IATF allows basketball, football practice even under community quarantine

July 3, 2020

The Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases is now allowing basketball and football training even if the whole country is still under community quarantine, Malacañang said on Friday.

Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said the decision was reached during the IATF meeting on Thursday, July 2.

"The practice and conditioning of basketball and football (players) have been allowed based on the request of the PBA (Philippine Basketball Association) and other football association," he said in the "Laging Handa" press briefing.

He said the Philippine Sports Commission, Games and Amusement Board, and Department of Health Joint Administrative Oder providing for the guidelines on the conduct of health-enhancing physical activities and sports during the coronavirus disease pandemic was approved.

Since President Rodrigo Duterte placed the country under community quarantine by middle of March to prevent the spread of coronavirus, all sports activities, particularly the contact sports like basketball, have been prohibited. Celerina Monte/DMS