It’s still unclear when the Vancouver Canucks will be given clearance to return to the ice, after 21 players, including 18 on the permanent roster, tested positive for COVID-19.
Officials held a news conference on Friday to provide an update, saying the team is still expecting to finish its 56-game schedule.
Team physician Dr. Jim Bovard said the Canucks are working with provincial health officials and Vancouver Coastal Health to determine next steps.
“They have been looking at us very closely and working with us in terms of when we can come back, and that is evolving process,” Bovard said.
“We will restart work online when they give us the clearance to do so.”
Bovard said the virus is now spreading from players to their close contacts, including family.
It is unclear how many people have contracted COVID-19 due to this specific outbreak.
The original case was linked to an individual in the organization, widely believed to be forward Adam Gaudette.
Bovard said the individual went somewhere in the community, following public health guidelines, and it was later determined that the virus had been spreading in that setting.
“There is no culprit here other than the COVID virus itself,” Bovard said.
“Everybody has been working incredibly hard over the last year to avoid getting it and despite their best effort, this can happen.”
The team has confirmed a variant case of the virus is involved, but said they have not been able to determine which variant.
Bovard said the team, public health and the league will review public health measures and determine whether any changes are needed, such as additional masking, physical distancing or eating guidelines.
The team is sitting in fifth place in the North Division. The remaining games have not yet been rescheduled and the overall impact to the schedule is not known.
“We are following the curve like every other curve. We had a peak in cases and it is starting to slow down,” Bovard said.
“We are moving away from the new infection phase to dealing with the infection phase and starting into the recovery.”