Blue Jays will return to Toronto July 30 after getting Covid-19 exemption

By Jill Martin and Dakin Andone, CNN

The Blue Jays announced Friday the team will return to Toronto after receiving a National Interest Exemption from the Canadian government, allowing the team to enter the country without having to adhere to the country’s Covid-19 travel restrictions.

The Blue Jays’ first home game in Toronto at the Rogers Centre will be July 30 against the Kansas City Royals. It will be their first game there since September 29, 2019.

The team has been playing at its Spring Training base in Dunedin, Florida, and at its Triple-A home in Buffalo, New York.

In a news release, the Blue Jays explained the exemption by Canada’s federal government “allows Major League Baseball games to be played at Rogers Centre, with robust health and safety protocols in place.”

“First and foremost, the Blue Jays wish to thank Canadians for their unprecedented public health efforts and support for the team. Without you, Blue Jays baseball would not be coming home this summer,” the team said in a news release.

“In addition, the organization wishes to acknowledge Blue Jays staff and players for their tireless efforts and dedication during a franchise-defining chapter of team history, and whose resilience never wavered through immense challenges and times of uncertainty.”

The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2021 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved.