London (AFP)

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced on Tuesday that the public's return to stadiums would not take place in early October as hoped, due to the resurgence of the coronavirus pandemic in the country.

"We have to recognize that the spread of the virus affects our ability to reopen economic conferences, exhibitions and sporting events," he said.

"So we will not be able to do this on October 1 and I am aware of what this implies for our sports clubs, which are the life and soul of our communities. My friends, the Chancellor of the Exchequer (equivalent of the Minister of the Economy, editor's note) and the Secretary of State for Culture are urgently working on what we can do to support them, ”added Mr. Johnson.

Minister of State Michael Gove had already announced earlier Tuesday that a "mass reopening" of stadiums would not be appropriate, despite the financial difficulties encountered by the sports community due to the economic crisis resulting from the pandemic .

"A phased program for a return of more people was under consideration, there was no question of crowded stadiums," Gove, one of Boris Johnson's closest ministers, told the BBC.

"We are considering a way, for the moment, to put this program on hold, but what we want is that, when the circumstances allow, more people can come back," he added.

Several pilot events, with a capacity limited to 1,000 spectators, had been held in recent days, in the hope of a return of a larger number of people in British stadiums from the beginning of October.

But those that were planned in the coming days, like some rugby matches, have been canceled and will ultimately be held behind closed doors.

Several British competitions, including the English football and rugby championships, have resumed behind closed doors after months of hiatus due to the pandemic.

Sports leaders from more than 100 sports clubs have alerted Boris Johnson to the financial loss of the lack of ticket revenue, asking for emergency help.

Premier League executive director Richard Masters spoke of a "critical" situation earlier this month.

Downing Street on Tuesday announced new restrictions to tackle the pandemic, including closing bars, pubs and restaurants as of 10 p.m. (8 p.m. GMT) and encouraging telecommuting.

The United Kingdom is the most bereaved country in Europe with nearly 42,000 dead, and is currently seeing the number of contaminations "double every seven days", warned the government's scientific adviser, Patrick Vallance, on Monday.

© 2020 AFP