Dubai to hold major horse race without spectators in move to contain coronavirus

The Dubai World Cup, planned for March 28, is the world’s richest purse for horse racing, with a $12 million prize last year. (AFP)

• Arabian Gulf countries have been scrambling to contain the outbreak
• The Dubai World Cup, planned for March 28, is the world’s richest purse for horse racing, with a $12 million prize last year

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates: Dubai announced Friday that it would hold a major horse race without spectators later this month in response to the new coronavirus.
Arabian Gulf countries have been scrambling to contain the outbreak, which has infected thousands of people in nearby Iran — one of the largest clusters of cases outside China.
The Dubai World Cup, planned for March 28, is the world’s richest purse for horse racing, with a $12 million prize last year. Dubai’s crown prince, Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum, separately announced a $400 million stimulus plan for the city-state whose real-estate market and tourism industry have been hard-hit by the virus.
Dubai International Airport, the busiest for international travel and home to long-haul carrier Emirates, has seen passenger numbers plummet.
For most people, the coronavirus causes only mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia. The vast majority of people recover from the new virus and the COVID-19 illness it causes.