The NHL is beginning its Christmas break two days early starting on Wednesday as the league is shutting down due to a surge in COVID cases...
The NHL is beginning its Christmas break two days early starting on Wednesday as the league is shutting down due to a surge in COVID cases that has seen more than 15 per cent of its 700 players exposed.
Five games scheduled between Wednesday and Thursday are being postponed, bringing the total delayed for the season to 49.
The latest wave of coronavirus-related shutdowns Monday led to the closure of facilities for 10 teams. Of the 49 postponements, 44 have come over the past two weeks with the delta and omicron variants spreading across North America.
More than 15 percent of the league's 700-plus players are in virus protocol, and the resulting schedule disruption almost certainly has doomed the possibility of Olympic participation. The protocols apply to anyone who's tested positive, or who has had close contact with a positive person and must isolate as a result.
The league and NHL Players' Association on Sunday said in a joint statement they were attempting to avoid a leaguewide shutdown and were making decisions on a team-by-team basis.
The latest shift gives all 32 teams an extended break before players, coaches and staff can gather again Sunday to skate and undergo coronavirus testing.
Under the terms of the collective bargaining agreement, the Christmas break typically prohibits team activities before Dec. 27. Games are still scheduled to resume that day.
Two games slated for Tuesday are still set to go on as scheduled.
The NHL has shut down its entire league starting on Wednesday due to the surge in COVID cases among players. Its NYC HQ is pictured
Five games scheduled between Wednesday and Thursday have been postponed with two on Tuesday still slated to go on
A final decision on the Beijing Games is expected this week, and the odds of NHL players returning to the Olympics for the first time since 2014 have cratered.
The Columbus Blue Jackets, Montreal Canadiens, Edmonton Oilers and Ottawa Senators on Monday became the latest teams to pause all activities because of positive COVID-19 tests.
The Boston Bruins, Colorado Avalanche, Detroit Red Wings, Florida Panthers, Nashville Predators and Toronto Maple Leafs also have their facilities closed, and the Calgary Flames just reopened theirs to players, coaches and staff not in protocol.
The U.S. and Canadian women's hockey teams were set to play a pre-Olympic game Monday night in St. Paul, Minnesota, but that was canceled because of COVID-19 concerns.
The postponement gives the 32 leagues with the NHL the opportunity for an extended break
More than 15 percent of the league's 700-plus players are in virus protocol
The regular season is scheduled to continue on December 27
Other professional sports organizations have also encountered cancellations and postponed games due to the recent surge in COVID cases.
The NFL has postponed three of their Week 15 games as of Friday after players from different teams such as the Cleveland Browns, Los Angeles Rams and the Washington Football Team tested positive for the virus.
The NBA also postponed five of their games due to COVID-related issues with team members from the Brooklyn Nets, Cleveland Cavaliers, Orlando Magic and Philadelphia 76ers.
The NCCA has also postponed or cancelled dozens of games or found other opponents.
Much about the omicron coronavirus variant remains unknown, including whether it causes more or less severe illness.
Scientists say omicron spreads even easier than other coronavirus strains, including delta, and it is expected to become dominant in the U.S. by early next year.
Early studies suggest the vaccinated will need a booster shot for the best chance at preventing an omicron infection but even without the extra dose, vaccination still should offer strong protection against severe illness and death.
The Omicron variant has since become the dominant strain in the country as it has reportedly caused 73 percent of infections.
The first recorded death linked to Omicron was reported on Monday night after an unvaccinated Texas man in his 50s, who had underlying health issues, passed away.
Scientists in Africa first sounded the alarm about Omicron less than a month ago and on November 26 the World Health Organization designated it as a 'variant of concern.' The mutant has since shown up in about 90 countries.
Over the weekend, the nation eclipsed 1,000 cases of the strain, with 221 infections being recorded between Sunday and early Monday morning.
The country has now joined a dubious group of five countries with more than 1,000 cases of the new variant, reaching 1,079 as of Monday morning - a 25 percent increase from the 858 cases confirmed on Sunday morning.
As of Monday morning, 133,012 Americans are testing positive for Covid every day, a 21 per cent increase over the past two weeks.
The number of people hospitalized with COVID-19 was up to 69,387 per day on average, a 16 per cent increase from two weeks ago.
Deaths were up 9 per cent, to 1,296 per day.
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