Sports governing bodies and broadcasters to meet government amid staging of sports events behind closed doors due to Coronavirus outbreak
Sports governing bodies and broadcasters will meet with government officials later on Monday to discuss the staging of events behind closed doors if the coronavirus outbreak worsens and mass gatherings are banned.
The meeting is unlikely to be attended by ministers, but senior government officials will seek advice on the practicalities of staging sports events without fans, should it be needed.
It will be hosted by the government’s Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) in London.
In football related events, measure to curb the spread of the coronavirus have already put in place after the government asked the Premier League “to step up its contingency planning”.
In response, the Premier League and EFL said pre-match handshakes between both teams and officials will not take place until further notice because of fears over the spread of coronavirus.
Several clubs have instructed players not to sign autographs or take selfies with fans.
On Sunday, European football’s governing body Uefa told players and officials not to carry out pre-match handshakes in all its competitions until further notice.
Now, the government meets with stakeholders of all sporting events in England including the EPL and EFL to consider playing matches behind closed doors if the rapid spread of the Coronavirus which originates from China continues.
