On Friday (Nov. 20) Woodbine Entertainment issued a statement in response to the Government of Ontario’s announcement regarding Toronto and Peel regions moving to ‘Lockdown’.
"Since the beginning of our province’s fight against the COVID-19 pandemic earlier this year, our commitment to public safety has not wavered," said Woodbine in its statement. "We are extremely supportive of the Government’s efforts to reduce the spread of COVID-19 throughout our community. Furthermore, we are very proud of our safety record at Woodbine Racetrack and Woodbine Mohawk Park in this regard.
"To that end, we are currently working to understand the implications this recent news will have on Thoroughbred racing at Woodbine Racetrack and the thousands of people it supports throughout the province."
According to the Goverment of Ontario's guidelines and COVID-19 framework, proposed measures for regions in 'lockdown' state that only training will take place, with "no races" and "no spectators" for racetracks. According to the Toronto Sun, Woodbine's CEO Jim Lawson noted that “The lockdowns are proposed measures and have not yet been approved by Cabinet and are subject to change.”