COVID-19 protocols help CFL conclude successful regular season

TORONTO — With its 2021 regular season complete, the Canadian Football League (CFL) released the latest results from its drive to keep COVID-19 out of its teams’ football operations on Thursday.

They include:

• By December 1, 95 per cent of all CFL players will be fully vaccinated (will have received their second dose for at least 14 days).
• Out of 42,200 COVID-19 tests administered to Tier 1 personnel (coaches, players and football operations staff), only 34 came back positive, which resulted in those individuals being removed from team activities until return to play protocols were met.
• That is a negative test rate of 99.92 per cent.
• There were six additional positives prior to training camp, which prevented the individuals involved from coming to Canada.
• In the latest round of testing, conducted between weeks 12 and 16 of the CFL season, 9,500 tests were administered and 100 per cent came back negative.
• The league experienced one outbreak, which resulted in just one game being moved to a later date, on which it was successfully completed.

“On behalf of the Canadian Football League, I want to thank everyone involved, from the public health officials who advised us and the medical committee that guided us, to the coaches and players who have shown such discipline and determination in following our strict protocols,” said Randy Ambrosie, Commissioner of the CFL.

“But while these numbers are a testament to diligence and hard work, they are only regular season results, and everyone in our league strives for success in the post-season. I want to remind everyone to remain vigilant and disciplined as teams march into the playoffs and the Grey Cup.”