Cheltenham crowds spark fears of repeated 'super-spreader' gathering

Spectators huddled in stands and viewing areas near finishing line to catch glimpse of horses

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  Jockey Bryan Cooper makes his way through the packed crowds on Bring On the Night during day one of the Cheltenham Festival in England. PA

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  An aerial view of the spectators in the grand stand before the start of the first race. Reuters

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  Crowds watch the action during day one of the Cheltenham Festival. PA

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  A racegoer during the Ukraine Appeal National Hunt Challenge Cup Amateur Jockeys' Novices' Chase. PA

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  Runners turn away from the grandstand during The Ultima Handicap Chase. Getty

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  Racegoers enjoy the action. PA

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  Brazil, ridden by jockey Mark Walsh, speeds past the crowds on its way to winning the Boodles Juvenile Handicap Hurdle. PA

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  Racegoers next to the parade ring as they make their way around the course. PA

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  A packed stand during day one of the Cheltenham Festival. PA

The Cheltenham Festival has this week drawn tens of thousands of avid horse racing fans to the Gloucestershire racecourse, sparking fears it could become a “super-spreader event” amid rising Covid-19 cases.

Photos showing packed stands and spectator areas on the first three days of the four-day event prompted concerns about the potential for another outbreak of the virus linked to the gathering.

In March 2020, right as the coronavirus was beginning to grip the UK, the government faced backlash for allowing Cheltenham to go ahead, while the Jockey Club, owners of the racecourse, also came in for severe criticism.

As infections in the UK are once again on the rise, there are fears the festival — one of the biggest fixtures in the annual British racing calendar — could be a repeat of the event two years ago.

Day one of the Cheltenham Festival on Tuesday drew crowds of spectators to the racecourse. PA

Cases of the virus are on the rise among those over age 55, while hospital staff absences in England are also climbing.

The number of NHS hospital employees in England who called in sick due to Covid-19 have jumped to the highest levels in more than a month, figures released on Thursday showed, with numbers climbing in all regions.

An average of 17,579 staff at hospital trusts in England — 2 per cent of the total workforce — were absent each day last week, either because they were sick with Covid-19 or were self-isolating. The figure is up 19 per cent from the previous week and is the highest since the 21,325 absences reported in the week to February 13.

The data shows all regions have reported a week-on-week increase in Covid absences among hospital staff. The South-West of England recorded the biggest rise (32 per cent), followed by East England (30 per cent) and South-East England (25 per cent).

The figures, from NHS England, are the latest sign that coronavirus is becoming more prevalent again, after a period of falling infections in late January and February.

Covid patient levels continue to rise across the country — though more than half of people in hospital with coronavirus are still being treated primarily for something else.

Last week, it was found that the number of over-55s contracting coronavirus had surged to the second-highest level in two years.

Cheltenham critics took to Twitter to voice their concerns about a possible re-run of the outbreak at the mass gathering in 2020.

“Two years ago, the Cheltenham Festival turned out to be a Covid super-spreader event. I fear that history might be about to repeat itself,” said Keith Burge, former head of the Institute of Economic Development.

A second user sought to remind others how the 2020 festival “acted as a super-spreader event to start the pandemic” and mused: “Anyone else see a mirror of 2020?”

Another said she found the pictures showing “jam-packed unmasked crowds” at the racecourse “worrying”.

And another tweeted: “Pictures of the Cheltenham festival crowds, no one wearing a mask. Wasn’t it Cheltenham that kicked off the first Covid wave?”

Last year, the race meeting in Gloucestershire was held without spectators, in keeping with government rules at the time on mass gatherings.

The festival typically attracts up to 70,000 people each day.

Racegoers react as they watch a race at the Cheltenham Festival on Thursday. PA

Over the course of a week, hundreds of thousands of people from across the UK and abroad descend on the racecourse, throwing the town in West England into the national spotlight.

Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, cancelled a visit to Cheltenham this week, as it is understood she is pacing herself while recovering from Covid.

The future queen consort has recently recovered from a bout of the virus but has been left with a slight cough.

The duchess was due to spend Thursday at the races and present trophies to the winning owner, jockey and trainer of the Queen Mother Champion Chase, but Princess Anne hosted the prize-giving ceremony in her place. Princess Anne's daughter, Zara Tindall, was also spotted at the course.

Fears of the virus spreading among the local population and in other places as a result of the festival come as an English health body said this week that more than 1,000 NHS staff are off work due to “Covid-related problems”.

Paul Johnson, of the NHS Devon Clinical Commissioning Group, said a recent surge in cases across the county in South-West England is hitting the health service hard.

However, he stressed the figures had not shown a rise in the number of Covid-positive people becoming seriously ill.