England set to bring back sports Monday

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 and the absence of meets since March17 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.”