Professional sport WILL be allowed to continue in Scotland in new Covid lockdown… as England awaits Boris Johnson’s announcement of tougher March-style measures tonight
- A new nationwide lockdown will be introduced in Scotland from midnight
- But professional sport is exempt from the new Covid restrictions in Scotland
- Boris Johnson is set to address the nation at 8pm amid the Covid pandemic
- Johnson is set to unveil a brutal national lockdown in a desperate bid to keep the mutant coronavirus at bay
Professional sport will continue as normal in Scotland despite the strict new coronavirus lockdown coming into effect from midnight.
The news comes as Boris Johnson gets set to address the nation today at 8pm and announce further restrictions in the UK amid increasing rises in coronavirus cases.
The Prime Minister is set to unveil a brutal new national lockdown in a desperate bid to keep the mutant coronavirus at bay while vaccines are rolled out.
Professional sport will go ahead as planned in Scotland despite the new covid lockdown
Nicola Sturgeon meanwhile has told the Scottish Parliament that people must stay at home for the rest of January in Level 4 areas, which consist of mainland Scotland and Skye.
But professional sport is exempt from the new stringent measures that have been put in place in Scotland.
The Scottish Government has released an exemption list, which states ‘those involved in professional sports, for training, coaching or competing in an event’ are among those allowed to leave their homes.
A Scottish Football Association statement read: ‘Following the First Minister’s announcement regarding increased restrictions this afternoon, we will liaise with @ScotGov on the impact upon grassroots football. We will a provide further update in due course.’
Professional sport is also not expected to be affected by the new lockdown in England
And elite sport in England is also not expected to be affected by the new lockdown that Johnson will unveil later this evening.
Whitehall sources have told Sportsmail they expect professional football matches to continue behind closed doors.
Sport has come under increasing threat in recent weeks by the new mutant strain, which has led to plenty of events being postponed.
Fulham’s previous two Premier League games have been postponed due to a coronavirus outbreak within the squad, while a spread within the Manchester City squad led to their recent trip to Everton being called off.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson is set to unveil a brutal new lockdown amid a rise in Covid cases
In the EFL, plenty of matches have also been postponed in recent weeks amid the alarming rise in coronavirus cases.
It is understood that England is facing blanket restrictions similar to those imposed during the first lockdown last spring, with fears they will have to last for months until the most vulnerable get jabs.
Official figures yesterday showed a further 54,990 lab-confirmed cases of coronavirus in the UK, up 80 per cent from last week’s case figure of 30,501, while the number of deaths increased by 43 per cent from last Sunday to 454.
More to follow…