The QMJHL has announced that a COVID-19 outbreak has struck players and staff of the Blaineville-Boisbriand Armada. The total number of active cases diagnosed currently stands at 18. The players and staff have been placed in isolation and will remain so for 14 days. The league announced the news late Wednesday morning.
Players and staff from the @ArmadaBLB have been placed in isolation for a period of 14 days.
The team’s activities remain suspended indefinitely.
— QMJHL (@QMJHL) October 7, 2020
QMJHL Announced Outbreak
This news comes at a time when the Quebec Junior league is experiencing a huge amount of positive news. The NHL Draft is currently happening and the Q has had several high-profile players selected. Alexis Lafreniere is just the latest Quebec star to be drafted first overall. Nico Hischier went first in 2017 and Nathan MacKinnon led the way in 2013. This is not the news that the team and league wants to announce at such an exciting time for the sport.
This outbreak will also concern the Canadian government. The nation has been very responsible with quarantine and travel procedures so an outbreak of this size is far from ideal. However, it’s entirely possible that this is just an outbreak due to bad luck. The league will work to determine just how the virus came into contact with one of its teams.
What This Means for the Future
The league began its season on October 2nd but Blaineville-Boisbriand’s activities are suspended indefinitely. The time will be spent returning people to health and and investigating the outbreak. Such steps will need to take place to ensure the matter is fully resolved. This may prompt further safeguards against outbreaks as the Quebec Junior season continues.
Finally, this outbreak should reinforce how dangerous the virus can be. Canada and the Quebec province have maintained a high level of responsibility and this still occurred. It should serve as a potential warning to others that the virus can only be accounted for but not eliminated entirely.
