Government makes coronavirus decision on Premier League fixtures ahead of Newcastle United v Sheffield United

The Premier League’s fixture programme is under threat from the fast-spreading coronavirus.

There are contingency plans to play top-flight games behind closed doors. However, at a press conference today it was revealed that the Government would not yet order sporting events to be played behind closed doors – or be postponed – after taking advice from experts.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson – who has labelled coronavirus as the “worst public health crisis for a generation” – said the Government was "considering the question of banning major sporting events".

He said the evidence suggests it will "have little effect on the spread" of coronavirus, though such events did place a burden on public services.

Johnson said: “We are considering the question of banning major public events such as sporting fixtures.

“The scientific advice is that this will have little effect on the spread but there's also the issue of the burden such events can place on public services.”

A number of others major leagues – including those in Spain, Portugal, the USA and the Netherlands – have already been postponed until the end of March.

But for the time being, English leagues will not be following suit, meaning Newcastle United’s Premier League game with Sheffield United at St James’s Park on Saturday looks set to go ahead as scheduled.

Patrick Vallance, Chief Scientific Adviser, said: “Of course there is a risk.

“But as one individual you are releasing the virus from your body as you cough or sneeze, but on average one person infects two or three others. You therefore have a very low probability of infecting a large number of people in a stadium - and a rather higher probability of infecting people closer to you.

“That means that most of the transmission tends to take place actually with friends and colleagues in close environments, not in the big environments.

“It's true that with any cancellation of things you can have some effect, but if you then have a displacement activity where you end up with everyone congregating somewhere else then you may perversely have an increased risk.”