IT’S been one long week of corona-induced fatigue. Incessant finger pointing, who broke the rules? Finding the fall guys. Big Phil finally floundering. Now who else can we find to have broken ‘the rules’?

Who would have ever thought a few rounds of golf in the west or Ireland would linger longer in the Irish headlines than Shane Lowry’s Open win last year? Ah, sport. That was then, this is now.

Working from home, it’s been a week of radio programmes encouraging listeners to ring in with their anger and tell their heartbreaking stories of loved ones lost and sacrifices made.

Yet, despite very few deaths (thankfully) and very few hospital admissions, we are threatened with another possible country-wide lockdown. Many publicans must feel like throwing in the towel on hopes of their business ever opening in 2020.

I’m still humming Bruce’s One Step Up And Two Steps Back in my half vacant mind. It’s how Ireland continues to deal with Covid, while other countries attempt to get some semblance of a normal life and normal trade activities.

Of course, we in racing must count ourselves very lucky to be continuing. HRI’s hands are tied by Government restrictions. The ‘racing from home’ adverts are wearing a little thin but racing continues because we are sure it’s well policed and safe. You’d be hard pressed to argue otherwise. Minimum staff, pre-registering, checks on entry, social distance and all wearing masks in the open air. It could hardly be safer.

But still no prospect of owners allowed back, never mind the public. Can we continue like this? Would 100 owners on the track add measurable risk?

Around Europe, things are changing. Eight meetings in the UK have now been given the go-ahead to get spectators back. And anyone watching Deauville last week could not but be envious of how normal it looked with people around the parade ring. Plus there is the basic knowledge that racing people are fully aware of the need for hygiene to prevent the spread of colds and viruses in equines.

There was a fair summary of things from Gay Kelleway in a recent Racing Post interview. “Racing takes place in an open-air environment. The people at racecourses are not in stadia; they are not standing next to each other. And so many owners are older people: they are sensible and reasonable, and not interested in getting drunk and flouting the protocol. I noticed that when I went to Goodwood – all the owners wore masks. They wouldn’t have gone in the first place if they thought it was dangerous.”

Fewer checks

On my limited travels in my town, I see numerous examples of businesses going on with many fewer checks in place. Perhaps it’s because of quieter streets but I’ve never seen so many people taking driving lessons. They are masked up, of course, but I’d rather go to a racecourse than sit for an hour in a car where someone else sat an hour previously. I went to Blanchardstown Shopping Centre last week. It was busy and felt happily close to a new and safe normal with face masks widley used.

But NPHET advised no sporting gatherings, even though allowing people to meet, distanced in the wide open in sporting stadiums or fields might prevent other congregations in homes, where the virus is reportedly being spread. Our tentative Government agreed. But there must be a balance to be found of keeping going where it is safe to do so. Allowing owners on track is a small step.

Of course we can’t forget where we came from in April and a few airings of the RTÉ documentary from the ICU wards in hospital in that time would serve as a reminder to rigidly enforce the hygiene and socially distanced guidelines.

But we also know what caused the majority of the recent spikes in positive cases. People working in close proximity, for long periods, in chilled conditions. We know the areas that were neglected back in April. We have so much more preventative equipment and measures for the vulnerable than we had in late March. Those vulnerable are looking after themselves and can surely be trusted to do so.

None of the eminent, intelligent professionals in attendance in Clifden felt in any fear for their health or for that of their family and friends for them to sit at a dinner in a room for a few hours. Does that tell us more than the fact that they flouted the guidelines?

An online comment said of the Irish media, if they “had put half as much effort into scrutinising the NPHET guidelines themselves as they have done investigating Phil Hogan’s country road trip, then we’d all be able to go for a pint on our way to a GAA match this weekend.” Maybe that’s trivialising things but so many who enjoy sport are of the same opinion.

Bookmaker Brian Keenan, in his online blog, wrote: “The people are turning on each other. The old are blaming the young for hosting or attending house parties. What do they expect them to do? It’s human nature. They have done their part and flattened the curve like they were asked. The Government are now on a mission to flatten the country and economy.”

It might not be a ‘mission’ but it’s hard not to disagree that little good awaits the racing industry on the approach to autumn and the worst may yet be to come.