Blue Jays 'trending' toward return to Toronto this season?

The Toronto Blue Jays opened the 2021 MLB season hosting opponents at their spring training facility in Dunedin, Florida, and then relocated to Buffalo's Sahlen Field June 1 due to the closure of the border that separates the United States and Canada to nonessential travel because of continued COVID-19 issues and concerns. 

The Blue Jays will play home games in Buffalo through at least next Wednesday, but Canada deputy chief public health officer Dr. Howard Njoo said Thursday the club's return to Rogers Centre in Toronto is "trending in a very good direction." 

According to The Associated Press (h/t ESPN), MLB needs to receive an exemption to play games in Canada because not all personnel, including players, are vaccinated against the coronavirus. Njoo added there's no set date for the Blue Jays' potential return home:

"We're looking at, I would say, last details. But at this point. I would say there aren't any showstoppers or anything that we really can't continue to discuss and move forward on.

"So I can't give you a date in terms of when a possible decision would be made for the NIE or national interest exemption, but I would say that in terms of the discussions from a public health perspective, they've been going very well."

As things currently stand, the Blue Jays don't know the location for their next homestand scheduled for July 30 through Aug. 8. Considering the New York Yankees began the second half of their regular season dealing with a feared COVID-19 outbreak that could postpone their entire weekend series against the Boston Red Sox, logic suggests Toronto will host those 10 games in Buffalo.