Big City, others hope for sports resumption

MANILA, Philippines — A number of sporting events are set to resume next week if and when the modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) in the National Capital Region and other areas is downgraded to modified general CQ or GCQ starting next Monday.

Metro Manila, along with Laguna, Pampanga, Bataan, Bulacan and Nueva Ecija have been placed under MECQ since May 16 but remained “high-risk” for COVID-19 transmission. Still, the Metro Manila Council, which consists of 17 cities in the NCR, is leaning towards recommending the change to MGCQ or GCQ to the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) before the end of the third lockdown extension on May 31.

The MMC will have an urgent meeting tomorrow.

Sporting events will be allowed to resume although venues may operate at only 50 percent capacity in line with physical distancing measure.

“Mass gatherings such as, but not limited to, movie screenings, concerts, sporting events, and other entertainment activities, community assemblies and non-essential work gatherings shall be allowed provided that participants shall be limited to 50 percent of the venue or seating capacity,” according to IATF’s latest guidelines.

Indoor and outdoor non-contact sports and other forms of exercise like walking, jogging, running, biking, golf, swimming, tennis, badminton, equestrian and skateboarding will be allowed. Wearing of face masks and social distancing will remain a must.