THE risk of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) infection is so real even those in a sports bubble are not spared.
Opening more sports bubbles in the country, aside from the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA), may be doable but it's not ideal considering the rising Covid-19 cases in the country.
Playing under a bubble concept requires all teams' players and personnel to be housed in one place and they will be away from their families for a certain period of time.
PBA earlier halted the Philippine Cup games after the league decided to comply with the recommendations from the Inter-Ageny Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases and Department of Health experts following the positive swabbing results of a referee and a Blackwater player.
Both the game official and the player were brought to the Athletes' Villages of the New Clark City in Capas, Tarlac for isolation. Those who were in contact with them are also underwent quarantine.
The PBA bubble games in Pampanga, however, resumed on November 3 with additional health protocols being implemented. These include completion of a 14-day quarantine and testing before entering the bubble for all those who will test positive; appointment of an independent marshall who shall oversee and ensure compliance with health and safety protocols, as recommended by the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG); and a separate temporary quarantine facility at the Clark Freeport Zone.
Meanwhile, the 2020 Philippines Football League (PFL) bubble is ongoing in Carmona, Cavite with games set at the Philippine Football Federation National Training Center in Carmona, Cavite.
Six clubs are seeing action in the bootfest - United City FC, Kaya FC-Iloilo, Stallion-Laguna, Mendiola FC, Maharlika FC, and the Azkals Development Team. Seda Nuvali Hotel in Sta. Rosa, Laguna serves as their billeting quarters.
Professional leagues such as the PBA and PFL needed the approval of the Games and Amusement Board to stage their respective bubbles but they also have to seek permission from the IATF.
While we welcome the restart efforts of some of the country's pro leagues, we urge the government and health experts to help improve the health safety measures to be undertaken in these sports bubbles.
In amateur sports, the Commission on Higher Education (Ched) released its crafted guidelines allowing student athletes to resume practices. But the recommended protocols only limit to team drills, workouts, and body conditioning as scrimmages are still prohibited. Players aged 18 to 21, however, must have parental consent while those under 18 will have to make do with online training.
If the Ched guidelines also cover student athletes in Davao City, the final say will still be from the local government unit, which has reiterated that only individual training is allowed for non-contact sports via Executive Order 57, also known as "An Order Regulating Mass Gatherings And Prohibiting Non-Essential Travel Within Davao City And For Other Purposes Until December 31, 2020.' The order disallows all contact sports, including darts and billiards.