EPL to continue during new lockdown

LONDON: Premier League football and other forms of elite professional sport in England will be allowed to continue despite new national lockdown restrictions announced by the British government on Monday.

Nearly 56 million people in England will return to a full coronavirus lockdown, possibly until mid-February, to try to cut spiralling infection rates, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said in a televised address.

The measures, which include the closure of primary and secondary schools, will come into effect Wednesday, he said after Scotland announced similar measures to come into force from midnight (0000 GMT) on Tuesday. But a list of exemptions published by the UK government allowed “elite sportspeople (and their coaches if necessary, or parents/ guardians if they are under 18) – or those on an official elite sports pathway – to compete and train”.

One key point in determining whether a sporting competition can go ahead will be if it has, as the Premier League does, a testing regime and the provision of biosecure bubbles in place.

Matches, however, will continue to be played behind closed doors.

Prior to Johnson’s announcement, England Netball announced their home series with Jamaica, scheduled for late January, had been postponed because of international travel restrictions between Britain and the Caribbean island imposed as a result of the pandemic.

A lockdown similar to the one introduced in England in March last year as a result of a rising number of Covid-19 cases means outdoor gyms, golf courses and tennis courts will close, with amateur outdoor team sports prohibited.

Johnson’s announcement followed a statement earlier on Monday by Nicola Sturgeon, the First Minister of Scotland, that will see professional sport continuing in Scotland despite rising numbers of Covid-19 cases. — AFP