Newcastle outlaw handshakes amid Coronavirus wave

Newcastle have introduced a training ground handshake ban because of coronavirus, says manager Steve Bruce.

More than 80,000 people have been infected by the virus worldwide, resulting in nearly 2,800 deaths.

“There’s a ritual that everybody shakes hands when we see each other every morning – we’ve stopped that on the advice of the doctor,” said Bruce.

“Thankfully, we’ve got a superb doctor here and he will keep us informed of what we have to do.”

Bruce added: “We’re like everybody else, we’re glued to the TV for where it’s going to go next and let’s hope it doesn’t get any worse in this country.”

Major sporting events, including Six Nations rugby and the Chinese Grand Prix, have been postponed because of the virus, which originated in China but has since spread to more than 50 countries.

Three more cases of the virus were confirmed in the UK yesterday, bringing the total number in the country to 19.

The Premier League says clubs are following the same NHS and government advice issued to all businesses and venues which are used by large numbers of people.