No vax, no Olympics: Canadian athletes need COVID-19 shots to compete in Beijing
Global News
China also has a 21-quarantine mandate for travellers who have not been fully vaccinated against COVID-19.
Canada’s Olympic and Paralympic athletes must be vaccinated to compete at the 2022 Winter Games in Beijing.
The Canadian Olympic and Paralympic Committees announced a COVID-19 vaccine mandate on Wednesday, saying the decision was made with support of the boards of directors and athlete commissions.
The mandate aligns with the federal government’s recent announcement that all air travellers must be fully vaccinated by October 30, 2021, Canadian Olympic Committee CEO David Shoemaker said in a statement.
The Canadian team was over 95 per cent fully vaccinated — but not 100 per cent — at the Tokyo Games last summer, and Shoemaker noted there were no positive cases among the the 840 Canadian athletes and staff who travelled to Japan.
“We want to do the same for Beijing,” he said. “A fully vaccinated team following robust hygiene and physical distancing protocols is the best way to do that.”
The United States Olympic Committee announced a similar vaccine mandate recently, also a departure from the Tokyo Games where American athletes such as swimmer Michael Andrew made headlines because of their anti-vaccine beliefs.
The Olympic open Feb. 4 and the Paralympics on March 4.
“Our commitment to ensuring the health and safety of each and every member of the Canadian Paralympic Team is of the utmost importance to us,” Karen O’Neill, the CEO of the Canadian Paralympic Committee, said in a statement.
Police say an 81-year-old woman is dead following a dog attack involving three dogs who attacked her inside her own residence, in Northern Ontario.
King was a prominent figure in the demonstration that rolled into the national capital in 2022, which saw protesters entrench themselves in downtown Ottawa for three weeks.
Dermo, which has been detected in Canada for the first time, has spread from oyster to oyster in New Brunswick.
The latest draft negotiating text released Friday pledged $250 billion by 2035, less than a quarter of what developing countries requested.
The officials say Ottawa will be chipping in $108.5 million over the next three years to Ontario’s existing Student Nutrition Program and First Nations Student Nutrition Program.
A mother who was struck by a vehicle, along with the father and three other children, has now died from her injuries in hospital just over a month after the collision.
Erin McQueen believes her tools were stolen on Nov.16 while her truck was parked in Kelowna near Ellis Street and Clement Avenue.
"I am fighting for my daughter." How one Regina family is looking to the community to help raise money for a potentially live saving trip to the United States.
Kingston hosts the 59th Vanier Cup, featuring Laval vs. Laurier, promising excitement, economic impact, and family-friendly events. Full details on the big game.
Saskatchewan has been battling an increase in overdoses for many years. But based on recent data, Saskatchewan’s response to drug toxicity may be working.
A council representing Montreal and the suburban municipalities will vote on whether to stop the practice in the six West Island suburbs that treat their water with fluoride.