This archive report was first published on 11 May 2020.
Restart Hopes Boosted by Government Guidelines ¶
On May 11, the British government published guidelines that could pave the way for the Premier League to restart behind closed doors from June 1.
The guidelines, part of the government's road map for exiting the coronavirus lockdown, set out conditions for various activities to be safely carried out.
According to the guidelines, step two of the process, which cannot begin any earlier than June 1, includes permitting cultural and sporting events to take place behind closed doors for broadcast, while avoiding the risk of large-scale social contact.
However, the guidelines also acknowledge that a return to sport in front of a crowd may only be fully possible significantly later, depending on the reduction in numbers of infections.
International sports events, such as football's European competitions, cricket tours, and Formula One, could be affected by the government's planned introduction of a 14-day quarantine period for arrivals to the UK, except for those from countries on a short list of exemptions.
On the same day, Premier League clubs were meeting to continue their discussions on 'Project Restart', with the English top-flight planning for a return to action no earlier than the week beginning June 8.
