Football fans across Britain advised not to attend matches as Covid cases soar

Dr Nikki Kanani advised football fans to only go to a stadium to get a vaccine or help to give a vaccine

Football fans across Britain have been advised not to attend matches in stadiums as Covid cases rise sharply across the country. The United Kingdom recorded its highest ever number of new Covid cases in a single day on Wednesday. In response, Professor Chris Whitty, England's chief medical officer, and Dr Nikki Kanani, medical director of primary care for NHS England, recommended that people limit their interactions with others as Christmas approaches. The government has yet to prohibit crowds from attending football games in stadiums, but Dr Kanani advised supporters to stay away as the Omicron variant continues to sweep across the nation. "My advice would be, if you're going to go to a stadium at the weekend, make it one where you can get your vaccine or help out to give a vaccine, rather than going to watch a match," she said at the Downing Street press conference. Prof Whitty added: "I think what most people are doing - and I think this seems very sensible - is prioritising the social interactions that mean a lot to them and, to prioritise those ones, de-prioritising ones that mean much less to them," he said. The recent surge in Covid cases has already had an impact on football. A series of outbreaks has seen games postponed across the football pyramid, with Manchester United's game at Brentford and Watford's visit to Burnley among the most recent to be called off. Football authorities are coming under increasing pressure to take action to avoid the crisis from deepening. Brentford boss Thomas Frank used his press conference on Thursday morning to call on the Premier League to postpone this weekend's fixtures to "break the chain" as each top flight club battles with outbreaks. Related links:

• Thomas Frank calls on Premier League to postpone all this weekend’s fixtures
• Man Utd return more positive Covid tests after training return
• Brendan Rodgers expresses ‘disappointment’ as PL refuse to postpone Leicester vs Spurs