At 8 p.m. Saturday evening, French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe announced stricter social distancing measures due to the coronavirus, and that all places non-essential to French living including restaurants, cafes, cinemas and clubs, will be closed beginning at midnight on Saturday, Jour de Galop reported. At this time, French racecourses, which are currently racing without spectators for the foreseeable future, will remain open.
France Galop's President Edouard de Rothschild and Managing Director Olivier Delloye both confirmed late Saturday evening to the JDG that racing will continue in “closed camera” mode, but that the situation remains delicate. France's PMU is affected by the closure, as all businesses where the PMU operates that does not also have the designation of café, must be shuttered.
Irish and German racing is also currently being conducted without spectators, while racing in the UK has proceeded very much as normal. All Italian racing has been suspended until at least Apr. 3, as the entire country is in lock down.
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