![]() |
Practices for pro athletes have to be called off in NCR Plus. PBA Images (file photo) |
MANILA--A day after the Philippine Sports Commission called off all the national athletes' training within the NCR Plus area, it is the Games and Amusements Board's turn to do such postponement.
GAB issued its own advisory on Monday, barring professional athletes from conducting group training within NCR Plus, consisting of Bulacan, Metro Manila, Rizal, Laguna, and Cavite, as the five provinces have been placed in a Holy Week lockdown.
"In view of the alarming spike in the number of daily COVID-19 cases in the National Capital Region, provinces of Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna, and Rizal, the conduct of... professional sports training shall remain limited to solo or individual activities conducted indoors or anywhere within the individual's private property," GAB said in its announcement.
The reimposing of the lockdown, formally known as the enhanced community quarantine, came a week after a "bubble", that is, the NCR Plus area was placed under the general community quarantine but adopted some ECQ provisions like the closure of fitness gyms, was put up in the aforementioned cluster.
The ECQ was announced on Saturday night as the number of new daily COVID-19 cases continues to rise up.
The development further put some uncertainty on when the PBA can begin its new season, although some teams have already called off their practices prior to the announcement.
PVL and PFL teams will have to call off their training as well, although it may have a little effect on their scheduled season starts in May and July, respectively.
Follow him on Twitter: @IvanSaldajeno