- Steve Bruce says the move was advised by the club’s doctor as a precautionary measure
- The Magpies usually have a tradition of shaking hands before beginning a training session
- This is however set to change in the wake of a Coronavirus outbreak in several countries
Even as the world continues to be on high alert
against the Coronavirus, sections of Premier League
sides are not willing to take any chances. Such is the case with Newcastle United who have banned players and staff from shaking hands in the training ground.
Speaking on the new directive, Newcastle manager
Steve Bruce explained it was a necessary measure
as advised by their medic Paul Catterson amid
growing fears of the spread of the virus since there
have been reported cases in the UK. "There's a ritual here that everybody shakes hands
as soon as we see each other every morning -
we've stopped that on the advice of the doctor,”
the gaffer was quoted by Sky. Boko Haram: Nigerian Senate calls for military base
in Sambisa Bruce also admitted there was a subtle panic in
Newcastle as is the case with everywhere in the
world over the virus. “Let's hope it doesn't get any worse. We are like
everyone else, glued to the TV seeing what
happens next. We are mindful of bugs sweeping
through,” the 52-year-old said. As it stands, none of the Newcastle players have
exhibited any flu-like symptoms and the
management intends on keeping it that way. The Coronavirus question has filtered into football,
with a number of games postponed as a safety
measure. In Northern Italy, the death toll has risen to an alarming 17.
In China, the Super League which was scheduled to begin this month, was cancelled as the country
continues to undergo a necessary quarantine. So far, the virus has spread to 25 countries
including the U.S., the U.K., Singapore, France,
Russia, Spain and India.
The World Health Organization (WHO) also declared
the outbreak an international health emergency. Newcastle face Burnley over the weekend with
Steve Bruce set to change formation after admitting
his side have been fairly uncreative. The Magpies have only mustered one win in nine
matches and currently lie 14th on the log, seven
points adrift of safety. Earlier, Legit.ng reported that the Federal Ministry of Health has confirmed the first case of the new coronavirus (COVID-19) in Nigeria. The case, which was confirmed on Thursday,
February 27, was discovered in an Italian citizen
who works in Nigeria and just returned from Milan to the country. The Federal Government has been strengthening
measures in advance to curtail any outbreak and
has now activated the National Emergency
Operations Centre in Lagos to ensure the disease does not spread further.