File photo/paNOW Staff

By Jeff D’Andrea

Work to be done to address outbreaks in sports before return

Dec 11, 2020 | 3:03 PM

Suspensions on sports games and events in Saskatchewan could be lifted as soon as next Thursday.

At the end of November, the province suspended all sports games and league play until Dec. 17.

But in the 27 days that sports games were allowed in the province, the Saskatchewan Health Authority identified 25 sports-related outbreaks.

Four occurred in Prince Albert — all of which were on hockey teams. The U18 Lehner Electric Foxes, the U15 Bantam Thunder, U18 Bruins, and the Global Sports Academy all had outbreaks according to the SHA.

Even though sports could return as soon as Dec. 17, hockey won’t return until 2021 as there was already a holiday break planned for the season from Dec. 17 to 31. That will give hockey associations, organizations and leagues a little more time to prepare for their possible return.

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But as to what has to change for hockey to return other than the limited practices that are happening right now, Prince Albert Minor Hockey technical director James Mays didn’t have the answer.

“Well if I had the answer to that, I’d be a rich man,” Mays said. “I would suggest it would take a flattening of the curve and the numbers reversing from where they’ve climbed to. As far as we’ve heard, we’re still planning on doing what we were after January 1 until we hear different. Everything’s up in the air and we’re hoping for the best.”

Mays said he hasn’t heard anything and is planning for a return to hockey.

Although there have been four outbreaks in Prince Albert hockey, Mays said it hasn’t been an issue for many of the association’s younger teams.

Mays said there were no outbreaks on teams in the U13 age groups and lower, and only two of 45 teams U13 and lower had COVID-19 positive cases. The four outbreaks have occurred in the older categories, which Mays said is due to them socializing more outside of the rink.

“That’s a pretty good number,” Mays said. “Now when you get to the older kids, above 15, it’s not as good. I think there’s a bunch of mitigating factors as to why that is.”

The Lakeland Curling Club in Christopher Lake had to close down its entire 2020-21 season after just a week due to an outbreak declared on Dec. 1. The Shellbrook Curling Club also had an outbreak on Nov. 27. Further south, a pair of Regina clubs, the Caledonian Club and the Highland Curling Club had outbreaks, as well as the Swift Current Curling Club.

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jeff.dandrea@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @jeff_paNOW