The Canadian government is reviewing a proposal from the NBA and the Raptors to play in Toronto amid the pandemic.

A spokesman for Health Minister Patty Hajdu said Tuesday officials have been in contact with the Raptors and will continue to engage with them B次元官网网址渋n the coming weeks.B次元官网网址� Raptors general manager Bobby Webster told Sportsnet television the team needs to know B次元官网网址渋n the coming days. This is not a next week type thing.B次元官网网址�

The Raptors and the NBA need an exemption to a requirement that anyone entering Canada for nonessential reasons must self-isolate for 14 days. The U.S.-Canada border remains closed to nonessential travel.

The federal government denied the Blue JaysB次元官网网址� request to play in Toronto earlier this year because health officials didnB次元官网网址檛 think it was safe for players to travel back and forth from the United States, one of the countries hit hardest by the coronavirus pandemic. The number of cases in both countries, but particularly in the U.S, has surged since then.

B次元官网网址淭he health and safety of Canadians is our governmentB次元官网网址檚 top priority and reducing the spread of COVID-19 must always be top of mind,B次元官网网址� HajduB次元官网网址檚 office said in statement. B次元官网网址淲e understand that many Canadians are eager to see their favourite professional teams return to play. We are reviewing a proposal from the NBA and the Toronto Raptors for the resumption of NBA basketball in Canada.B次元官网网址�

The NBA season is set to open Dec. 22, with training camps beginning in about two weeks. Time is running out for the Raptors.

B次元官网网址淲e are working on, as everyone knows, a kind of parallel path here which is we want to stay in Toronto but as we all know time is of the essence and we are also working on a path to play elsewhere,B次元官网网址� Webster said on a call with reporters Tuesday.

B次元官网网址淲e want to be in Toronto. We want to play here. But we are also realistic about the timing and respectful of the protocols. B次元官网网址� It doesnB次元官网网址檛 necessarily affect our operations. We all know weB次元官网网址檒l run a basketball team and the 72 games will get played. But just where that is probably more of a B次元官网网址� as everyone can imagine B次元官网网址� drain on personal decisions and families which always looms large in this industry.B次元官网网址�

Dr. Andrew Morris, a professor of infectious diseases at the University of Toronto and the medical director of the Antimicrobial Stewardship Program at Sinai-University Health Network, doesnB次元官网网址檛 think the Raptors should be allowed to play in Canada. Nor does he expect the government to approve it.

B次元官网网址淚 anticipate the Raptors will have to play south of the border,B次元官网网址� Morris said. B次元官网网址淭he logistics, the optics, make no sense.B次元官网网址�

Morris calls the U.S. a disaster and noted there wonB次元官网网址檛 be a bubble in the NBA this time. This season will require teams to travel in the U.S.

The Blue Jays failed to persuade the federal government to grant exemptions and played home games in Buffalo this year. Two cities in Florida B次元官网网址� Tampa and Fort Lauderdale B次元官网网址� along with Nashville have been reported as potential destinations for the Raptors.

The Canadian government requites a comprehensive public health plan and written support from local health officials. The plan is being reviewed by the Public Health Agency of Canada.

Rob Gillies, The Associated Press

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