Press

Canadian Olympic Committee COVID-19 Updates

AVAILABLE RESOURCES:

Health Canada
World Health Organization
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

UPDATES:

In support of keeping the Canadian sport community safe and informed, the Canadian Olympic Committee (COC) will provide our latest developments regarding our business operations as it relates to COVID-19. Please check back for regular updates.

TUESDAY, MARCH 24, 2020

Statement: COC and CPC thank IOC for its decision to postpone Games to 2021

TORONTO/OTTAWA (March 24, 2020) – The Canadian Olympic Committee (COC) and Canadian Paralympic Committee (CPC) issued the following statement on Tuesday in reaction to the conclusion made by International Olympic Committee (IOC) President, Thomas Bach, and Japanese Prime Minister, Abe Shinzo, that the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Tokyo must be rescheduled to a date beyond 2020:

The COC and CPC would like to thank President Thomas Bach, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and the Tokyo 2020 organizing committee for this decision which continues to show their commitment to safeguarding the health and safety of athletes and the world community.

We also renew our commitment to work with the IOC, International Paralympic Committee (IPC) and the Tokyo 2020 organizing committee and offer them our full support in helping navigate all the complexities that rescheduling the Games will bring.

With this postponement, the IOC has given Tokyo hopefuls worldwide the clarity they need about the immediate future, so we can all concentrate on our collective health and wellbeing and take all necessary steps to mitigate the spread of COVID-19.

We are confident that when the time comes, the IOC and the Tokyo 2020 organizing committee will deliver a world-class Games that celebrates the Olympic and Paralympic values and unites and inspires the world. The Olympic and Paralympic Games have long been a symbol of hope and Tokyo 2020 will be a celebration of all that we now seek to overcome. There may be no better way to move on from this most difficult time than seeing the world brought together through sport the way only a Games can. 

We are incredibly proud of the leadership and resilience that our athletes, National Sport Organizations, partners and the Canadian sport community have demonstrated in these unprecedented times. While postponement comes with its own set of challenges, Team Canada will rise to the challenge to showcase our very best on the international stage.

SUNDAY, MARCH 22, 2020

Release: Team Canada will not send athletes to Games in summer 2020 due to COVID-19 risks

TORONTO/OTTAWA (March 24, 2020) – The Canadian Olympic Committee (COC) and Canadian Paralympic Committee (CPC) issued the following statement on Tuesday in reaction to the conclusion made by International Olympic Committee (IOC) President, Thomas Bach, and Japanese Prime Minister, Abe Shinzo, that the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Tokyo must be rescheduled to a date beyond 2020:

The COC and CPC would like to thank President Thomas Bach, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and the Tokyo 2020 organizing committee for this decision which continues to show their commitment to safeguarding the health and safety of athletes and the world community.

We also renew our commitment to work with the IOC, International Paralympic Committee (IPC) and the Tokyo 2020 organizing committee and offer them our full support in helping navigate all the complexities that rescheduling the Games will bring.

With this postponement, the IOC has given Tokyo hopefuls worldwide the clarity they need about the immediate future, so we can all concentrate on our collective health and wellbeing and take all necessary steps to mitigate the spread of COVID-19.

We are confident that when the time comes, the IOC and the Tokyo 2020 organizing committee will deliver a world-class Games that celebrates the Olympic and Paralympic values and unites and inspires the world. The Olympic and Paralympic Games have long been a symbol of hope and Tokyo 2020 will be a celebration of all that we now seek to overcome. There may be no better way to move on from this most difficult time than seeing the world brought together through sport the way only a Games can. 

We are incredibly proud of the leadership and resilience that our athletes, National Sport Organizations, partners and the Canadian sport community have demonstrated in these unprecedented times. While postponement comes with its own set of challenges, Team Canada will rise to the challenge to showcase our very best on the international stage.

TUESDAY, MARCH 17, 2020

Open letter to Team Canada re: COVID-19:

March 17, 2020
Dear Team Canada,

Earlier today, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced that it remains fully committed to the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020. With four months to go before the Games, it will refrain from making any further decisions at this time. We support this move by the IOC—we all hope and are continuing to plan for the Olympics to proceed in July—but our hope needs to be put in context.

The current pandemic is among the most challenging health issues that we have had to confront in many generations. Lives are at risk on a global basis, and there is an unprecedented level of worry and anxiety in our communities. Sport, understandably and appropriately, ranks low in terms of these priorities and we have seen many sport leagues and circuits suspend operations during this crisis without any clear sense of when normal operations will resume.  

The Canadian Olympic Committee (COC) is focusing on what is in front of us and attempting to do all that it can to flatten the infection-rate curve. We will continue to take all steps to protect the health of everyone and work to contain the spread of the virus. All of us play a critical role in mitigating the spread and transmission of the virus, as we follow the recommendations of Health Canada and the World Health Organization. COVID-19 is a constantly evolving situation and is a threat to which many countries are having to adapt. Nobody can know what the coming days, weeks and months will hold. We will do our part.

Preparation and planning for Tokyo 2020 has been adapted to protect everyone’s health and to slow the virus. This includes having all staff work from home, virtual meetings instead of face-to-face and suspension of non-essential, work-related travel. 

The IOC and sport movement have put in place several similar measures. Olympic qualifying events have been cancelled. 43% of the Olympic places have not yet been qualified and the IOC has put in place an expedited process to clarify new procedures so athletes can prepare.  The IOC’s task force consisting of the World Health Organization (WHO), the Tokyo 2020 organizing committee, the Japanese authorities and the Tokyo Metropolitan Government continues to monitor the situation 24/7. Every aspect of preparation is being analyzed and adapted. This includes everything from the lighting of the Olympic torch, the Games preparation supply chain and virtual Games Coordination meetings; all to ensure people are protected and the virus slowed.

The Olympic community understands the challenges to athletes from competitions having been halted and athletes being unable to train. The anxiety that athletes are feeling about the pandemic is much like anyone else’s, and although it includes hope for the Olympic Games, it is clear that hope for containment of this virus is first and foremost. 

We do not know what will happen in the next 24 hours, no less the next four months, and that is the reason there need not be a definitive decision today about any changes to the plans to hold the Olympic Games. As we progress toward July 24, we will make our decisions based on the information provided by the IOC, WHO and our health experts. The health and safety of the world community, which of course includes our athletes, will always be paramount.  

We, the sport community, the entire world, are in this together. What a celebration the Olympic Games could be for the world, a symbol of what we can achieve when we work together, caring for each other.

We are Team Canada. 

 Sincerely / Yours in sport,

Tricia Smith, President, COC
David Shoemaker, CEO and Secretary General, COC
Marnie McBean, Team Canada’s Tokyo 2020 Chef de Mission
Seyi Smith, Chair, COC Athletes’ Commission
Rosie MacLennan, Vice-Chair, COC Athletes’ Commission

FRIDAY, MARCH 13, 2020

RBC Training Ground Statement on COVID-19:

After monitoring the risks associated with COVID-19 (Coronavirus), RBC Training Ground has decided to suspend the six remaining 2020 RBC Training Ground qualifying events taking place in Winnipeg, Montreal, Edmonton, Fredericton, Saskatoon and Vancouver. 

While this was an incredibly difficult decision to make, the health and wellness of everyone involved in RBC Training Ground remain a top priority. 

We will continue to monitor the situation and consult with health authorities to determine the best course of action for these remaining qualifying events and the national final. Please check rbctrainingground.ca for updates. If you have any questions, please email: rbctrainingground@olympic.ca.

THURSDAY, MARCH 12, 2020

To: Canadian Olympic community

In light of the latest COVID-19 developments, the Canadian Olympic Committee (COC) would like to provide an update on our business operations as of Thursday, March 12, 2020:

  • Out of an abundance of caution, all COC staff will be working from home on Friday, March 13 and will be available by email and by phone;
  • The COC will continue to ban all non-essential travel for all staff for the time being;
  • The COC fully supports all National Sport Organizations who had to make difficult decisions to cancel events;
  • The COC remains focused on planning for the Tokyo 2020 Opening Ceremony on July 24 and will be following guidance from local health authorities.

The safety and health of our athletes, coaches, staff and broader sport community remain our top priority. The COC continues to work closely with both the IOC as well as our own expert medical team to review any countermeasures that may be necessary for relevant organizations to take.

We urge you to look out for your own well-being and take the necessary precautions to keep our community safe.

Canadian Olympic Committee

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