The Philippine Basketball Association released a statement on Wednesday evening that the referee suspected to have COVID-19 might be a false positive case.
The subject has received a negative result in its antigen test.
Still, the league, together with the Bases Conversion and Development Authority and Clark Development Corporation, assures that the person will be put into isolation.
“The referee will remain on strict 14-day quarantine at the Athletes’ Village in New Clark City, and will be subjected to another RT-PCR test to confirm the negative antigen result. All of the eight persons listed as the referees’ close contacts were also established and isolated within 12 hours. They will undergo another round of RT-PCR tests on Saturday, October 24,” the league’s statement read.
“As part of the strict health protocols being enforced in the bubble, the referee was immediately extracted from his designated room immediately after being found positive on RT-PCR test.”
Earlier, the league confirmed that a game official is a suspect case for COVID-19.
Still, the league continued its slate of games for Wednesday inside the SMART 5G-powered AUF Sports and Cultural Center.
The league is also implementing stricter measures for personnel inside the bubble.
Moreover, it assures that the bubble has not popped.
“Movement of persons in the Bubble is being monitored by StaySafe.Ph, the official contact tracing app for the PBA Bubble,” the statement continued.
“We would like to assure the public that the integrity of the bubble has not been compromised. Protocols have not been breached.”
