The Toronto Blue Jays will not be able to play home games in Toronto amid the coronavirus pandemic, Canadian officials ruled Saturday.
The Blue Jays had received authorization from the City of Toronto and the Province of Ontario to play their 30 regular-season scheduled local games at the Rogers Center. However, the Canadian government rejected the team’s request.
“Based on the best public health advice available, we have concluded that the cross-border travel required for the MLB regular season game would not adequately protect the health and safety of Canadians,” announced Immigration Minister Marco Mendicino, in his statement on Saturday. “As a result, Canada will not issue a national interest exemption for the MLB regular season at this time.”
Earlier this week it was reported that the Blue Jays were exploring possible alternative sites. Including Buffalo, New York. In a statement released Saturday, the team says it hopes to finalize the plans soon.
The Blue Jays are slated to open the regular season on Friday night in Tampa against the Rays. Toronto’s first home game was scheduled for July 30 against the Washington Nationals.
Why the Tiles request was rejected
The Blue Jays and Major League Baseball sought an exemption from the requirement that anyone entering Canada for non-essential reasons must isolate themselves for 14 days. This decision is basically the government of Canada saying that the MLB season is not an essential business, or at least not essential enough to risk undoing the success they have had in flattening the coronavirus curve.
According to an Associated Press report, the border between the United States and Canada will remain closed to non-essential travel until at least August 21. If she gets up, she could theoretically allow the Blue Jays to play in Toronto in September. That seems unlikely, though, with Canadian officials committed to limiting round-trip travel until the United States can handle the pandemic.
Why did the NHL receive a waiver?
While MLB and the Blue Jays were denied, the National Hockey League received a waiver for its reopening on July 30. This is because the circumstances presented are completely different.
The rest of the NHL season will be limited to two Canadian cities: Edmonton and Toronto. The teams will only leave once their season ends. The Blue Jays would have come and gone several times during the MLB’s 60-game season.
The Blue Jays got a waiver to host a summer camp in Toronto, but that deal required players to isolate themselves in hotel rooms. Once the Blue Jays leave for their exhibition game in Boston on Tuesday, they will be out of Canada until the season ends or regulations in Canada change.
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