The NHL has announced that it will make some changes to their COVID-19 testing procedures following the All-Star break, according to Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff and Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet. Seravalli reports that asymptomatic players and staff will no longer be tested for coronavirus, provided that COVID-19 rates around the league continue to decline over the next few weeks. Testing will then only happen following symptoms or for cross-border travel.
Notably, Seravalli adds that 73% of NHL rosters have tested positive this season and approximately 60% in the last five weeks. The NHL already had protocols in place to stop testing players for 90 days after their positive case. The current procedures are in place through February 3, while the NHL and NHLPA will meet before January 31 to review and approve the proposed changes.
In a press release, the league has confirmed the potential changes and listed them as follows:
Testing Protocol: The plan is to continue the current testing Protocol through Feb. 3. Provided positive test results continue to decline within the NHL, and pending review and agreement by Jan. 31 by the NHL’s and NHLPA’s medical experts, the Protocol will be updated as follows:
i. There will be no testing of Fully Vaccinated Players and Staff during the All-Star break (including for participating Players and staff), unless needed for travel or development of symptoms.
ii. There will be a single test upon re-entry to Club facilities post-All-Star, after which there will no longer be asymptomatic testing, or testing of Fully Vaccinated close contacts.
iii. Thereafter, testing will continue only on a limited “for cause” basis in Fully Vaccinated Players and Staff who develop symptoms or require testing for cross-border travel.
iv. The post-COVID “testing holiday” will remain at 90 days, but symptom-based testing can still be done at the team physician’s discretion. Testing for cross-border travel post-COVID will be dictated by the relevant health authority, which is currently 90 days for entry to the U.S. and 180 days for entry to Canada.
Taxi squads, which were introduced in late December as teams were struggling to ice full rosters, are scheduled to disappear again after each team’s final game before the All-Star break. Whether they are maintained past that is still unclear at this point. Friedman reports that a revised schedule for the February Olympic break is expected as early as tomorrow. More than 100 games have been postponed so far.
Wow. Sure glad they made it mandatory to get vaxxed to play hockey.
What cycle threshold are they using on these tests? The PCR tests are notorious for false positives. Anyone testing above 35 CT will have over 90% false positives according to the CDC
“Vaccine”
How many provincial “health” ministers will the NHL have to pay off?
So what is “fully vaccinated” now? Does that include a booster shot? And if a player already tested positive for the ‘rona, why discount their natural immunity?
Science!
The evidence shows that Omicron isn’t like the previous versions. It’s time to stop trying to save Tyler Bertuzzi from himself.
Virtually everyone who is vaccinated will be just fine and most of the unvaccinated will be as well. Some unvaccinated people will still die. They have made that choice. They are no longer of any consequential risk to the vaccinated.
Time to adjust.
Two years ago: no vaccines, Alpha and then later Delta with vaccines being rolled out. 2,000 to 4,000 people a day dying with no way to prevent it.
Now: vaccines, boosters and the milder Omicron. 1,000 people dying a day who chose self-Darwinism over reality.
And I know I’d have better luck teaching algebra to drywall, but I’m gonna try…
You do realize that you utter inability to grasp (admit) those facts and circumstances and how they are different and have changed show that you are, in fact, the one being fed an agenda?
We all know the answer is no, you do not realize that and you intentionally will never allow yourself to realize that, but…
Quite a joke reading Josh talk about grasping facts. Here’s a fact for you straight from CDC director Walensky: 75% of covid deaths occured in people with 4 or more comorbidities. IOW, people that weren’t going to be with us much longer regardless of covid.
Fact #2: People fully vaxxed get sick and even die from covid too. This is especially true with this new variant.
Fact #3: Tyler Bertuzzi and the rest of us unjabbed minions do not need to be saved by Branch Covidians such as yourself.