Ellis Park confirms 7 individuals tested positive for COVID-19

HENDERSON, Ky (WFIE) - Ellis Park Racing and Gaming confirms seven people associated with the track have tested positive for COVID-19.

Park officials say six of those cases are employees of a single trainer and one case is an individual who worked closely with them. Six people are said to have been residing in the same dormitory.

The Green River District Health Department found positive cases while conducting a mandatory test required by Ellis Park.

Park officials state all individuals are asymptomatic. They say employees of the barn and trainer are under a stay-in-place order and have been quarantined inside the dorm where the outbreak was discovered. One additional individual is quarantined at their home.

“We have notified all Ellis Park employees and all personnel currently working on the backside of these test results,” Jeff Inman, general manager at Ellis Park said. “We will continue to work with health officials and provide updated information to all personnel working on property. We are in the process of conducting contact tracing of these individuals and have asked all Ellis team members that could have been in contact with any of the individuals to be re-tested. No positive cases have been discovered or reported in any of the public areas at Ellis Park.”

Officials with Ellis Park’s parent company believe this recent wave of positive cases will not impact the track’s upcoming racing schedule.

“As of right now, based on everything we know, based on the protocols we have in place in both the racing and gaming operations, we’re confident we will be able to conduct our race meet, beginning the first day, opening day, July 2,” Skip Sayre, chief of sales and marketing for Laguna Development Corporation said. “As the backside opened, and the horses and personnel started coming in, we began testing those folks, so when this particular case came up, we were ready to move quickly and get those folks into quarantine and make sure we protected the integrity of the rest of the operation.”

Ellis Park has been operating its gaming facility under state-mandated capacity restrictions since June 8. The tracks’ backside operations opened on June 10.

Opening day of the annual Ellis Park race meet is scheduled for Thursday, July 2.

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