Public Health Sudbury & Districts Cancels Hockey Games For Kids & Even The Double Vaccinated Kids Are Out Of Luck

Public Health Sudbury & District put out a letter of instruction to the community regarding the new rules they want people to follow on December 9th 2021. Since this time a number of Minor Hockey Associations have made adjustments to game play to meet the requirements of Public Healths initiative.

The measures the associations put in place were similar to the measures used during the 2020-2021 hockey season. They would include no face-offs and very limited contact between a number of the players.

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However, the associations with good reason thought that what was good last year when there were no vaccines would be good this year now that the kids are not only vaccinated, but the spectators, coaches, mangers, referees, time keepers and arena staff are all double vaccinated.

Unfortunately this was not the case and earlier this week Public Health Sudbury & Districts denied that request. The three associations which fall under the NOHA jurisdiction all posted it on their facebook pages to communicate to parents.

The letter which was posted on the three main hockey associations Facebook pages in Greater Sudbury reads as follows:

Good Day:

Public Health Sudbury & Districts has received a number of inquiries and proposals regarding modified playing rules from several hockey associations following the release of the Letter of Instruction issued on December 9, 2021.

We acknowledge the benefit that team sports has to the health and development of our youth and we look forward to a day when these requirements will no longer be necessary. However, under the Letter of Instruction, all facilities used for sports and recreational fitness activities must ensure that team sports or games are only practiced or played at the facility if the sport has been modified to avoid personal contact. Although the modified playing rules developed by leagues may reduce physical contact, they by no means create a playing environment where it is avoided. Close physical contact combined with forceful exertion greatly increases the risk of transmission of COVID-19. This combined with the highly transmissible variants of concern, and our very high local case rates, make the rule to avoid contact during play necessary.

There are some sports that may be able to be modified in a way that physical contact is avoided during game play based on the nature of the sport. However, hockey by the nature of the game is not one of those sports as contact cannot be reasonably avoided during game play. It would be exceptionally rare that games could be modified to the extent that they complied with the Letter of Instruction. There is opportunity to continue skill building activities or training which can be modified so that participants do not have personal contact with one another (for example, skating, passing, and scoring drills), these can proceed. A reminder that any practice or skill building activity must comply with the capacity limit at the facility. In addition, change rooms, washrooms and bathrooms have an occupancy limit based on two metres distance and cohorting to single teams is strongly recommended. Please also be mindful of other required COVID-19 safety measures such as masking for everyone not actively participating in the sport, proof of vaccination requirements, screening and contact tracing.

Regards,Jon Groulx C.P.H.I(C)

Manager – Health Protection Division

At this time Public Health must want these associations to feel grateful as they blessed them with the gift of only being allowed to practice. Once again we are seeing the youth having to bear the brunt of this pandemic. From schools being shut down to sports leagues being limited in their activities, kids are being used to shield unhealthy adults and that is wrong.