Team Philippines won’t jump the line

Southeast Asian (SEA) Games chief of mission Ramon Fernandez vowed that national athletes and coaches would not jump the line for coronavirus vaccination.

Fernandez, a commissioner of the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC), said the inoculation of national team members would be based on the decision of the Inter-Agency Task Force on the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases as well as vaccine czar Carlito Galvez.

The government had already kicked off the roll out of Covid-19 vaccination starting with medical frontliners and members of he military.

“We’re still dependent on the decision of the IATF. Of course, we expect the government to inoculate athletes after the frontliners. We just have to wait,” Fernandez said.

Save for players from four sports who are training inside a bubble in Laguna as well as those abroad and the provinces, the country’s buildup for the 31st SEA Games in Hanoi has yet to start.

Fernandez said they are looking at starting their training bubble on 15 April with the PSC tipped to spend around P200 million, including the participation in the biennial meet.

Still, vaccination will not be required.

“For the bubble training, vaccination would not be required yet,” said Fernandez, adding that they are now looking for a suitable area to hold camp.

“Similar to the set up at the Inspire Sports Academy, we just need to find a location to hold the bubble safely even without vaccine.”