The federal government has said it’s not OK for the Blue Jays to play ball in Toronto during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Ottawa informed the team of the decision on Saturday, citing distresses over the public health risks associated with Major League Baseball’s plan for a 60-game season.
Marco Mendicino, minister of immigration, refugees and citizenship, told CBC News Network that the circumstances did not warrant a border-crossing exemption, particularly in light of the amount of cross-border travel needed and the risks that remained. The plan called for the Blue Jays and visiting teams to cross the Canada-U.S. border regularly
“Look, I’m a baseball fan,” Mendicino said. “But we’re not taking decisions as fans. We’re taking decisions on the evidence of science that we receive and protecting the health and safety of Canadians.” For weeks, senior federal officials have privately expressed concerns about the Blue Jays playing games in COVID-19 hot spots before returning to Toronto while also hosting teams from states U.S. where positive cases are growing fast.
Mendicino said the government is willing to restart plans if the Blue Jays make the playoffs and the risk of the virus spreading has reduced.
The Blue Jays are set to open their season on July 24 at Tampa Bay as Florida continues to set new daily records for COVID-19 cases.
In a statement issued Saturday afternoon, the team thanked municipal, provincial and federal leaders and public health officials “for their detailed consideration and partnership throughout this process.”
“From the onset of discussions with league and government officials, the safety of the broader community — our fans — and the team remained the priority of everyone involved, and with that, the club completely respects the federal government’s decision,” Mark Shapiro, the Blue Jays’ president and CEO, said in the statement.
“Though our team will not be playing home games at Rogers Centre this summer, our players will take the field for the 2020 season with the same pride and passion representative of an entire nation. We cannot wait until the day comes that we can play in front of our fans again on Canadian soil.”
The club is in the route of finalizing the best home location for the remainder of the 2020 season and will share an update as soon as it is available, the statement said.
