PBA teams are bracing for the likely return of full practices and scrimmages in Metro Manila and provinces under NCR Plus on Wednesday, June 16.
Malacanang hinted Monday, June 14, that President Duterte may announce later in the evening new quarantine guidelines that will revert Metro Manila, Cavite, Laguna, Rizal and Bulacan back to normal General Community Quarantine.
Reverting to normal GCQ will be welcome news for all 12 PBA ballclubs, which have been going to areas like Batangas, Pampanga and even as far as Ilocos Norte where less-restrictive guidelines allow for full training sessions.
NCR Plus has been under a stricter GCQ since the middle of last month, initially barring pro teams from holding training indoors.
But the Inter-Agency Task Force said in a resolution last Friday that indoor non-contact sports venues like gyms can re-open under a 30-percent capacity.
That means training of pro teams will be divided into groups to assure that health and safety protocols can be observed.
However, moving regulations back to normal GCQ will be beneficial for PBA teams which can not only train like even before the COVID-19 pandemic but also avoid the hassle of enduring a long travel.
Most teams go to the practice venues before heading back to their homes on the same day, though others opted to hold training bubbles for at least two weeks.