By Waylon Galvez
PBA Commissioner Willie Marcial said yesterday that swab testing of players and personnel would be done on a per team basis on August 6 and 7 by the Makati Medical Center.
“Per team ang swab testing, hindi siya by batches of 10, 20… kada team ang gagawin,” said Marcial. “Hopefully OK ang lahat – safe sa COVID-19.”
Marcial said that while the league’s Commissioner’s Office has been notified by Makati Medical Center management of the dates, the hospital would issue the exact date for the teams.
Sources said players and team personnel were notified that they would receive official communication from Makati Medical Center with regards to their respective scheduled swab testing.
“We’ll receive email from Makati Medical Center, so for now we don’t know yet when the swab testing will be done. What we know is it’s either August 6 or 7 for the nine teams,” said one of the sources.
Only nine teams are set to have swab testing at the said hospital.
These are from the MVP group of companies TNT KaTropa, NLEX and Meralco, Phoenix Super LPG Fuel Masters, Alaska, NorthPort, Terra Forma DYIP, Blackwater and Rain or Shine.
The teams under the San Miguel Corporation, namely Magnolia Hotshots Pambansang Manok, San Miguel Beer and Barangay Ginebra San Miguel, will have their own swab testing within the company.
SMB and Magnolia are both set to be tested Tuesday at the SMC compound, the Beermen in the morning and the Hotshots in the afternoon, while Ginebra will have its test Wednesday.
“We just received our schedule, Ginebra team will be tested August 5. We can’t wait to get back to work, we’re all excited,” said Ginebra mentor Tim Cone.
The swab testing is part of the guideline approved by the Joint Administrative Order (JAO) of the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) the Games and Amusements Board (GAB) and the Department of Health (DOH) for professional sports, which includes the PBA.
It is the first step for the PBA’s return to practice session after nearly five months break after the cancelation of games in the Philippine Cup following the 45th Season opening last March 8.
Marcial ordered the cancelation of games and practice sessions after that as the government issues an Enhanced Community Quarantine or lockdown because of the coronavirus pandemic.
