The two committees said that the decision to vaccinate the members of the Olympic team was based on the recommendations of the councils of the two organizations, as well as the competition committees.
“We know that the best way to ensure the safety of athletes, staff and the entire communities in which we live, train and compete is to fully vaccinate all members of Team Canada against COVID-19,” said COC CEO David Shoemaker.
As stated in the announcement, the athletes nominated for the Olympics, which will take place from February 4-20 next year, have already been notified of the need to vaccinate. Appropriate cells will be created in the COC and consortia of individual disciplines, which will eventually help organize vaccination and clarify any doubts.
Shoemaker noted that during the Summer Olympics in Tokyo, no cases of coronavirus were found in a Canadian team of 840 people.
“We want to achieve the same effect in Beijing,” he noted, noting that a vaccine is not everything, and every member of Team Canada must also strictly adhere to strict health protocols and the principle of social distancing.
In September, the US Olympic and Paralympic Committees made similar decisions.
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