The Vancouver Canucks said 25 individuals have tested positive for COVID-19.
In a statement released Wednesday (April 7), the team physicians said that 21 players and four staff have been affected. Three of the 21 players are part of the team’s taxi squad and one additional player is considered to be a close contact.
The Canucks’ COVID outbreak began on March 31, when it forced the postponement of a March 31 game versus the Calgary Flames. At the time, there were just three positive COVID-19 test results.
Team Dr. Jim Bovard and infectious disease Dr. Josh Douglas said that the source infection is confirmed to be a variant of concern but that genome sequencing by the B.C. Centre for Disease Control will have to be completed before the exact type is known.
The team said that a Vancouver Coastal Health investigation and the club’s own contact tracing staff believe the source of the infection to be a single individual who was infected in a community setting. That setting has been identified by the health authority as a public exposure location.
“Rapid spread of infection throughout the team indicates a link between contacts and the primary case,” the doctors said.
Players and staff remain in quarantine.
READ MORE: Vancouver Canucks’ COVID-19 outbreak a ‘cautionary tale’: Dr. Bonnie Henry
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