COVID-19 and Baseball Timeline

March 15/20 - All in-person baseball activities were suspended indefinitely by the Ontario Baseball Association (OBA), through to April 3/20

March 30/20 - All outdoor sports fields, including baseball diamonds were ordered closed by the Ontario government

March 31/20 - The City of Toronto cancelled all field permits up to June 29/20

April 1/20 - The OBA extended the suspension of all in-person baseball programs and activities until May 1/20

April 20/20 - The OBA extended the suspension of all in‐person baseball programs and activities until May 31/20

May 20/20 - The City of Toronto re-opened baseball fields for individual “casual” use, with team play allowed only if everyone is from the same household

May 30/20 - The OBA extended the suspension of all in-person baseball programs through June 15/20. "Baseball Ontario’s suspension of in-person activities remains in place and therefore any and all in-person training or activity, regardless of the number of participants, is still prohibited at this time, including team use of batting cages."

May 31/20 - The Ontario government allowed batting cages to re-open for business, with strict social distancing measures in place, so that "residents can start to enjoy seasonal outdoors activities at safe physical distances”

June 3/20 - The OBA released a draft of the "Return to Baseball Covid-19 Guidelines

June 6/20 - The Ontario government extended all emergency orders until June 19/20

June 12/20 - The Ontario government started the regional reopening of the province, as most regions, excluding the Golden Horseshoe (including Toronto) moved into Stage 2

June 11/20 - The OBA Board of Management finalized and approved the "Return to Sport Protocol". Member Organizations and all participants must familiarize themselves with these Guidelines prior to resuming in‐person activities

June 16/20 - In‐person baseball programs and activities can resume, as announced by the OBA, pending observance of provincial and municipal rules and restrictions. Regions in Stage 1 of the Provincial Reopening Plan are not yet permitted to resume team sport activities. Regions in Stage 2 of the Provincial Reopening Plan are permitted to resume outdoor team sports (including baseball), if physically distanced, for training only and no scrimmages or games, but must still respect the gathering limit of 10 persons at this time

June 19/20 - The regions of Durham, Haldimand-Norfolk, Halton, Hamilton, Lambton, Niagara and York moved into Stage 2. Peel, Toronto and Windsor-Essex will remain in Stage 1

June 17/20 - The Ontario government extended all emergency orders until June 30/20

June 24/20 - The Ontario government extended the Declaration of Emergency to July 15/20

July 9/20 - The Ontario government extended the Declaration of Emergency to July 22/20

July 17/20 - Most regions, excluding the Golden Horseshoe (including Toronto) moved into Stage 3

July 24/20 - The regions of Durham, Haldimand-Norfolk, Halton, Hamilton, Lambton, Niagara and York moved into Stage. Peel, Toronto and Windsor-Essex remained in Stage 2

Oct 10/20 - The regions of Ottawa, Peel and Toronto returned to a modified Stage 2. Team sports were limited to training sessions (no games or scrimmages)

Nov 7/20 - The Ontario government launched the new 5-level regional "Keeping Ontario Safe & Open Framework. As requested by Toronto's Medical Officer of Health, Toronto would remain in the current modified Stage 2 until Nov 14/20

Nov 14/20 - Toronto moved into Red-Control under the provincial Keeping Ontario Safe & Open Framework

Nov 23/20 - Toronto moved into Grey-Lockdown under the provincial Keeping Ontario Safe & Open Framework

Jan 14/21 - A provincial State Of Emergency and Stay-At-Home order was imposed by the Ontario government