TORONTO – The Toronto Blue Jays will not find out by the end of this week whether they will soon get federal government permission to play in Canada, a government official familiar with the talks told The Associated Press Wednesday.
A spokesperson for the team said the club is continuing to work with the federal government to have the games played at the Rogers Center since July 30 and should receive a response by Friday.
But the government official familiar with the talks said the Blue Jays won’t know if they play Toronto by the end of the week. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because no one was allowed to publicly discuss the talks.
The border between the United States and Canada remains closed to non-essential travel. Major League Baseball will require an exemption for unvaccinated players and team personnel to play in Canada. As of last week, fully vaccinated MLB athletes with valid work permits are no longer required to self-quarantine for 14 days upon entry into Canada, but teams have players who have not been vaccinated. Work must be done to exempt quarantine and the protocols surrounding it.
Another official familiar with the talks confirmed that the team expected a response on Friday based on the talks with the government and said this was the breaking point for the club. The official noted that the team has a long home as of July 30 and accounts for more than 25% of the remaining matches at a critical time on a competitive basis. The Blue Jays finished third in the Eastern American League.
A third official, speaking in the background because he is not authorized to speak publicly, said it would be better if they had a deadline to move what the club needs from Buffalo and prepare for Toronto operations, including ticket sales, although ” preparations have begun at the Rogers Center. ” Already in Toronto.
If the Blue Jays are not granted an exemption for the Family 10 game starting July 30, the next home will begin on August 20. Approval could come in the midst of a widely slated federal election next month. Granting waivers for travel to Canada is politically sensitive. Fully vaccinated Americans and non-essential foreigners remain banned from entering Canada as the government works to get a high percentage of fully vaccinated Canadians by the end of July.
The Blue Jays played their home games during their shortened 2020 season in Buffalo and started this season in Dunedin, Florida before moving to Buffalo. The Canadian government has not allowed the team to play at home in Toronto due to the risk of spreading COVID-19, citing the frequent trips required to the United States during the baseball season.
Toronto last played at the 49,000-seat Rogers Center on September 29, 2019, winning 8-3 over Tampa Bay.
Blue Jays ace Hyun-Jin Ryu Hyun-Jin Ryu signed with the team ahead of the 2020 season and has yet to play a match in Toronto.
The team noted in a statement this week that Major League Baseball has high vaccination rates, with over 85% of players and individuals fully vaccinated. The club said players and staff who have been vaccinated at home and visiting teams will need to show evidence of a negative COVID-19 test without the need for quarantine; And that even fully vaccinated individuals will undergo weekly testing.
The team said unvaccinated and partially vaccinated individuals at home and visiting teams will adhere to the modified quarantine for the first 14 days in Canada. They will be allowed to leave their quarters only to participate in baseball activities at Rogers Center.
