Canucks' safety under scrutiny
Health Ministry concerned about teams flying in and out of Vancouver
An infectious diseases expert, who doubles as an avid hockey fan, is a good combination to confront a COVID-19 protocol problem that could force the Vancouver Canucks to relocate next month for the start of the 2020-21 National Hockey League season.
Dr. Brian Conway is president and medical director of the Vancouver Infectious Diseases Centre. He's also a Canucks season-ticket subscriber, so putting his heart ahead of his head could pose a problem. But it never does. The health of the populace will always be of paramount importance.
The B.C. Ministry of Health hasn't signed off on the league's return-to-play plan.
It's concerned about players travelling to Vancouver, being here for days while playing two, three and possibly four-game sets at Rogers Arena as part of the Canadian division (officially the North Division) schedule.
The NHL and NHL Players' Association have outlined detailed protocol plans to keep players and staff on a restrictive regimen of daily COVID-19 testing and travelling only between the hotel and arena. No walks, no food or drink excursions and no hotel guests.
“There is confusion,” Dr. Conway said Monday.
“They have to try and find the middle ground. The whole concept of a professional exemption to practise comes with some strings attached and players are going to be held to a higher standard. They're going to be subjected to the same concerns (the Health Ministry) has for the general population that could be a lot more risky.”
Last July, the ministry dug in its heels with hub-city bid protocols for testing, isolation and possible tournament stoppage to conduct contact tracing.
It kept Vancouver from becoming a hub city for post-season play, but the ministry was applauded for being prudent.
“I would watch the Ontario situation very closely,” Dr. Conway added.
“They're going into a 28-day, full-on lockdown that starts on Boxing Day. And in being told to only go out for essentials, is hockey essential? If the lockdown becomes untenable, it's going to be hard for the Maple Leafs and Senators to play there.”
On Monday, Ontario Premier Doug Ford said “no decision has been made — that's in front of the health table” on whether Toronto and Ottawa can safely stage games.
The B.C. ministry also responded Monday to the Canucks' concerns.
“We just received the plan in the last few days,” provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry said during a Facebook Live question period. “We're considering it. It's not my only priority right now.
“We're not the only province that expressed concern. We've given options back to the NHL. I think some of the public messaging from the NHL gives the impression of pressure.”
Later, during a COVID-19 briefing she added: “The NHL and the Canucks in particular have a proven record of doing the right things and have been very strong in terms of the protocols. We're looking at this in detail and I've been talking to my colleagues across the country and we'll be responding with our advice in the coming days.”
Provincial Health Minister Adrian Dix went one step further.
“The proposals are significantly different from what was presented in the summer, which was a bubble, and during a time of relatively low COVID-19 caseloads,” said Dix. “They're taking a step back from that and it's something to be reviewed to see if it meets the needs of people.
“And there are other leagues that play hockey and it's important that they all be treated fairly in this process.”
Ontario and Quebec remain COVID-19 hot spots and it's not surprising health officials there have yet to sign-off on the return to play.
On Monday, Ontario reported 2,123 new cases — including 611 in Toronto — and it marked the seventh straight day of more than 2,000 cases. It's no better in Quebec. Health authorities reported 2,108 new cases Monday and for the second day in a row, Montreal recorded more than 700 cases, with 708.
In B.C., Dr. Henry reported 1,667 cases over a three-day period. From Friday to Saturday there were 652 cases, 486 from Saturday to Sunday and 529 from Sunday to Monday. In the Vancouver Coastal Health region that houses Rogers Arena and hotels that visiting teams would patronize, the weekend case count was a 283.
If there's not a resolution in B.C., Ontario and Quebec, a hybrid bubble in Edmonton may work to start the 56-game season on Jan. 13. The Canucks would play eight games over a two-week span at Rogers Place in Edmonton, return to Vancouver for a week, and then charter back to the Alberta capital bubble.
If B.C. is the only province that doesn't receive health approval, then the Canucks would be forced to relocate and Edmonton would again make sense with a practice facility attached to the arena.
“If players are to return to their families for a week, those families must have no symptoms and strictly adherent to the public health rules,” Dr. Conway said. “This must not be perceived as a compromise or special treatment of professional athletes, but as something that is fully consistent with what the rest of the population is doing.”