'They're not messing around': CFL pushing for players to get vaccinated with new COVID-19 policies
The Canadian Football League (CFL) announced new policies to encourage its players to get vaccinated, which include the possibility of forfeits and loss of pay if games are missed due to COVID-19.
The policy states if a game has to be cancelled and can't be rescheduled, the team with COVID-19 issues will be assigned a loss. If both clubs have COVID-19 issues, both will forfeit the game and be assigned a loss.
“Our goal is to ensure we have zero game cancellations due to issues caused by an outbreak of COVID-19 within our football operations,” Randy Ambrosie, Commissioner of the CFL, said in a news release.
“While this policy spells out what will happen if cancellations do occur, its main purpose is to encourage all of our players to get fully vaccinated in order to minimize the risk to our season and, most importantly, their health and safety.”
Players will receive their salary for the cancelled game if a team can prove that 85 percent of its players have been vaccinated at least once. If the club falls below that threshold, the entire team will not be paid.
Craig Dickenson, head coach of the Saskatchewan Roughriders, said the team is not one of three in the league with an 85 per cent vaccination rate.
“We’re going to be there soon,” he said. “They’re not messing around.”
Dickenson added that the potential financial losses will likely spur more players to get the shot.
“I think you’ll see the teams that maybe aren’t there, they’ll get there relatively fast when players start to see that financially they could take a pretty big hit if we’re not at 85. I think you’re going to see a lot of guys get the shot,” he said.
“We’ve tried to be very open-minded and very understanding of those that maybe for some reason or another don’t want to get vaccinated, but we want to encourage them.”
Riders quarterback Cody Fajardo said he has already been vaccinated.
“I got it because I believe it’ll help me stay healthy and not miss games, and to put myself in a situation to play all 14 games this year,” Fajardo said. “It was a no-brainer for me, and I’m glad we’re just talking about CFL football again and not going through ‘are we going to play or not going to play?’”
The league administered approximately 6,000 COVID-19 tests to players, coaches and support staff from July 15 to the end of training camp on Friday. None of them came back positive.
The CFL season kicks off Thursday night, with the Roughriders’ home opener scheduled for Friday against the B.C. Lions.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Fluid in eye cells can 'boil' if you watch the eclipse without protection: expert
Millions of people in parts of Eastern and Atlantic Canada will be able to see the rare solar eclipse happening on April 8. But they should only look up if they have proper eye protection, experts say.
He didn't trust police but sought their help anyway. Two days later, he was dead
Jameek Lowery was among more than 330 Black people who died after police stopped them with tactics that aren’t supposed to be deadly, like physical restraint and use of stun guns, The Associated Press found.
CRA no longer requiring 'bare trust' reporting in 2023 tax return
The Canada Revenue Agency announced Thursday it will not require 'bare trust' reporting from Canadians that it introduced for the 2024 tax season, just four days before the April 2 deadline.
Being harassed at work? What to consider when deciding what to do next
If you've been the victim of workplace harassment, it can be difficult to feel you're not alone - and even more difficult to know where to go with a complaint.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
Half of Canadians support TikTok ban, with U.S. concerns 'trickling' north: poll
A new poll indicates 51 per cent of Canadians support banning the social media app TikTok, after a U.S. bill aiming to do just that passed in the House of Representatives.
Where is the worst place for allergy sufferers in Canada?
The spring allergy season has started early in many parts of Canada, with high levels of pollen in some cities already. Experts weigh in on which areas have it worse so far this season.
More unauthorized products for skin, sexual enhancement, recalled: Here are the recalls of this week
Health Canada and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency recalled various items this week, including torches, beef biltong and unauthorized products related to skin care and sexual enhancement.