It might be a while until sports fans will get to physically watch their favorite games because of new rules set by the Philippine government.

The Inter-agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID), on Thursday, July 16, approved a new resolution that bans spectators at all sporting events allowed during quarantine.

Resolution No. 56, made public on Friday, includes this new line in rules for both general community quarantine (GCQ) and modified general community quarantine (MGCQ):

“Spectators in all non-contact sports and exercises shall be prohibited.”

What sports are allowed in GCQ and MGCQ?

Under GCQ: Only outdoor non-contact sports are allowed. The rules cite specific examples but the allowed sports are not limited to them: walking, jogging, running, biking, golf, swimming, tennis, badminton, equestrian, range shooting, and skateboarding.

Also, mask-wearing and physical distancing are required of persons doing these sports. There can be no sharing of equipment.

Even children or persons under 21 years of age and senior citizens or those older than 60 can exercise outdoors. This is because of the line (under Section 4, item 13) that says “the prohibition in Section 4 (3) does not apply.”

Under GCQ, clubhouses and other facilities that support the allowed sports can resume “basic operations.”

If these establishments contain restaurants and cafes, these are also allowed to operate, but at 30% capacity. These establishments can even be open until 9 pm, read the rules.

Under MGCQ: Indoor non-contact sports are now allowed, apart from outer non-contact sports.

Mask-wearing and physical distancing are still required and equipment-sharing is still banned.

Gyms and sports facilities can now operate at full capacity. – Rappler.com