Cebu City still ironing out protocols on return of contact sports
Basketball, one of the more popular contact sports, is still not allowed to return as Cebu City is still finalizing the protocols covering its eventual return.
CEBU CITY, Philippines — Contact sports in Cebu City is still not allowed as officials here are still finalizing protocols on its eventual comeback.
Councilor Joel Garganera, the city’s Emergency Operations Center (EOC) chief, on Thursday, November 18 said consultations among the city’s 80 barangays are still ongoing.
“Wala pay gitugutan nga contact sports. Gahapon, we have a meeting with the barangay captains, me, acting Mayor Dondon Hontiveros, Mr. Edward Hayco of the City Sports Commission and also Dr. Bryan Lim to solicit ideas (on safely reallowing contact sports),” Garganera told reporters in a press interview.
Garganera added that local officials and health experts agreed on implementing uniform protocols and regulations on contact sports for all barangays.
The EOC also called on barangay captains to boost their education and information drive to encourage more of their constituents to get vaccinated against COVID-19.
Garganera said vaccination coverage rates in barangays are crucial factors in determining when and how to reintroduce contact sports.
“Part of our initial discussions is that, we agreed, only those fully vaccinated pwede makaduwa ug balik. But we found out that there are other barangays nga taas-taas na ug vaccination coverate, ang uban hesitant pa (ang constituent) and the percentage sa ilahang vaccinated very low pa,” he pointed out.
In the meantime, the EOC asked stakeholders as well as players themselves to extend more patience.
“I understand daghan na ganahan muduwa balik. And yes, I heard other LGUs (local government units) are doing but remember, we are such a very big city. We don’t want to make it nga haphazard ang pag-implementar,” said Garganera.
Some of the more popular contact sports being played today include basketball, volleyball, football, and badminton.
Cebu City is under Alert Level 2 wherein, according to guidelines from the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF), contact sports may be allowed, subject to the local government’s discretion. /rcg
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