Ontario is falling apart.
Canada’s biggest province, home to more than a third of the country’s population, is in the midst of the worst spike in COVID-19 transmission yet. ICUs are on the brink of being overwhelmed, and Premier (think governor) Doug Ford warned of extreme emergency measures coming as the province struggles to get a handle on this public health crisis.
The Canadian government, meanwhile, continues to extend border closures along the United States-Canada crossings, in order to limit contact as much as possible, thus controlling exposure and making tracing easier. Although the sports world is far less important than the broader public, a consequence of these closures has been the creation of an All-Canadian division in the NHL to eliminate international travel, and the NBA’s Toronto Raptors are playing out this season using Tampa as a “home” court.