Fully vaccinated individuals may be allowed at contact sports events as per the recommendation of the National Capital Region (NCR) mayors, according to the Metro Manila Development Authority.
MMDA chairman Benhur Abalos said that NCR mayors have already given their recommendations to the Inter-Agency task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID).
Abalos noted that Metro Manila mayors should provide a unified and official stand on the conduct of contact sports to the IATF.
“A technical working group, headed by Department of Health (DOH)-NCR Regional Director Dr. Gloria Balboa, was created to study the possible conduct of contact sports. It underwent a very tedious process,” said Abalos during a press briefing.
“Since players are susceptible to physical proximity with one another while spectators are inclined to cheer or chant in a crowd, having them fully vaccinated will reduce the risk of transmission,” he added.
Metro Manila mayors unanimously agreed under MMDA Resolution No. 21-28 to recommend the following guideline for venue capacity limitations, vaccination status, observance of minimum public health standards, and contact tracing.
The recommended rules are as follows:
- only fully-vaccinated adults and minors shall be allowed to play or watch in an organized or unorganized event,
- players or spectators who are symptomatic shall be barred from any sporting event,
- local government units shall have the prerogative to allow or disallow spectators in any contact sport event as the circumstances may require,
- players shall have the option not to wear face masks while playing. However, when not playing, the players must wear face masks and observe social distancing,
- spectators and all other persons shall wear face masks and observe social distancing at all times, and
- the organizer, venue owner, or operator shall have a written registry and health declaration of participants, spectators, and all other persons in the event stating their names, addresses, and contact numbers and conduct temperature check and verification of vaccination cards
“With these guidelines we are recommending to the IATF, we can help the contact sports industry to get back in the game and give motivation to the public, especially the sports enthusiasts, to get fully vaccinated,” Abalos said.
“However, we have to wait for the IATF’s approval on this matter,” he added. Ronald Espartinez