing Officers and Stewards to issue Band B fines for repeated protocol breaches.

Under current rules, protocol breaches are only dealt with via either a caution on the day or, for more serious infringements, immediate exclusion from the racecourse for a minimum of 10 days, pending further investigation.

The addition to the COVID-19 Requirements of a specific financial sanction will provide officials with an intermediate option, which enables them to manage repeat offences without having to move immediately to exclusion from the racecourse. A caution will continue to be used for minor breaches.

The penalty structure for a Band B fine is as follows:

1st offence – £140

2nd offence – £280

3rd offence – £560

4th offence – referred to BHA.

The COVID-19 Requirements can be read in full here and will be updated when the new penalty structure in introduced on Wednesday 17 February.

Face coverings

Please remember that face coverings are mandatory on the racecourse and should be worn at all times, except where exemptions apply.

Face coverings must be triple layered to provide maximum protection.

More information on face coverings is available on the BHA website.