GAME OVER
Premier League fans return in doubt with 1,000 people limits & bans in coronavirus hotspot areas from October 1
FOOTBALL fans’ hopes of returning to stadiums next month have been dashed due to the spike in Covid cases.
Clubs were due to let in a quarter of their stadium’s capacity from October 1 under plans to socially distance fans.
⚠️ Read our coronavirus live blog for the latest news & updates
6
6
But Downing Street has put the plans on hold after government scientists deemed the prevalence of the virus was too high to let fans back so soon.
Ministers, public health officials and clubs will meet to review the plans within days - but insiders cast major doubts on fans returning to the terraces in major numbers next month.
And Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden suggested Christmas was now a more realistic target to getting fans back in any significant numbers.
The Government has ordered trials taking place this weekend to be significantly scaled back.
A range of sporting events are due to take place with fans in seats as government scientists test whether social distancing can work in stadiums.
The pilots - which include games in the Football League, Women's Super League, Premiership Rugby matches and T20 cricket ties will now be limited to just 1,000 fans.
The League Two clash between Cambridge United v Carlisle on Saturday was due to take place with 2,500 fans in the stadium but will now have to be scaled back.
Trials of socially distanced fans at Premier League matches are also likely to be hit.
It dashed hopes of Manchester United's home game against Crystal Palace on September 19 going ahead with 12,000 fans.
The move delivers a major blow for millions of football fans ahead of the start of the 2020/21 football season, which starts this weekend.
Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden said there was still a glimmer of hope for fans to return to stadiums next month but said it was likely the plans will have to be pushed back to closer to Christmas.
He tweeted tonight: "We are keeping under review further easements proposed from 1 Oct but no changes have been announced today - and we continue to plan for the best.
"As I said on Sunday and the PM confirmed today, work continues round the clock on the moonshot project with the ambition of having audiences back much closer to normal by Christmas."
Mr Johnson said the Government will "revise plans to pilot larger audiences later this month" and they will review intention to allow audiences back to stadiums.
However he stressed "it doesn't mean we will scrap it entirely", promising more information soon.
Theatres and sports venues could test all audience members and let in those with a negative result.
He said of the new Salford trial: "Workplaces could be opened up to all those who test negative that morning and allow them to behave in a way that was normal before Covid.
"Those isolating because they are a contact, or quarantining after travelling abroad could, after a period, be tested and released.
"Now that is an ambitious agenda, but we are going to pilot this approach in Salford from next month, with audiences in indoor and outdoor venues.
"And then we hope to go nationwide."
Mass testing will piloted in Salford, rolling out weekly swabs for hundreds of people who pass through shops, transport hubs, public services and places of worship, Mr Hancock revealed last week.
It was revealed today:
- Groups of more than six will be banned from Monday - and anyone who disobeys faced a £100 minimum fine
- Pub-goers and diners will be FORCED to hand over their details when they go out as part of a ramping up of track and trace
- A new army of health and safety inspectors will be rolled out by local authorities to crack down on places not enforcing safety rules
- Britain's borders will be beefed up with fresh plans to force airlines into making sure everyone fills out new passenger forms - leaving officials more time to check people are in quarantine
- Night-time curfews for businesses could be slapped on other areas of the country in future
In his first No10 press conference since July the PM warned Brits face new £100 fines if they meet in groups of more than six indoors or out.
The strict rules apply from Monday to gatherings in homes, pubs and restaurants — and could still be in force at Christmas.
Currently, people only face fines for gathering in groups of more than 30. And they can only legally meet inside with one other household.
6
⚠️ Follow our live blog on Boris Johnson's speech today for the very latest news & updates
But that will be changed so any of the six can be from different households, in an attempt to bring rules in line with outdoor gatherings.
The PM also discussed a border crackdown, with new forms to fill out and extra checks on people who should be quarantining after returning from countries not in the travel corridor.
And he revealed a new law will insist Brits must give test and trace details to pubs and restaurants.
He said he is "sorry" that two whole households will no longer be able to meet if their total exceeds six people.
Mr Johnson said: "This rule of six will of course throw up difficult cases, for example two whole households will no longer be able to meet if they would together exceed the limit of six people and I'm sorry about that, and I wish that we did not have to take this step.
"But as your Prime Minister, I must do what is necessary to stop the spread of the virus and to save lives. And of course we will keep the rule of six under constant review and only keep it in place as long as is necessary."
Rising rates:
Alarming numbers show that England’s Covid infection rates have rocketed from 12.5 per 100,000 last week, to 19.7 this week.
But the rate is far higher among Brits in their late teens and 20s.
Among 17 to 18 year-olds it stands at a staggering 48.1 per 100,000.
Among 19 to 21 year-olds it is even higher at 54.5, while among 20 to 29 year-old it is 41.6 per 100,000.
But it is no higher among school age children.
Senior scientists fear soaring numbers of Brits will end up in hospital and could even die from Covid unless infection rates are quickly and drastically slashed.
Boris begged today: "For the sake of yours and your grandparents health, don't socially gather in groups of more than six now, and when term starts."
In data shared today older people and younger children were not seeing a huge rise in cases, but people aged 30-29 were shown to have a rapid increase.
England's Chief Medical Officer Professor Chris Whitty said it was a "real phenomenon" in which we are seeing real cases going up - with individual testing matching the infection rise.
There are fears curfews could come in for other areas under local lockdown, after Bolton saw pubs and restaurants only allowed to open within certain hours.
Young people have been blamed for the rise in coronavirus cases, with Health Secretary Matt Hancock saying people aged under 25 living in some of the country's richest areas have been pinpointed.
CASE RISE FEARS
When asked if people were not following the rules he added: "We certainly see cases where they are not, and then we take action."
And many new cases are often linked, he said - adding that in Bolton, an outbreak was tied to a single pub which has been asked to close.
"We are seeing problems with social distancing. The rise in cases is largely among younger people, under 25s, especially between 17 and 21," he said.
It comes after police demanded greater powers to fine young Covid flouters — and ahead of tens of thousands returning to university next week.
Most read in Football
The PM said the changes would make it simpler for the public to understand.
READ MORE SUN STORIES
The drastic move comes after alarming figures revealed there were almost 2,500 new cases in the UK yesterday — following two straight days of 3,000 new infections.
The numbers were the highest since May and took the overall total of confirmed coronavirus cases in the UK to 350,000-plus.
6
6
6
Topics