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The UK government has given the go-ahead for the Premier League and other professional sports to return behind closed doors starting June 1, provided their five tests to control the coronavirus are met.
The news was contained in a 60-page document, Our Plan to Rebuild, which outlines the government’s strategy for recovering from the pandemic.
The sport could be resumed as part of the second stage of the government’s recovery plan. This would allow “cultural and sporting events to take place behind closed doors for transmission, avoiding the risk of large-scale social contact.”
The document advises that “organizations must prepare accordingly” for any reopening, but states that any progress will depend on the five government tests, which include a “sustained and constant drop” in the daily death rate, as well as a decrease in the rate of coronavirus infection at “manageable levels”.
Government plans rule out any elite sports activities before June, putting an end to hopes of an early return. The plans can also apply only to England, with delegated governments having the ability to adjust restrictions at different rates.
Meanwhile, the possibility of fans returning to live sporting events remains distant. The third stage of the government plan, which could be implemented from July, suggests the possible reopening of interior spaces such as cinemas and hairdressers.
He goes on to add, however, that: “Some places that are by design overcrowded and where it may be difficult to establish spacing cannot yet be safely reopened at this point, or may only partially be able to be safely opened.” The opening of such locations, according to the document, “may only be fully possible significantly later on.”
Further guidance on the return of elite sport is expected shortly from a task force led by UK Sport CEO Sally Munday. On Monday afternoon, the Premier League met to discuss its protocols that would allow any return to the game to occur safely. – Guardian
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