Four games over two exciting days of hockey saw three games decided by one goal as teams completed their final preparations for the 2021 IIHF World Junior Championship. On the eve of opening puck drop, the IIHF has announced the latest results from the pre-competition COVID-19 testing of all players, staff, and tournament officials in the 2021 IIHF World Junior Championship Bubble. 

Since the teams have entered the competition bubble, a total of 5,586 tests have been conducted on all players, staff, and game officials. 

The IIHF would like to share the following updates:

-Ten players and eight staff members from Team Germany have been released from quarantine and will begin to practice

-They will join the six players who had previously been released from quarantine

-One additional player on Team Germany tested positive for COVID-19 since the last update and must remain in quarantine until at least 4^th January

-Three of the eight players that tested positive for COVID-19 last week must remain in quarantine until 27 December. The remaining players must remain in quarantine until at least 29^th December

-There are no positive cases among the nine other participating teams

-From the tests conducted on game officials as well as IIHF, Local Organizing Committee, and broadcast personnel, there have been no positive cases reported

For the first time since 2005, the World Junior Championship will begin on 25^th December with three feature games, which includes the United States taking on Russia.

All team staff and players as well as all on- and off-ice officials will continue to receive daily testing throughout the tournament. The Event Executive Committee has been receiving regular updates via the Event Medical Committee and will continue to review the testing results.

“We welcome the German team into the World Junior Championship and thank them for their incredible cooperation and diligence in following the quarantine rules,” said the Event Executive Committee in a statement. “We will continue to rigorously adhere to our plan as we maintain a bubble environment where the primary focus is the health and safety of the community and the event participants.”