The Blue Jays seek an exemption from travel restrictions imposed by the Canadian government to allow the team to play home games at the Rogers Center in Toronto.
A spokesman for the team provided CNN with details of the situation.
Previously, the Blue Jays could obtain an exemption that allowed the team to conduct summer training in Toronto by agreeing to all players remaining in a “modified cohort quarantine” within a footprint that included the Rogers Center and an adjoining hotel. This essentially eliminated the team’s exposure to the general public.
However, that exemption only applies to summer training. The team is working with Canadian authorities on a new exemption under a similar quarantine system that would apply to the MLB regular season. The Blue Jays await a government decision on the team’s fate for the weekend.
Under the Canadian Quarantine Act, anyone entering Canada from the United States is subject to a strict 14-day quarantine. Gatherings of more than 10 people are also prohibited in the city of Toronto. The Blue Jays need permission from city, province and federal governments to bypass these rules and be able to play at the Rogers Center.
The Blue Jays’ first option is to play their home games in Toronto. If Canadian authorities don’t allow this, the team is considering using their Triple-A home in Buffalo, New York, or their spring training base in Dunedin, Florida.
A spokesman for the team tells CNN that the team prefers the Buffalo location due to increasing cases of coronavirus in Florida.
On Tuesday, Canada’s Deputy Director of Public Health, Dr. Howard Njoo, said he was skeptical of any plan that would allow the Blue Jays and other major league teams to travel back and forth between Toronto and the United States where he is. the coronavirus emerged, calling it a “totally different ballgame” than the summer training plan.
As the Blue Jays await a decision from Canadian authorities, the team prepares for exhibition games on July 21 and 22 in Boston against the Red Sox.
If the team has not received a decision from the Canadian government by then, it will have to make its own decision in a location other than Toronto before traveling to play those games, the spokesperson said.
Toronto’s first regular season game is slated for July 24 in Florida against the Tampa Bay Rays. The Blue Jays’ opening game is scheduled for July 29 against the Washington Nationals.
Major League Baseball is planning a regular 60 game season with a normal playoff format to follow.
CNN’s Paula Newton contributed to this report.
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