LONDON, Sept 22 (Reuters) – The British government said on Tuesday it was delaying the controlled return of fans to sports stadiums as part of new restrictions to deal with a second wave of the coronavirus.
It was planned to allow 25% to 33% capacity in sports stadiums from October 1, which would have generated additional money for the sports world after months of competitions without fans.
“The spread of the virus is affecting our ability to reopen business conferences, exhibitions and major sporting events to the public,” Prime Minister Boris Johnson said in parliament.
“We won’t be able to do that on October 1,” he added. “I realise the implications for our sports clubs, which are the life and soul of our communities.”
“A mass reopening at this stage would not be appropriate,” minister Michael Gove had earlier told the BBC.
Faced with this new scenario, the country’s sports organizations are preparing a request for more financial aid.
(Reporting by Guy Faulconbridge, Sarah Young, Mitch Phillips and Alan Baldwin; Translated by Jorge Martinez)
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