Edmonton Elks COVID-19 outbreak: No new cases Friday, facility to reopen Sept. 1

EDMONTON -

The Edmonton Elks reported no new cases of COVID-19 on Friday.

Still at 14 cases, the team extended its isolation period from seven to 10 days with the advice of provincial health officials.

• 2 more Edmonton Elks test positive for COVID-19, cases up to 14

Players will isolate until Aug. 31 and return to work on Sept. 1 if no one tests positive this weekend.

"Any positive test between now and then is going to derail the process, so as long as they can continue with no positive cases through the end of the weekend and into Wednesday, then that game against Calgary that following weekend should happen," TSN's Farhan Lalji told CTV News.

As of Friday morning, the Elks have a vaccination rate of 83.5 per cent between partially and fully vaccinated players, president and CEO Chris Presson said.

"We're at 83.5 per cent downstairs, we're at almost 100 per cent upstairs. I'm not sure what else we could ask from our players, coaches, staff and front office," Presson said.

"We won't be having team dinners outside the facility. We'll have team dinners in the hotel. So we'll just draw everyone back in to closer proximity to ground zero."

CTV News requested an interview with Elks general manager Brock Sunderland, who has not spoken publicly since the outbreak began, but he will not be made available.

With files from CTV News Edmonton's Ryan Harding