On Thursday, MLB, NHL, MLS and NCAA all followed the NBA's lead from Wednesday night in suspending their seasons or, in the NCAA's case, canceling its tournaments in wake of the coronavirus outbreak.
The Premier League, however, did not follow suit. The league announced Thursday that this weekend's games would be played as scheduled with fans in attendance.
https://twitter.com/premierleague/status/1238216168755863563
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Via the PL:
Following the latest update from Government issued this afternoon, all Premier League matches will go ahead as scheduled this weekend.
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.
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.
Soccer
The welfare of players, staff and supporters is of paramount importance and we will continue to follow Public Health England guidelines thoroughly.
We will keep everyone updated as appropriate.
Earlier this week, Italy halted all sports events as it tries to contain the spread of the virus.
[RELATED: Coronavirus fears prompt postponement of Man City-Arsenal]
On Wednesday, the World Health Organization labeled COVID-19 a pandemic. On Thursday, the BBC reported the number of coronavirus cases in the United Kingdom reached 460 and that eight people have died in the UK.