Marcial, PBA, hopeful for August 25 resumption of team practices

By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña

 

Following Metro Manila’s revert from General Community Quarantine (GCQ) to a stricter Modified Enhanced Community Quarantine (MECQ), the PBA and commissioner Willie Marcial have high hopes that they will resume training once the MECQ will be lifted.

After the national government put Manila under MECQ following the sudden spike in numbers of COVID-19 patients, the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) on Emerging Infectious Diseases put the PBA practices on hold until further notice.

“Kapag nag-GCQ na tayo, sana, by August 19, dire-diretso na rin kami. So, sana maka-umpisa na tayo by August 25,” said commissioner Marcial.

Before Metro Manila was placed under MECQ, everything was already in place for the resumption of practices with the PBA having its health protocols ready.

Included in the agreed plans for the return of the PBA practices are limited personnel and player inside the gym, disinfection area for players, social distancing, swab testing before practice participation and the presence of a health officer during a practice session.

The PBA and the Chooks-to-Go 3×3 squad were already slated to return to conditioning practice after the signing of the Joint Administrative Order (JAO) approved by the DOH, GAB, and the PSC.