PHILIPPINE Basketball Association (PBA) Commissioner Willie Marcial said the league could do nothing than wait for instructions from the government on how sports would return from the Covid-19 pandemic.
The Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases prohibits events that attracts large crowds to curb the spread of the virus. As a result, the PBA and all other leagues in the country have to abide by the task force’s guidelines and protocols.
Marcial said that the PBA, a certified magnet to fans anywhere in the country, is considered a high risk event.
“It’s sad, but that’s the reality,” Marcial said. “It would be hard to bring back sports because for one, there’s the social distancing issue to be followed.”
Marcial said that he will not put the safety of the players, officials and fans in danger by making a hasty decision. The league, he said, will decide in August after the Board of Governors has evaluated the situation.
“One can say our players are strong enough to be hit by Covid-19. Yes, they have strong immunity, but the problem lies when they go home and they might transfer the virus to their families. It’s a big concern,” he said.
The IATF is scheduled to lift the enhanced community quarantine on May 15, although observers believe the protocols would remain under a general community quarantine scenario where the public will embrace the “new normal” of observing public distancing, wearing of face masks and the prohibition of mass gatherings.
PBA officials met online over the weekend and decided not to hold any game or activity and will decide in August whether to resume the season or scrap it all together.
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