Activities have been put on hold at Hockey Canada’s selection camp for the National Junior Team, after two players tested positive for COVID-19.
The organization confirmed the positive tests in a statement on Tuesday, saying that a scheduled game had been postponed following the news.
According to Hockey Canada, the affected players have been placed in quarantine at the team hotel in Red Deer, Alberta.
“Upon learning of the positive test [Tuesday] morning, the decision was made to postpone the Red-White game scheduled for [Tuesday] morning at the Westerner Park Centrium, and to suspend all camp activities for today,” said Scott Salmond of Hockey Canada.
“As per Hockey Canada’s safety protocols, all players, coaches and staff members took mandatory COVID-19 tests upon arrival at camp and have continued to be tested regularly throughout the past ten days,” he continued, adding that all players, coaches and staff will be retested before activities resume.
Local and provincial health authorities in Alberta have been informed of the positive cases.
Just three days before the announcement, Hockey Canada said that a “non-core member of its National Junior Team staff” had tested positive.
At the time, the organization said that “staff took immediate action and implemented all precautionary measures to avoid risk of exposure” and that a scheduled game would not be called off, since “protocols have dictated that the health and safety of the athletes has not been compromised.”
The camp is set to run until December 13. Hockey Canada says that players, coaches and staff are tested every three to four days, but screened daily for symptoms.
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Photo courtesy Hockey Canada
