Coach mula Tokyo Olympics, nag-positive, pauuwiin

ni Gerard Arce - @Sports | July 23, 2021

Isang hindi pinangalanang coach ng Philippine national team ang nakatakdang pauwiin ng bansa matapos pabalik-balik na mag-false positive at negative sa COVID-19.

Inihayag ni Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) President Atty. Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino ang naturang masamang balita na dumating galing ng 2020+1 Tokyo Olympics kasunod ng ginanap na mini-press conference sa CONRAD Hotel sa Pasay City kahapon.

Natagpuan sa kanyang arawang tests sa Athletes Village ang patuloy na pabago-bagong resulta sa testing ng coach, na naging dahilan ng paglalagay dito sa hiwalay na lugar at paulit-ulit na testing, na kinalauna’y lumabas na negative. Gayunpaman, sa sumunod na araw ay muling naglabas ng ‘false positive’ ang coach na nakararanas na ng sintomas gaya ng lagnat. “While waiting for another confirmatory test, I have ordered our chef de mission Mariano Araneta to separate him from our team. If the next result is negative, we are sending him home. If he again tests positive, he will be brought to a quarantine hospital,” wika ni Tolentino.

Ngunit base sa naging unang testing ng coach ay nagnegatibo ito sa isinagawang RT-PCR testing sa mahigpit na screening sa Narita Airport. “The coach must have gotten it on the plane or at the airport, during the incubation period kaya hindi lumabas sa tests noong una,” paliwanag ni Tolentino.

“To further mitigate the risks to the Philippine team, we have decided to separate the coach from the delegation,” saad ni POC Secretary-General Edwin Gastanes.