Exemptions for athletes a losing proposition By: Editorial  Posted: 7:00 PM CDT Wednesday, Jun. 17, 2020

Opinion

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 16/06/2020 (1556 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The Pallister government intends to exempt professional athletes and the people who work with them from the province’s 14-day self-isolation rule upon entering Manitoba.

That’s a mistake. It runs contrary to the rationale behind measures taken so far to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus, including limiting its importation into Manitoba.

Right now, everyone entering Manitoba from another province must self-isolate for 14 days as a precaution against importing the virus. Even out-of-province workers must comply with those orders unless they are providing vital services (such as health care workers). Under Phase 3 of the province’s plan to reopen the economy – which takes effect Sunday – that rule will be waived for people living in western provinces or in Northwestern Ontario.

Manitoba can loosen those restrictions because case numbers and infection rates in those regions are relatively low. The province’s stated goal has always been to impose the least restrictive measures possible to contain the virus. The proposal to allow the free movement of people with neighbouring jurisdictions at this time is consistent with that principle.

What is not consistent with that principle is giving a pass to professional athletes and team staff. Under Phase 3, the province will grant the exemption if members of sports organizations self-isolate prior to entering Manitoba. That would include players, coaches, managers, training staff and medical personnel employed by the team. Not only is that requirement unenforceable (it would be virtually impossible for Manitoba officials to monitor), travelling after a period of self-isolation exposes a person to possible infection – in a vehicle on the way to an airport, on a plane, in an airport lounge or restaurant, on a team bus, or in other potential contact points along the way. Players and staff could become infected en route to Manitoba. 

Under federal rules, athletes and team personnel would still have to self-isolate when entering Canada from abroad, including from the United States (although that, too, is now under review). The Pallister government is eliminating the rule for interprovincial travel. That means players, coaches, trainers and others travelling from COVID-19 hotspots such as Montreal or Toronto will be able to enter Manitoba without having to self-isolate upon arrival. They will be allowed to go to bars, restaurants, stores and public gyms the minute they get off the plane.

Professional sports teams, by contrast, are not an essential service. They fall into the “want,” not the “need” category.

The risk of importing the virus into Manitoba under that scenario is high.

Manitoba does have exemptions for interprovincial travel. Truckers who transport goods in and out of the province, for example, do not have to self-isolate. Their services are deemed vital and it would be impractical and uneconomical for them to be inactive for two weeks at a time.

Professional sports teams, by contrast, are not an essential service. They fall into the “want,” not the “need” category. Many Manitobans would love to see their professional sports teams return to the ice and the playing field. Live music fans, too, are eager to see their favourite artists perform again. But the risk involved in granting exemptions to non-essential services at this time is too high, especially since the vast majority of new cases detected in Manitoba are linked to travel from outside the province.

Manitobans have made too many sacrifices over the past three months – including job losses and business closures – to abandon the principles that have guided the fight against the virus since the beginning of the pandemic.