Vaccine site no hurdle for Galway Race Week
By Kiani Hildebrandt
THIS year’s Galway Races are set to go ahead, despite the race course currently being used as a vaccination centre.
Michael Moloney, Chief Executive of the Galway Races confirmed to the Galway Pulse that the Races would go ahead, though it is to early to say if there will be fans in attendance.
However it is not yet clear what will happen to the vaccination site during Race Week. Thousands of people from the West of Ireland have been attending the Racecourse in recent weeks to get their Covid-19 jabs.
The week-long racing festival one of the biggest events of the year for Galway is planned to go ahead from 26 July to 1 August next.
Last year the event went on behind closed doors in accordance with Covid-19 restrictions. The same may happen this year.
However, Mr Moloney said that a timely rollout of the vaccination programme, and easing of restrictions over the summer, could allow some spectators to return this year though he said it was too early to say for sure.
“The racing industry has been fortunate because it can continue behind closed doors. We are fortunate that the racing side will continue no matter what happens, and if we can then we will turn around our facilities quickly to accommodate people,” he added.
Press officer for the HSE Ciara Ní Ruairc said: “The only limiting factor to the vaccine rollout is the global vaccine supply. The HSE has consistently administered 95 per cent of available vaccines and will do all we can to ensure the safe and timely rollout of the vaccination programme.”
For more Galway Pulse stories click here.
