Governor Cooper has just ordered North Carolina’s ACE Speedway to close immediately, calling the racetrack an ‘imminent hazard’.
This past weekend, the track held several races with packed stands and virtually no social distancing.
Under North Carolina’s Phase 2 restrictions, outdoor gatherings, including car races, are limited to a maximum gathering size of 25 people, except for any gathering that fits under the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, including protests. They attempted to skirt these restrictions by saying the event was being held “in peaceful protest of injustice and inequality everywhere”.
The racetrack must now tell fans that all future events and races will canceled until the 22nd of June.
North Carolina’s official abatement order requiring ACE Speedway to immediately close due to their violation of Executive Order #141.
The order goes on to say that:
“(c) ACE Speedway may propose a plan to abate the imminent hazard that would allow races or other events at ACE Speedway in compliance with Executive Order No. 141. ACE Speedway may not reopen for races or other events until such a plan is approved by NCDHHS. Such a plan shall, at a minimum, require ACE Speedway to:
1. Adhere to mass gathering restrictions of l O spectators inside and 25 spectators outside, consistent with Sections 7 and 9 of Executive Order No. 141; and
2. Ensure that any entertainers or participants in the sporting activities stay six (6) feet away from spectators, consistent with Section 9(D) of Executive Order No. 141; and
3. Post signage reminding attendees, customers, and workers about social distancing (staying six (6) feet away from others) and requesting that people who have been symptomatic with fever and/or cough not enter, consistent with Sections 1 (2)(b) and 9(E)(l) of Executive Order No. 141; and
4. Conduct daily symptom screening of workers, using a standard interview questionnaire of symptoms, before workers enter the workplace, consistent with Sections 1(2)(c) and 9(E)(l) of Executive Order No. 141; and
5. Immediately isolate and remove sick workers, consistent with Sections 1 (2)( d) and 9(E)(l) of Executive Order No. 141; and
6. Perform frequent and routine environmental cleaning and disinfection of hightouch areas with an EPA-approved disinfectant for SARS-Co V-2 (the virus that causes COVID-19), consistent with Sections 1 (2)( e) and 9(E)(l) of Executive Order No. 141″
You can read NCDHHS’ full ORDER OF ABATEMENT OF IMMINENT HAZARD here.
What do you think about the order?