Even during an Olympics with extreme COVID-19 protocols, it was a bizarre look for Canadian and Russian women’s hockey players. Both teams took the ice Monday wearing KN95 masks underneath their hockey masks.
The start of the preliminary group game was delayed by more than an hour because the Canadian team did not receive a report on Russia’s COVID testing status and didn’t want to take the ice until that happened, according to Toronto Sun reporter Rob Longley.
The Associated Press reported that the IOC told the IIHF, the international hockey federation, that players were required to wear masks due to “safety and security reasons.”
The Russian players returned for the third period without their masks, though the Canadians kept theirs on.
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Russia has been hit by COVID issues during these Games, with several hockey players quarantined after testing positive. They were in isolation in the Olympic Village from Monday to Wednesday but still won their opening game against Switzerland.
“We came to the Olympics and we had to sit in our rooms without the opportunity to practice,” said Russian forward Alexandra Vafina after the Switzerland game. “It was hard but we got all together, we stayed positive and we took this little opportunity that we had.”
Athletes needed to have two negative coronavirus tests before arriving in Beijing, including one within 72 hours of departure. They are tested every day, and a “closed loop” system that prohibits contact with any non-Games personnel is designed to stem outbreaks.
