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Home Racing News, Events and Publications WA Racing Update – COVID-19

WA Racing Update – COVID-19

The below information is to provide an update for the Western Australian racing community on the current public health measures in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The health and safety of our industry as well as the wider community remains of paramount concern and RWWA will continue to closely monitor and follow the advice of health authorities to ensure that appropriate measures are in place.

Please note whilst RWWA endeavours to review and provide the most up to date information, individuals should monitor current advice and requirements of the Australian and Western Australian Governments to ensure you have the most current information.

In the event of any inconsistencies between information on this website and any relevant State or Federal Government requirements, you must strictly comply with the latter.

The information on this website does not constitute medical advice, and individuals should consider their own circumstances and obtain any relevant professional and/or medical advice where necessary.

RWWA does not guarantee the accuracy, reliability, currency or completeness of any material on its website or any linked site. RWWA accepts no legal liability arising from or connected to any material on this website or on any linked site.

RWWA local rule racing vaccination

Last updated 7 February 2022

RWWA has introduced a new rule of racing, which requires racing participants to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19.

The rule states that:

  • Any person (other than a greyhound owner), who is licenced or approved by RWWA or who is otherwise authorised by the RWWA Rules of Racing or stewards to conduct any activity associated with the running of a race meeting, trials, trackwork or similar must be fully vaccinated and ensure their staff and contractors involved in such activities are fully vaccinated by 12.01am on 5 February 2022.

Therefore, activities that are subject to a licence must only be performed by licensed persons who are compliant with the rule.

Licensed persons must ensure their staff and contractors involved in activities associated with the running of a race meeting, trials or trackwork are also fully vaccinated.

Any person who is not compliant with the requirements shall be excluded from attending RWWA approved stables and/or training establishments, any racetracks, trial tracks or other venues controlled or operated by RWWA.

Below is a link to frequently asked questions to provide further information on the new rule. For any further enquiries regarding the rule, please contact licreginfo@rwwa.com.au or (08) 9445 5558.

Providing Proof of Vaccination

  • Instructions for industry participants on how to provide proof of vaccination to ensure compliance with the new rule, is available here.

Further Information

Further information regarding the rule can be found here:

  • Local Rule of Racing
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Providing Your Proof of Vaccination

Current on-course public health measures

Last updated 28 April 2022

The WA Government is easing public health rules for masks, capacity limits and proof of vaccination from Friday 29 April.

The below public health and social measures are relevant to the WA racing sector from 12.01am Friday 29 April:

Capacity limits

  • Two-square-metre rule and capacity limits removed for race clubs.

Proof of COVID-19 vaccination

  • No longer required for entry to racecourses, including industry participants.
  • The WA Rule of Racing requiring industry participants to be vaccinated continues to apply. While proof of vaccination is not required for access to the venue, it may be checked by stewards for licensed persons entering restricted areas.
  • Mandatory workplace vaccination requirements remain in place for race club staff.

Masks

  • No longer mandatory.
  • Masks are encouraged where physical distancing is not possible.

Close contacts

  • Close contacts with no symptoms are not required to isolate for seven days but must:
    • undertake a daily Rapid Antigen Test
    • wear a mask when leaving the house
    • avoid non-essential gatherings and contact with people at risk of severe illness.
  • They should also notify stewards of their close contact status.
  • Close contacts with symptoms must continue to isolate until symptoms resolve and get tested as per existing protocols.
  • If a close contact tests positive, they must isolate for a further seven days as per arrangements for positive COVID-19 cases.

COVID-19 safety and event plans

  • No longer mandatory but still encouraged.

As always, we encourage everyone to keep up to date with the WA Government advice at wa.gov.au/government/covid-19-coronavirus.

COVID-19 testing protocols for jockeys and apprentices

To protect the health and wellbeing of racing participants, RWWA has secured a strong supply of Rapid Antigen Tests (RAT) for jockeys and apprentices, with mandatory testing now in place.

To be eligible to ride at race meetings, jockeys and apprentices must return a negative test, supervised by RWWA at one of the testing locations detailed below, within a two-day period prior to a scheduled race meeting. For example, to ride on a Sunday the test needs to be undertaken on or after Friday morning.

RAT’s will be supplied by RWWA, at no cost to the rider. Initial supplies of RAT’s are nasal swabs and will be self-administered.

Testing will be available between 5am and 9am at trackwork at Ascot Racecourse and Lark Hill on the following days: Tuesday, Friday, Saturday. 

Additional testing will be made available as required when race meetings are conducted on a Monday or Tuesday.

The new protocol aims to ensure riders are routinely screened for COVID-19 twice per week, and therefore safeguarding the health of racing participants, and the continuation of racing in WA.

Please note it is the responsibility of all riders to ensure they undertake a RWWA supervised test in the two days prior to riding at a race meeting.  Any rider who has failed to undertake the RAT in accordance with the new protocol, must contact RWWA Stewards for advice prior to travelling to a race meeting. Under no circumstance can a rider enter a jockeys’ room without having followed such protocol.

Further controls will also be introduced at race clubs to limit persons entering the jockeys’ room during a race meeting.

Any rider exhibiting COVID-19 symptoms, have tested positive to COVID-19 or have been identified as a close contact of a positive case, are not to attend any race meeting or training facility, and must follow State Government advice for testing and isolation.

Further information about the State Government’s testing and isolation guidelines can be found here.

WA government COVID-19 updates

Updated 12 February 2021

Further information regarding the WA Government’s latest updates on COVID-19 can be found at www.wa.gov.au

Racing assist

Last updated 25 March 2020

It is understood that these are uncertain times for many individuals and therefore please be reminded that RWWA’s Racing Assist provides free confidential support through counselling to any licenced participant, whether it be due to racing-related or personal issues. For more information, click here.

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