The NHL and NHLPA have reportedly agreed to shorten COVID-19 isolation requirements to as little as five days following recent guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the United States.
According to Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli and Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, the league sent a memo to teams Wednesday outlining the changes, which are contingent on current rules in place by local health authorities.
For jurisdictions that allow it, vaccinated players who test positive for COVID-19 may leave isolation after five days if they are showing no symptoms, test negative once with a PCR test or twice two hours apart with a point-of-care test, and are cleared by their team’s physician.
The player would still be required to be masked in all settings outside games and practices for an additional five days and all other COVID-19 protocols, including those related to cardiac screening, will remain in place.
NHL and NHLPA medical experts will evaluate the revised protocols in 14 days.
Editor’s Note: The COVID-19 situation, in the NHL and around the world, is constantly evolving. Readers in Canada can consult the country’s public health website for the latest.
On Monday, the CDC announced it was recommending the isolation time be shortened from 10 to five days for individuals who had tested positive or been a close contact with someone who had.
“The Omicron variant is spreading quickly and has the potential to impact all facets of our society,” Dr. Rochelle Walensky, the director of the CDC, said on Monday. “These updates ensure people can safely continue their daily lives.”
The NHL has had 80 games postponed so far this season due to COVID-19 outbreaks, mostly the result of the new Omicron variant.
The league returned from nearly a full week break with three games Tuesday night and has six more scheduled for Wednesday.
