THE PBA may take a little bit more time before it can resume action in the Philippine Cup in Pampanga.
Teams need at least a week of practice before plunging back to the court after games were suspended starting last week as an unwanted rise in the Delta variant infections of the COVID-19 placed the National Capital Region (NCR) under the strictest lockdown starting August 6.
PBA in Pampanga
The development forced the PBA hierarchy to initially consider Batangas as host of the season-opening meet, before eventually settling in Pampanga since the province is under the regular GCQ (General Community Quarantine) status.
The Angeles University Foundation gym, where the Philippine Cup bubble was held last year, will again host the league when playing resumes, with the Bren Z. Guiao Convention Center serving as added venue for training facilities by the teams.
At the most, resumption may begin on August 22.
The original target resumption of August 15 is highly unlikely since teams haven’t began practicing yet following the implementation of ECQ in Metro Manila last week.
No schedule yet has been set on when teams will undergo its latest round of swab testing before scrimmages begin.
Besides, ballclubs are now scouring at the last-minute available hotels or Airbnb around Pampanga where they will be based for the duration of their stay in accordance to the home-gym-home closed circuit system being followed by the league.
The PBA is not allowed to play its games in NCR until Metro Manila is downgraded to a GCQ status.
While the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) has given the league the go-signal to play in province under a lesser community quarantine status, it will be forced to look for another venue should Pampanga be placed under a classification higher than GCQ.