English football's Premier League suspended until April

Premier League football (soccer) matches have been suspended in England until April 3rd due to COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, a group of the country's major football bodies has announced. It comes on the same day UEFA announced that all Champions League and Europa League matches next week have been postponed. In addition to the Premier League, all other top level English fixtures have also been cancelled Sky News reports.

"In this unprecedented situation, we are working closely with our clubs, Government, The FA and EFL and can reassure everyone the health and welfare of players, staff and supporters are our priority," the organizations said in a statement. Two high-profile cases of COVID-19 have been reported within the English footballing community, while Everton recently announced that its squad was in isolation because of the virus, Sky News notes. The Premier League says it's hoping to reschedule any cancelled matches.

The announcement comes as numerous sports fixtures around the world are being cancelled over the now-pandemic. In the US, the NBA and NHL have both suspended their seasons, while across Europe football leagues have been suspended in Itality, Spain, the Netherlands, Portugal, and Ireland, according to Sky News.