The Blue Jays, the only team in major league Baseball based in Canada, received on Thursday the permission of the canadian government to use its stage in Toronto to train for the pandemic COVID-19.
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July 3, 2020 21h06
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Host baseball games in Toronto could pose risks
Melissa Couto
The Canadian Press
The Toronto Blue Jays have been granted permission to begin their camp summer at the Rogers Centre, but the deputy chief of the public health agency of Canada says that to host matches of the season would be “a different story”.
The Blue Jays, the only team in major league Baseball based in Canada, received on Thursday the permission of the canadian government to use its stage in Toronto to train for the pandemic COVID-19.
A decision has still not been made whether or not the Rogers Centre can accommodate matches of the season, which would include the travel, constant across the canada-u.s. border.
The doctor Howard Njoo, deputy chief of the public health agency of Canada, said Friday that the plan could be risky.
“We should certainly examine very carefully what the proposal will be put forward by the major league Baseball. And more particularly by the Blue Jays, said Njoo. Several States currently have an activity level high enough to COVID-19. I think it is a matter of carefully looking at the plan that would be proposed.”
Training camps were to begin Friday in the four corners of the league, but the Blue Jays are slightly delayed as their players and their staff submit themselves to the process of admission and screening in Dunedin, Florida, in their stadium spring training session.
The president and ceo of the Blue Jays, Mark Shapiro, said Thursday that both screening tests negative, the COVID-19 would be needed before anyone climbs aboard a private plane in the direction of Toronto.
Unlike the NHL and the NBA, which is planning to play matches in cities-bubbles or in a large complex where their season, respectively, will resume, the teams of the Major will be required to travel to play overseas games against rivals section, or teams that correspond to their section, but in the other league.
This means that the Blue Jays would have to travel to Boston, New York, Baltimore, Tampa Bay, Miami, Atlanta, Philadelphia and Washington. The teams of these cities should also come to Canada on multiple occasions.
“Our priority is to protect the health and safety of all Canadians, said Njoo. Of course, there are many aspects that we must consider. Not only in regards to the Blue Jays, but also in terms of risks of go back and forth at the Rogers Centre in Toronto. The Blue Jays are the only canadian team of the Major and it must be one of the aspects to consider if they want to go forward with the season.”
The season was shortened from 60 parties must begin on July 23 and 24 and should last for 66 days.
Several players and members of the staff of the Blue Jays have recently been reported positive for the COVID-19. The team has also had to close its operations after a player had shown symptoms of the virus.
Florida has reported Thursday a 10-109 new cases of COVID-19, a peak, while Ontario has reported 153 new cases for the same day.
Because anyone entering Canada for reasons which are not essential should be isolated for 14 days, the major league Baseball needed a letter of exemption from the federal government to allow a “quarantine, modified”.
The doctor Theresa Tam, the director-in-chief of the public health agency of Canada, indicated that the model of a quarantine as amended would reduce the risk of players or staff members to spread the COVID-19 in Toronto.
