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Editor’s Note: This story has been updated to reflect information gathered at the PBA press conference on Sunday night.
The Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) announced on Sunday that the Blackwater Elite player initially suspected of being COVID-19 positive, produced a negative antigen test.
“[The Blackwater player] was extracted. Just before, he was tested for antigens, with a negative result. Tomorrow we will await the result of his RT-PCR, “said Deputy Commissioner Eric Castro at a press conference.
Meanwhile, the referee who initially tested positive also tested negative in subsequent tests, but will serve the remainder of a 10-day quarantine. The referees with whom he had come into contact also tested negative and refereed the Geneva-Magnolia match.
Once the umpire returns to the bubble, he will undergo another round of RT-PCR testing as part of league protocol. The same rules will apply to the Blackwater player if his test is negative.
“I want to assure you that the protocols that have been given to the referee will be the same as those to the player. It will actually be the same and we will await the results of this,” Dr. George Canlas said earlier.
Testing the sec. From the tsar. Vince Dizon admits that any kind of evidence is not entirely 100% accurate, which may have been the case with the referee.
“We want to emphasize that we implement several layers of protocols consistent and compared to successful bubbles abroad, specifically the NBA … And in those protocols, testing is just one component. There are other layers of protocol that we have to implement instead. simply because everyone knows that there is no 100% test for COVID-19, “explained Dizon.
The Elite showdown against Painters Rain or Shine Elasto that was supposed to start at 4pm on Sunday will be moved to a later date, while the “Manila Classic” showdown between Brgy. Guinevere and Magnolia advanced as scheduled.
The postponed clashes will slowly integrate over the next few days as a triple header, Castro said, and the updated schedule will be published soon.
The PBA assures the public that strict health protocols are still being followed within the Clark bubble.
“I think the end result of the protocols that we established, that the PBA established, in coordination with the IATF, and with consultation with the NBA and FIBA are working so far, and we are pretty confident that we will keep everyone pretty safe in the bubble, ”Canlas said.
