CANADA SAYS NO TO BLUE JAYS HOME GAMES

The Blue Jays have been denied approval by the Canadian government to play in Toronto amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Immigration Minister Marco Mendicino announced in a statement Saturday the federal government had denied the request. The team had been given clearance by city and provincial governments to play regular season games at Rogers Centre and was awaiting approval from Canada’s federal government.

“Unlike preseason training, regular season games would require repeated cross-border travel of Blue Jays players and staff, as well as opponent teams into and out of Canada. Of particular concern, the Toronto Blue Jays would be required to play in locations where the risk of virus transmission remains high,” Mendicino said.

“Based on the best available public health advice, we have concluded the cross-border travel required for MLB regular season play would not adequately protect Canadians’ health and safety. As a result, Canada will not be issuing a National Interest Exemption for the MLB’s regular season at this time.”

The Blue Jays were informed via a phone call. The team’s alternate site for home games is its training facility in Dunedin, Florida, one of the states that has been hit hardest by the virus. Players have said they would prefer to play in Toronto.

MLB needed an exemption to a requirement that anyone entering Canada for nonessential reasons must self-isolate for 14 days. The U.S.-Canada border remains closed to nonessential travel until at least Aug. 21. COVID-19 cases are surging in the U.S., while Canada has flattened the epidemic curve.