Blue Jays ask feds to approve 'modified quarantine' for unvaccinated players and staff
The Toronto Blue Jays are asking the federal government to approve “modified” quarantine rules that would allow unvaccinated or partially vaccinated players and staff who enter Canada to leave their homes or hotels solely for the purpose of participating in baseball activities.
The club previously said it has received support from both the municipal and provincial governments to return to Toronto this summer but it is still waiting for Ottawa’s response.
As part of the pitch to the feds, the team is asking that the government permit fully vaccinated players and staff to follow the same rules as fully vaccinated Canadians, allowing them to skip the quarantine period after providing a negative COVID-19 test when they arrive. Fully vaccinated individuals will also be subject to weekly testing.
For unvaccinated or partially vaccinated players and staff, the team is asking for the federal government to green light a “modified quarantine” which would allow those people to leave their residences only for baseball activities within the 14-day isolation period.
“Over the past two seasons, the league’s COVID-19 protocols have been extremely effective and in the rare event that a positive case has occurred, the league has demonstrated the ability to contain the virus, including no instances of on-field transmission,” a spokesperson for the team said in an email sent out on Tuesday.
“More than 200,000 COVID-19 monitoring tests have been conducted since the start of the 2021 season, resulting in a 0.03 per cent positivity rate.”
The statement went on to say that the MLB has “extremely high vaccination rates,” with more than 85 per cent of players and personnel across the league fully immunized.
“Significant efforts have been made by the league and teams to provide education, access, and incentives to increase vaccination rates,” the statement read.
The Jays are currently playing home games at Sahlen Field in Buffalo due to border restrictions but the team previously said it hopes to return to Toronto by July 30.
“We remain hopeful to be back home this summer, playing in front of Blue Jays fans at Rogers Centre for the first time in nearly two years and being part of our community’s recovery from the pandemic.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING New York appeals court overturns Harvey Weinstein's 2020 rape conviction from landmark #MeToo trial
New York’s highest court on Thursday overturned Harvey Weinstein’s 2020 rape conviction, finding the judge at the landmark #MeToo trial prejudiced the ex-movie mogul with improper rulings, including a decision to let women testify about allegations that weren’t part of the case.
BREAKING Monthly earnings rise, payroll employment falls: jobs report
The number of vacant jobs in Canada increased in February, while monthly payroll employment decreased in food services, manufacturing, and retail trade, among other sectors.
Doctors say capital gains tax changes will jeopardize their retirement. Is that true?
The Canadian Medical Association asserts the Liberals' proposed changes to capital gains taxation will put doctors' retirement savings in jeopardy, but some financial experts insist incorporated professionals are not as doomed as they say they are.
Remains from a mother-daughter cold case were found nearly 24 years later, after a deathbed confession from the suspect
A West Virginia father is getting some sense of closure after authorities found the remains of his young daughter and her mother following a deathbed confession from the man believed to have fatally shot them nearly two decades ago.
Something in the water? Canadian family latest to spot elusive 'Loch Ness Monster'
For centuries, people have wondered what, if anything, might be lurking beneath the surface of Loch Ness in Scotland. When Canadian couple Parry Malm and Shannon Wiseman visited the Scottish highlands earlier this month with their two children, they didn’t expect to become part of the mystery.
Metro Vancouver mayors call for serial killer Robert Pickton to be denied parole
A dozen mayors from around Metro Vancouver say federal Attorney General and Justice Minister Arif Virani should deny parole for notorious B.C. serial killer Robert Pickton, and reassess the parole and sentencing system for 'prolific offenders and mass murderers.'
What do weight loss drugs mean for a diet industry built on eating less and exercising more?
Recent injected drugs like Wegovy and its predecessor, the diabetes medication Ozempic, are reshaping the health and fitness industries.
2 military horses that broke free and ran loose across London are in serious condition
Two military horses that bolted and ran miles through the streets of London after being spooked by construction noise and tossing their riders were in a serious condition and required operations, a British government official said Thursday.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.