UK government: No pro sports in England until at least June 1

Find out the latest on COVID-19's impact on the sports world and when sports are returning by subscribing to Breaking News push notifications in the Sports and COVID-19 section.

The UK government announced Monday that the suspension of professional sports in England will be extended through May. Sporting events - even those behind closed doors - are banned until at least June 1.

The government unveiled its plans to ease lockdown measures in England in a proposal titled "Our Plan to Rebuild: The UK Government's COVID-19 Recovery Strategy." The second phase of the scheme includes provisions to permit "cultural and sporting events to take place behind closed doors for broadcast while avoiding the risk of large-scale social contact."

But reopening football venues that attract large crowds "may only be fully possible significantly later depending on the reduction in numbers of infections," read the outline.

It's not entirely clear when supporters will be permitted to return to football grounds. Some businesses, such as cinemas, can reopen no sooner than July 4 under Step 3 of the UK government's strategy.

"Some venues which are, by design, crowded and where it may prove difficult to enact distancing may still not be able to reopen safely at this point, or may be able to open safely only in part," read the document.

Premier League clubs are slated to meet Monday for further discussions on "Project Restart" after the top flight of English football suspended play on March 13 with 92 fixtures remaining on the schedule. Plans are in place to return to action no earlier than June 8.