Report: Canada to Lift 14-Day Quarantine for Fully Vaccinated Travelers

A Toronto Raptors return to Toronto next season looks more likely after the Canadian government changes its quarantine rules for fully-vaccinated travellers

The Canadian government is reportedly taking another major step toward reopening.

The federal government is expected to announce a lifting of the 14-day mandatory quarantine for fully vaccinated Canadians arriving in the country, the Canadian Press reported Wednesday. According to the report, the policy will go into effect in early July and apply to Canadian citizens and permanent residents who have had the second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine for at least two weeks.

This is major news not only for Canadians but for Canadian and Toronto sports teams who should be able to return home at some point in the not too distant future. The government has already permitted Canadian NHL teams to cross the Canadian-US border without quarantine restrictions for the final two rounds of the Stanley Cup playoffs.

While no decision has been made for the Toronto Blue Jays this season, a return to Toronto seems like for the Toronto Raptors. The organization has been working with the federal government to permit the team's return to Toronto for next season. 

As of May 19, Raptors president Masai Ujiri said there had been no determination made as to where the Raptors will play next season.

"I think the government knows what they need to do," Ujiri said during his season-ending media availability. "We want to play [in Toronto] 100%. We have no interest in going to play anywhere else. Tampa was unbelievable to us. They were great to us, but like Freddie [VanVleet] said, Tampa is not Toronto."

No date has been released for the start of the next NBA season.

Further Reading

Recent free agency deals may worry Raptors ahead of Gary Trent Jr.'s new contract

Report: Several teams have called the Trail Blazers to inquire about Damian Lillard

Shoulda, Coulda, Woulda: Kyle Lowry could have made a difference for the Lakers