Junior field hockey team stranded in South Africa due to Omicron variant
Canadians in southern Africa are scrambling to find flights home amid growing global concerns over the Omicron variant, the newest strain of the COVID-19 virus.
Team Canada’s junior women’s field hockey team is in South Africa for a major tournament. This weekend, they got word the tournament was postponed and most commercial flights home were cancelled. As of Monday afternoon, they have no firm plan on how they will be returning to Canada.
Jenna Berger plays on the team. “I just broke down, seeing the disappointment in my other teammates,” she says.
Twenty players and five support staff are in Potchefstroom, South Africa preparing for the Junior World Cup, which was scheduled to take place Dec. 5-16.
Berger says, “We just want to get home, see our families and spend time with them and be home safe, instead of here with all the unknown and uncertainty.”
Nancy Mollenhauer is coaching, and is part of the support staff. She says the team is doing their best to stay safe.
“We are in our own little bubble,” Mollenhauer says. “We have all been impressed with how the girls have handled the disappointment. I think you can always find silver linings in disappointment. And it has brought them closer together, I think, as a team.”
Mollenhauer says the team remains in good spirits and hopeful they will find a way home soon.
The team says they are working with officials back in Canada to help them get home safely. The team wants players to travel home in groups because some players are 18 years old.
Berger says this has not dampened her love of the sport.
“It fuels you a little more, when you get the opportunity to play again, to push a little harder because you don’t know when it is going to be taken away from you. You have to take every practise like it is your last because you don’t know what is going to happen the next day.”
Canada has banned flights from seven southern African countries. Canadians and permanent residents can return but must take a COVID-19 test and quarantine upon arrival.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
What to know about avian influenza in dairy cows and the risk to humans
Why is H5N1, or bird flu, a concern, how does it spread, and is there a vaccine? Here are the answers to some frequently asked questions about avian influenza.
'I was scared': Ontario man's car repossessed after missing two repair loan payments
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.
opinion The special relationship between King Charles and the Princess of Wales
Royal commentator Afua Hagan writes that when King Charles recently admitted Catherine to the Order of the Companions of Honour, it not only made history, but it reinforced the strong bond between the King and his beloved daughter-in-law.
New Norad commander calls Canada's defence policy update 'very encouraging'
American troops will be spending more time training in the Far North, the new commander of Norad says, a strategy that fits 'hand-in-glove' with Canada's renewed focus on Arctic defence.
$70M Lotto Max winners kept prize a secret from family for 2 months
During a special winner celebration near their hometown, Doug and Enid shared the story of how they discovered they were holding a Lotto Max ticket worth $70 million and how they kept this huge secret for so long.
Are Canadians getting sick from expired food?
A new survey by Dalhousie University's Agri-Food Analytics Lab asked Canadians about their food consumption habits amid rising prices.
Documents reveal Ottawa's efforts to get Loblaw, Walmart on board with grocery code
It was evident to the federal government as early as last fall that Loblaw and Walmart might be holdouts to the grocery code of conduct, jeopardizing the project's success.
Charlie Woods, son of Tiger, shoots 81 in U.S. Open qualifier
Charlie Woods failed to advance in a U.S. Open local qualifying event Thursday, shooting a 9-over 81 at Legacy Golf & Tennis Club.
Improve balance and build core strength with this exercise
When it comes to cardiovascular fitness, you may tend to focus on activities that move you forward, such as walking, running and cycling.