Canada Likely To Drop Vaccination Requirement

All NBA players could soon be allowed to cross the Canadian border and suit up for road games in Toronto, regardless of their COVID-19 vaccination status.

Canada’s federal government plans to drop the COVID-19 vaccination requirement for people who enter the country by the end of September, according to Eric Atkins and Robert Fife of The Globe and Mail. An official familiar with the matter confirmed to Rob Gillies of The Associated Press that Canada will likely drop its vaccine requirement by the end of the month.

Unvaccinated travelers who are allowed to enter Canada are currently subject to mandatory arrival tests and a 14-day quarantine.

As recently as last month, NBA teams were informed via a memo that players still need to have either received a primary course of a COVID-19 vaccine, or been given a medical clearance from getting one, in order to play games in Canada this upcoming season. Those requirements would be dropped once the restrictions are lifted.

Last season, there were no exemptions from this rule for NBA players. A vast majority of NBA players are vaccinated against COVID-19 but if Canada indeed drops the vaccination requirement, the few who remain unvaccinated won’t be left behind.

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