The Latest: Scotland FA suspends lower leagues as cases rise

The Latest on the effects of the coronavirus outbreak on sports around the world:

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Scottish soccer authorities have suspended the professional game below the top two divisions for three weeks because of an escalation in coronavirus cases in the country.

The suspension applies to the men’s leagues below the Championship, the leading two women’s leagues, and the men’s Scottish Cup.

The Scottish Football Association says the top-flight Premiership is exempt “provided it continues to adhere to the stringent testing protocols” while teams in the second-tier Championship must start weekly testing.

Scottish FA chairman Rod Petrie says “the risk of mass transportation of untested, largely part-time players is something that cannot be sustained as the cases continue to rise and available hospital beds become increasingly scarce.”

A national lockdown is in place in Scotland until the end of January at least.

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