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When will Toronto Fans get back to Blue Jays Games?

Originally posted on FanNation Inside The Blue Jays
By Mitch Bannon | Last updated 6/10/21

Baseball fans in Toronto may soon get back to Blue Jays games.

As vaccination rates rise and a return to normalcy draws nearer, avenues for Canadians to view the Blue Jays in person are beginning to open up. In recent days, the Toronto Blue Jays management and the Canadian government have begun work on various proposals and guidelines that will allow baseball fans to see the Blue Jays play.

U.S.-Canada Border Update

The quickest route for Torontonian and Canadian fans to see the Blue Jays would be the opening or easing of restrictions at the Canada-U.S. border. Per reports, the Federal government plans to lift the 14-day quarantine requirement for fully vaccinated Canadians returning from the United States in early July.

With the Blue Jays selling tickets at Buffalo's Sahlen Field until July 21, this border update could allow vaccinated Canadians to cross the border, attend Jays games, and return home without a quarantine.

Ontario Pro Team Proposal

According to TSN's Dave Naylor, Ontario's professional sports teams submitted a proposal last week to outline a plan for fans in attendance at sporting events within Ontario's reopening structure. The proposal would allow 35% fan capacity at games in 'stage 2' of Ontario's current reopening plans.

Similar to the loosening of border restrictions, this proposal has vaccination rate caveats. In order to reach stage 2, 20% of Canadian adults must be fully vaccinated — currently only 8.7% have been. Under current plans, the earliest Stage 2 could begin is July 2, 2021.

While this proposal could allow fans to attend CFL games or MLSE events in stage 2, the plan would only be relevant to baseball fans if the Blue Jays returned to play in Toronto. Blue Jays President Mark Shapiro said last week the biggest obstacle preventing the Blue Jays from a return to Canada remains the closed border.

"I’ve come to recognize that until the border is open any proposal would have to deal with that and create a set of circumstances that allows cross-border travel," Shapiro said.

Montreal Canadiens Exception

The Canadian government granted the NHL's Montreal Canadiens a travel exemption last week. This exemption allows for American hockey teams to travel to Canada, and the Canadiens to travel to the United States, while subject to "enhanced public health measures."

While we discussed what this could mean for the Blue Jays in this piece, the two previous reopening proposals seem to provide more immediate and feasible options for Canadians to return to Blue Jays games.

What this exemption does show is that the government is willing to allow American teams into Canada in some capacity, though the quarantine restrictions and constant back-and-forth travel for a baseball schedule would surely be different.

This article first appeared on FanNation Inside The Blue Jays and was syndicated with permission.

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