MANILA, Philippines—Contact sports are now allowed in areas under Alert Level 2, including Metro Manila, as the Inter-Agency Task Force for Emerging Infectious Diseases started to ease the restrictions amid the decreasing cases of COVID-19 in the country.
Epimaco V. Densing III, Department of Interior and Local Government Undersecretary, said in an interview with DZMM said contact sports like basketball can now be played but he also gave a reminder that health protocols should still be observed.
The IATF’s “Guidelines on the Implementation of Alert Levels System for COVID-19 Response In Pilot Areas,” say that indoor facilities should only be filled up to 50 percent, while outdoor areas at 70%, of its capacity and will only cater to fully vaccinated adults.
Those who are under 18-years-old, even if unvaccinated, are also allowed in such facilities.
“Contact sports are allowed because we’re now going to looser restrictions under Alert Level 2. The restrictions will only be placed on the three Cs (closed or indoor spaces, crowded areas, and close contacts),” said Densing in Filipino.
“These measures underwent studies and have been endorsed by our health experts from the technical advisory group. This was studied and it’s clear, based on our data analytics, that these activities are low-risk especially if the environment you’re in is at low-risk.”
Densing added that the vaccination drives have been the key in easing the restrictions.
According to Reuters, the Philippines have administered 62,474,334 doses of COVID-19 vaccines.
“We’re confident that allowing contact sports won’t have a major effect [in the spread of the virus] because the important thing here is the vaccine. Once we’re vaccinated, we’re creating a herd immunity and when we have more vaccinated individuals than unvaccinated ones, then the spread will be very minimal,” said Densing.
Competitions, however, should still get approval from the local government unit.