MANILA, Philippines — Staging of several sporting events will finally be allowed under a modified general community quarantine (MGCQ) setup, according to the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases.
Contact sports such as basketball and boxing, however, will remain prohibited.
As per the IATF’s updated omnibus guidelines on the implementation of community quarantine in the country, only “indoor and outdoor non-contact sports and other forms of exercise” will be allowed in areas placed under MGCQ.
IATF named biking, golf, swimming, badminton, equestrian and skateboarding among some of the sports that are allowed to resume.
It’s still a must, however, to follow the minimum public health standards including wearing masks and social distancing. Sharing of equipment will also not be allowed.
Aside from live sporting events, other forms of mass gatherings like concerts and movie screenings are also allowed under the MGCQ given that “participants shall be limited to 50 percent of the venue or seating capacity.”
The country has been on lockdown since mid-March due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Metro Manila, which is under modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ), is expected to transition into a more relaxed community quarantine measures after May 31.
Major sporting leagues in the country have been either scrapped or suspended indefinitely amid the lockdown.