London Marathon ‘will be postponed until October’ over coronavirus chaos
London Marathon is set to be postponed until October as the coronavirus chaos escalates.
It comes after cases in the UK climbed to 798 this afternoon as the deadly bug continues to infect the nation.
The London Marathon is expected to be postponed this year due to the coronavirus pandemicCredit: Getty Images – Getty
Sources close to the London Marathon told The Sun the event was due to be called off this afternoon.
The expected confirmation will be a blow to athletes who have been training hard to hit the capital’s streets next month.
It had already been feared the annual event, which draws in runners and spectators from all over the globe, would be affected as the outbreak worsened.
The 40th London Marathon was due to take place on April 26, with Health Secretary Matt Hancock already warning last week it could be restricted or cancelled.
Earlier today the Premier League also bowed to pressure and announced they are suspending the season for three weeks amid the coronavirus outbreak.
It comes with the football world in crisis as Uefa also announced ALL Champions League and Europa League matches scheduled for next week have been postponed.
The country’s top scientists has warned more than 60 per cent of Brits need to catch coronavirus to develop ‘herd immunity’
Cities and towns across Britain appeared deserted at times today as people worked from home and avoided shops and transport links over concerns about the virus.
Anyone with a cough or fever must now stay at home for seven days, after an emergency COBRA meeting yesterday ramped up the fight.
Last night Prime Minister Boris Johnson said schools would not close yet despite almost 600 people catching the virus, with 20 positive cases in Northern Ireland.
The PM yesterday confirmed Britain is in the “delay” phase to try and stem the spread.
He said: “At all stages we have been guided by the science and we will do the right things at the right time.
“We are not closing schools now, the scientific advice is that this could do more harm than good at this time.
“Of course we are keeping this under review and this may change as the disease spreads.
“Schools should only close if they are specifically advised to do so.”
Ireland yesterday announced all schools there would close until the end of March to stop the infection taking hold
Mr Johnson last night described the outbreak the “worst public health crisis in a generation” and “it will spread further” as he revealed new measures to try.
He told the nation to stay at home if they have a cough, adding: “Many more families are going to lose loved ones before their time.”
The PM admitted there would be “severe disruption”, but the Government was ready to adapt to keep people safe.”
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has declared the outbreak a global pandemic as 126,000 people have been diagnosed with the killer bug across 114 countries.
Read Also:Farah caught up in controversy over 2014 London Marathon injection
More than 4,600 people have died – around 3,000 of them in China – after contracting COVID-19 across the globe.
WHO director-general Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the medical body has “rung the alarm bell loud and clear”.