England set to bring back sports Monday
Paves the way for June 17 Premier League return
Sports events will be allowed to resume in England on Monday without any spectators, providing they comply with the government’s coronavirus protocols.
The guidance for elite sports bodies was published by the government on Saturday as COVID-19 lockdown restrictions that were imposed in March are eased further.
“The wait is over,” Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden said. “Live British sport will shortly be back on in safe and carefully controlled environments.”
It paves the way for the planned June 17 return of the Premier League, the world’s richest soccer competition.
“There is still much work to be done to ensure the safety of everyone involved,” Premier League chief executive Richard Masters said.
The government announcement allows English cricket authorities to plan for international series against West Indies and Pakistan. Formula One is also exploring two races at Silverstone from July, with the season yet to start. The first competitions to return on Monday are set to be horse racing, snooker and greyhound racing, which lined up events in anticipation of the end of an 11-week shutdown of sports.
British horse racing employs tens of thousands of people. The absence of meets since March 17 has left many facing “considerable hardship,” according to the Jockey Club.
“The lockdown has been an incredibly hard period for our industry, and it will be a long road back to recovery,” Jockey Club chief executive Delia Bushell said. “While we are not a human-contact sport, extensive plans are nevertheless in place to create the safest possible environment for participants.”
Athletes and other staff will be required to travel to venues individually and by private transport where possible. Screening for coronavirus symptoms is required before entering. Where social distancing cannot be maintained — staying 2 meters (6 feet) apart — activities need to be risk assessed and mitigated. Media have been told to “minimize crossover” with others at the venue, including players.
There is also a request that “during any disputes between players and referees, or scoring celebrations” they must stay apart.
NFL: Pro Football Hall of Famer Floyd Little, who starred in the NFL for the Broncos, has been diagnosed with cancer, according to a former Syracuse teammate who has set up a GoFundMe page to help pay for treatment costs.
Pat Killorin, a center for Syracuse in the mid-1960s, created the fundraiser last Sunday.
Premier League: There have been no positive results from the Premier League’s latest round of COVID-19 testing. The league says a total of 1,130 players and club personnel were tested in the fourth round of screening, with the all-clear raising confidence around the planned resumption on June 17.
“The Premier League can today confirm that on Thursday 28 May and Friday 29 May, 1,130 players and club staff were tested for COVID-19,” a statement read. “Of these, zero have tested positive.”
The English Premier League was given government approval on Saturday to press ahead with its June 17 restart, although players will have to stay apart during goal celebrations and disputes to maintain social distancing.
Rugby: The South African government maintained a ban on all contact sports competitions on Saturday because of the coronavirus, meaning the country’s professional rugby teams and its world champion Springboks will remain out of action.
The announcement by sports minister Nathi Mthethwa came as South Africa prepares to further ease lockdown on Monday and open up most of its economy as part of a phased relaxation of restrictions.
Tennis: A high-ranking official for the U.S. Open tells the AP that if the Grand Slam tennis tournament is held in 2020, she expects it to be at its usual site in New York and in its usual dates starting in August.
Scenarios include: Charter flights to ferry U.S. Open tennis players and limited entourages from Europe, South America and the Middle East to New York. Negative COVID-19 tests before traveling. Centralized housing. Daily temperature checks. No spectators. Fewer on-court officials. No lockerroom access on practice days.
Each scenario is being discussed for the 2020 U.S. Open — if it is held at all amid the coronavirus pandemic — and described to The Associated Press by a high-ranking official at the Grand Slam tournament.