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“The stress I’m having is, if I do contract the disease, is bringing it home to my family,” MacArthur said. “I have a son who suffered from bronchitis, so he’s very susceptible to respiratory infections. I’m not overly concerned if I get it, I’m pretty healthy and I think I might be able to fight it. But I’m more worried if I brought it home to him.”

He’s concerned too for the families whose children are in the hospital for life-changing or life-saving surgeries. In an effort to flatten the curve, Alberta Health Services policy now restricts visitation to just one parent at a time, and no extended family such as siblings or grandparents.

“To me that’s one of the toughest things we’re seeing. We are their coping group now because they don’t have the extra bodies around them. At the hospital they are in there with the nurses, and I work with a wonderful bunch of people, wonderful nurses who are very empathetic and caring, and it’s nice to see them take on the family role when the family can’t be there.”

When MacArthur is at home during his normal stretch of four consecutive days off, he runs on his own to stay in shape for his officiating job, and checks in with his extended CFL family, to make sure they’re navigating the new normal as best they can. He also gets weekly email updates from CFL associate vice-president of officiating Darren Hackwood.

“We’re tight here in Edmonton,” said MacArthur, who worked his first CFL pre-season game a decade ago at Commonwealth Stadium as part of referee Bud Steen’s crew. “We do try and talk on the phone once or twice a week, just to make sure everyone’s spirits are up.”