Growing concern over the virus

● The first sign of concern among Premier League clubs over coronavirus emerged this week when Arsenal insisted all trainingground visitors fill out medical forms, while Newcastle United banned players and staff from shaking hands.

In a move likely to be repeated across the country in sport at professional level, Newcastle have introduced the ban this week on medical advice..

Journalists and members of staff were told to declare whether they had recently been in any risk countries and whether they were experiencing any symptoms.

The form was issued to all visitors 48 hours after fresh guidance was issued in which the league told clubs they were keeping a watching brief.

Football is prime potential breeding ground for its spread. Domestic football has already been hit in Italy, where Juventus and Inter Milan will play behind closed doors today.

A 22-year-old Serie C player, who has not been named, also became the first professional footballer to contract the disease late this week.

Public Health England is advising that people returning from northern Italy should self-isolate if they show symptoms and the Football Association has been holding talks to discuss the potential impact on next month’s friendly between England and Italy at Wembley.

Doubts about the Olympics

The rapid rate of spread in northern Italy has already thrown the Six Nations into disarray, with the match between Ireland and Italy postponed this week. Last weekend’s women’s meeting between Italy and Scotland was also called off.

The Rugby Football Union and other Six Nations countries are likely to wait until a World Rugby meeting in Paris tomorrow to discuss further potential disruption.

There have been doubts about the Olympics in Japan this year, caused, according to tennis’ world No 2 Rafa Nadal, by a “psychosis” over the coronavirus.

“Hopefully, this problem in the world is controlled, can be solved as soon as possible, that the remedy that is needed can be found and that this uncertainty, this psychosis and this fear that exists towards all this be stopped,” said Nadal, who won singles gold at the 2008 Beijing Games and doubles gold in Rio in 2016. “Humanity needs this to stop and everything will return to normal.”

Thomas Bach, the International Olympic Committee president, has said it “is fully committed to a successful Olympic Games in Tokyo starting on July 24”.

Bach’s comments came as the viral outbreak across Japan and dozens of other countries has fuelled concerns about the Games, after a swathe of other sports events were postponed or cancelled.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has stepped up measures to contain the virus, calling on organisers of large events to consider cancelling or delaying them. — © The Daily Telegraph, London and AFP