The federal government has approved a travel exemption for CanadaB次元官网网址檚 Olympic hopefuls that will allow them to train on home soil without undergoing a 14-day quarantine after returning to the country.

Minister of Immigration Marco Mendicino said in a statement Friday that the government issued the exemption after reviewing a plan to create modified quarantine training bubbles for the athletes put forward by the Canadian Olympic and Paralympic Committees and Own the Podium.

B次元官网网址淭he plan contains significant measures to ensure the safety of athletes, coaching staff and the public,B次元官网网址� he said.

Athletes and staff will still need to stay at a government-authorized hotel when they return to Canada, but once they receive a negative result, theyB次元官网网址檒l be able to join one of four modified quarantine bubbles in Toronto, Montreal, Calgary or Victoria.

In the bubble, theyB次元官网网址檒l be restricted to their accommodation and training facilities, and wonB次元官网网址檛 be able to interact with the public.

Each bubble will have a B次元官网网址渃ompliance officerB次元官网网址� and athletes and staff will be tested for COVID-19 B次元官网网址渁t regular intervalsB次元官网网址� about every second day.

Anyone who strays from the conditions set out for the bubbles will be removed from training, will have to complete a standard 14-day quarantine, and could face fines or prosecution.

B次元官网网址淲e continue to monitor the COVID-19 situation around the world and base our decisions on science, the best data available and the advice of public health officials at the local, provincial and federal levels,B次元官网网址� Mendicino said.

Protocols for the bubbles were developed with B次元官网网址渁 meticulous focus on health and safety,B次元官网网址� David Shoemaker, CEO and secretary general of the Canadian Olympic Committee, said in a statement.

B次元官网网址淲ith a little more than a month to go until the Tokyo Olympic Games, athletes are in their final stages of training,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淭he opportunity to access a safe training bubble that protects the athletes and their communities is an incredibly important part of their preparation.B次元官网网址�

The Tokyo Olympics start on July 23.

Race walker Evan Dunfee said the new measures might come too late for some Canadian athletes.

B次元官网网址淕reat. But this is likely too late to allow our NCAA Track & Field athletes the opportunity to compete at Nationals,B次元官网网址� Dunfee wrote on Twitter. B次元官网网址淭here is at least one athlete whose opportunity to make the Olympic team has been destroyed by not being allowed to compete, and that sucks.B次元官网网址�

The Canadian track and field championships start next Thursday.

Earlier this month, the federal government issued a travel exemption for the NHL playoffs that allows teams to cross the border without a 14-day quarantine through the final two rounds of the Stanley Cup playoffs.

Players and staff are tested pre- and post-departure when crossing the border and are confined to their hotels and the arena on the road, but those with Canadian teams can stay at home while playing in Canada.

The Montreal Canadiens B次元官网网址� the only Canadian team remaining in the playoffs B次元官网网址� was set to host the Vegas Golden Knights in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup semifinal Friday, marking the first time a U.S.-based team played in Canada since March 2020.

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