Report: More Than 20 Vancouver Canucks Players, Coaches Test Positive for COVID

The outbreak of COVID-19 among the Vancouver Canucks is continuing to spread.

According to Darren Dreger of TSN, more than 20 players and coaches have tested positive for the virus, and family members are also contracting it. 

Vancouver has been dealing with issues related to COVID-19 since March 31, when two players and a coach were named to the COVID-19 protocol list, per Jimmy Hascup of USA Today. The team has not played since March 24. 

The Canucks have already had four games postponed, though Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic and TSN reported Saturday that the team is "certainly not playing next week." They are currently scheduled to play again on Thursday against the Calgary Flames. 

As of Sunday afternoon, there were 14 players officially on the COVID-19 protocol list, per Hascup: Travis Boyd, Thatcher Demko, Alex Edler, Adam Gaudette, Travis Hamonic, Jayce Hawryluk, Braden Holtby, Bo Horvat, Quinn Hughes, Zack MacEwan, Tyler Motte, Tyler Myers, Antoine Roussel and Brandon Sutter. 

Thomas Drance of The Athletic said Saturday that the increased number of players includes some from the team's taxi squad as well as a "high-risk close contact." 

Dreger reported Saturday on SportsCentre that "many players" were "very ill," adding Sunday that they were suffering from symptoms including vomiting, cramping and dehydration. TSN's Farhan Lalji said Saturday that team medical staff has visited players at home for IV treatments. 

The NHL's North Division—which consists of all seven Canada-based teams—had managed to avoid COVID-19 issues for most of the season. A March 22 game between the Montreal Canadiens and Edmonton Oilers was the first to be postponed in Canada when Montreal had two players moved to the COVID-19 list. Four Canadiens games were postponed as a result. 

COVID-19 cases are rising in British Columbia, where new restrictions are in place that prohibit indoor dining and make masks mandatory in schools. The province previously rolled back restrictions in mid-March, allowing gatherings of up to 10 people in outdoor spaces, according to Gordon Hoekstra of the Vancouver Sun.