Raptors cleared to resume individual workouts at training facility starting May 11

By News Staff

The Toronto Raptors will be allowed access to their training centre starting May 11 after the Ford government cleared the way for professional sport training facilities to reopen.

“I am pleased to announce that beginning today in Ontario, professional sport training facilities will be permitted to reopen, provided their respective sports leagues have established health and safety protocols in response to COVID-19,” said Lisa MacLeod, Minister of Heritage, Sport, Tourism and Culture Industries.

Raptors officials say in a release that “strict protocols have been designed to ensure this initial level of access will take place in a safe, controlled, and healthy way.”

The team says the court is the only area that can be used by players and coaches with the locker rooms, weight rooms, medical facilities, offices and other areas of the building remaining closed.

The Raptors add that while the NBA directive allows for four players at a time in a practice facility, the team is limiting the practice facility to one player and one coach at a time with no overlap between groups.

“Staff members will wear gloves and masks at all times when in the building. Players will wear masks at all times except when on court,” the team said in a statement. “Symptom and temperature checks will be done by team medical staff before anyone enters the facility.”

A thorough cleaning of all spaces and equipment, including basketballs, will take place before and after each player uses the building.

The NBA suspended its season on March 11 after Utah Jazz all-star centre Rudy Gobert tested positive for the novel coronavirus. It ordered teams to close their facilities eight days later.

The defending champion Raptors (46-18) have not played since a 101-92 win at Utah on March 9. Players and staff were tested in the aftermath of the game because of the positive Gobert test.

There is no word on resumption of play with NBA commissioner Adam Silver saying repeatedly that the league is not yet in a position to make any such decision.

Earlier this week, the NBA said some players can voluntarily return to their team practice facilities starting Friday, with some very specific conditions and only in places where local and state governments have signed off on such openings.

“We thought this was reasonable,” said Raptors general manager Bobby Webster. “We thought it allowed our guys to start moving and getting out of their apartment a little bit… maybe more for mental health, to start shooting and doing things like that.”

Another hurdle for Raptors players is the fact that some of them are still in the United States and with the Canada-U.S. border closed to non-essential travel, the Canadian government has said that non-residents who enter the country would have to follow a two-week quarantine protocol.

“About half the team is here and almost all of them have expressed interest (in returning to train). This obviously brings up the idea of the other half who are not in Canada,” said Webster. “We’re trying to be good citizens and follow what’s in place. We’re not a special interest group or someone that is looking for any exceptions.”

With Major League Soccer having already opened the door to individual player workouts outdoors at team training centres, Toronto FC is in the process of getting its protocol approved by the league and local authorities.

An announcement on TFC individual workouts is expected in the next few days.

The NHL has yet to allow training to resume. But Friday’s announcement by the provincial government does allow Leaf players undergoing rehab to be able to go back to the Ford Performance Centre, the team’s training facility.

Players requiring rehab that could not be done at home initially were having it done at the training facility. Then it was switched to Scotiabank Arena after local authorities changed their guidelines.

Files from The Canadian Press were used in this report

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