Caymanas Park continues to feel the pinch from the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown as Supreme Ventures Racing and Entertainment (SVREL), the sole promotor of racing in Jamaica, announced on Friday that they will be scaling down operations within the industry.

Effective Monday, the main racetrack operations will be scaled down to only four days of the week. These four days are from Monday to Thursday.

In a release from the company, it was claimed SVREL had no choice but to scale down operations due to the severe disruptions caused by the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) on the country’s economy, in particular the parish of St Catherine where the racetrack is located.

Racing was last held at Caymanas Park on March 21 before SVREL announced an indefinite lockdown of operations. The race meet that was scheduled for March 22 was not held. However, the racetrack was still being used to house and exercise horses.

SVREL also said for the weeks starting May 11 and May 18, the main racetrack will open for operations for Monday, Tuesday and Friday. And for the week of May 25, the main racetrack will open for operations for only two days, on Monday and Friday.

SVREL announced additional lay-offs and salary reductions, effective this month.

Solomon Sharpe, SVREL’s chairman, stated that during the shutdown and over the last few weeks, the company employed various strategies to maintain business continuity, including having dialogue with the Government, the Project Monitoring Committee and horseracing stakeholders.

Sharpe added that scaled down operation is in keeping “with the available resources at this time and and will continue to ensure that all relevant personnel adhere to the social distancing and other required public health protocols”.

— Ruddy Allen