Prime minist­er Boris Johnso­n has warned that the virus would lead to more deaths­LONDON: English soccer has defied the global trend of postponing sports events by announcing that a full round of fixtures with spectators present will go ahead as planned this weekend despite the continued spread of the coronavirus. The organising bodies of the Premier League and the English Football League (EFL), responsible for the three divisions below the top flight, issued statements on Thursday saying the games would go ahead as normal. “Following the latest update from government issued this afternoon, all Premier League matches will go ahead as scheduled this weekend,” said a statement on the league’s website. “While the Prime Minister advised that all sporting events should take place as normal for now, he also indicated that Government is considering banning major public events, like sporting fixtures,” added the Premier League statement. “We are therefore continuing to work closely with our clubs, government, The FA, EFL and other relevant stakeholders to ensure appropriate contingency plans are in place as and when circumstances change.

Source: The Express Tribune March 12, 2020 22:30 UTC