Philippine Basketball Association commissioner Willie Marcial said all 12 teams can resume active training sessions as early as Aug. 25 after President Rodrigo Duterte declared that Metro Manila and nearby provinces will be reverted to a general community quarantine (GCQ) starting Wednesday.
After a delay of more than a week since the President brought Metro Manila back to a modified enhance community quarantine last August 4, Marcial said all teams must first undergo swab testing on Thursday and Friday at the Makati Medical Center before they can start practicing.
The training or practice sessions are limited only to conditioning without the actual 5-on-5 plays and scrimmages.
“Baka by August 25 puwede na mag-ensayo pero mag-swab testing muna on August 20 and 21. Then, mga two to three days puwede na [mag-practice],” explained Marcial, who reminded all teams to follow the strict health protocols under the joint administrative order created by the Department of Health, Philippine Sports Commission and Games and Amusement Board.
The three government bodies made the necessary guidelines for professional and non-professional sports to prevent the spread of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
Based on the JAO agreement, only professional leagues are allowed to hold workouts under a GCQ.
The PBA, said Marcial, will send another separate letter of request to the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases by September for scrimmages and play five-on-five practices.
Marcial will make a request to the IATF to allow them to hold scrimmages by September, but admitted that there’s a good chance that this will be allowed if the current Metro Manila status will go down to a modified general community quarantine.
With this positive development, Marcial is optimistic that Season 45 can resume by October.
Philippine Cup games were suspended last March 11 because of the rising cases of COVID-19 in the country.