For the fifth and final round of COVID-19 testing in the 2020-21 BC Hockey League season, it was another case of good news all around.
The league announced in a post on social media on Friday that it received no positive COVID-19 test results during its fifth week back inside the five pod cities of Port Alberni, Burnaby, Chilliwack, Vernon, and Penticton.
16 of the league’s 18 teams started playing in the pod cities on April 2.
“So proud of the athletes, coaches, medical staffs, and countless volunteers that made this happen. No small feat to successfully complete 249 games this past season,” said BCHL executive director Steven Cocker on Twitter. “After this week, it’ll be time to turn the page to 2021-22 and get back to competing for the Fred Page Cup.”
The BCHL didn’t announce on Friday how many tests were administered to players and staff during this round of testing. However, it did include that number in its first round of test results, indicating that 439 were tested at the time.
If that was the same number each week, close to 2,200 tests have been administered with all of them being negative.
An update on the BCHL's weekly COVID-19 testing.
A HUGE shoutout to all players and staff who have been so disciplined the past few weeks in order to allow us to safely conduct this shortened season. pic.twitter.com/JrrKSL5tRf
— BCHL (@BCHockeyLeague) May 7, 2021
The Nanaimo Clippers had their activities paused on April 15 after the team experienced a potential positive COVID-19 test result that was later found to be negative.
The Penticton Vees had a player test positive for COVID-19 in November, the Surrey Eagles experienced a positive test in October, and the Prince George Spruce Kings had ‘several’ players test positive for the virus in February.
The 2020-21 pod season in the BCHL wraps up on May 11 with Nanaimo against Alberni Valley.
