(PHOTO BY NICOLE HERNANDEZ)
The Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) on Emerging Infectious Diseases has given the green light for the resumption of student-athlete practices in areas under general community quarantine (GCQ) and modified GCQ (MGCQ).
Under Resolution No. 68, the IATF declared “student-athletes of collegiate athletic associations… shall be allowed to resume their preparatory trainings in areas under [GCQ] and [MGCQ], subject to guidelines as may be issued by the Commission on Higher Education (CHEd).”
In a virtual presser, CHEd chairman Prospero de Vera III asserted that no training should be conducted until the guidelines were released.
The Philippine Sports Commission, Department of Health, CHEd and representatives of collegiate sports leagues comprise the technical working group assigned to craft the guidelines.
De Vera said the group would finish the protocols in three weeks.
Training sessions for collegiate athletes have been under scrutiny since the discovery of the University of Santo Tomas’ practice sessions in a training bubble in Sorsogon.
Only Iligan City is under modified enhanced community quarantine. The rest of the country is under GCQ and MGCQ until Sept. 30. John Ezekiel J. Hirro