Metro Manila, other areas, still under Alert Level 1 - DOH

MANILA, July 20 ------ The COVID-19 task force placed Metro Manila and many other areas under the loosest of the country's 5-tier alert level system until the end of the month, the Department of Health (DOH) announced.

"The DOH noted, based on IATF-EID metrics, that these areas were able to de-escalate by maintaining their case classification and total beds utilization rates at low risk, and reaching or nearing the vaccination thresholds for target population and target A2 (senior citizens) priority group," the agency said in a statement.

The DOH said the following areas will still be under Alert Level 1 until July 31. General Santos City and 18 other localities were also deescalated to the said level:

Cordillera Administrative Region

• Abra

• Apayao

• Kalinga

• Mountain Province

• Baguio City

Region I

• Ilocos Norte

• Ilocos Sur

• La Union

• Pangasinan

• Dagupan City

Region II

• Batanes

• Cagayan

• Isabela

• Nueva Vizcaya

• Quirino

• City of Santiago

Region III

• Aurora

• Bataan

• Bulacan

• Nueva Ecija

• Pampanga

• Tarlac

• Zambales

• Angeles City

• Olongapo City

Region IV-A

• Batangas

• Cavite

• Laguna

• Rizal

• Lucena City

Region IV-B

• Marinduque

• Oriental Mindoro

• Romblon

• Puerto Princesa City

Region V

• Albay

• Catanduanes

• Naga City

• Sorsogon

Region VI

• Aklan

• Capiz

• Guimaras

• Iloilo Province

• Bacolod City

• Iloilo City

Region VII

• Siquijor

• Cebu City

• Lapu-Lapu City

• Mandaue City

Region VIII

• Biliran

• Eastern Samar

• Southern Leyte

• Ormoc City

• Tacloban City

Region IX

• Zamboanga City

Region X

• Camiguin

• Bukidnon

• Misamis Occidental

• Misamis Oriental

• Cagayan de Oro City

• Iligan City

Region XI

• Davao City

• Davao Oriental

Region XII

• South Cotabato

• General Santos City

CARAGA

• Agusan del Norte

• Agusan del Sur

• Surigao del Sur

• Butuan City

BARMM

• Cotabato City

The following component cities and municipalities will still also be under Alert Level 1, according to the DOH:

Cordillera Administrative Region

• Sablan

• Benguet

Region IV-A

• Alabat

• Quezon

Region IV-B

• Magsaysay

• Paluan, Occidental Mindoro

Region V

• San Fernando

• Masbate

Region VI

• Ilog, Negros Occidental

Region VII

• Albuquerque, Bohol

Region VIII

• Motiong, Samar

Region IX

• Guipos and San Miguel, Zamboanga del Sur

Region X

• Kolambugan, Lanao Del Norte

Region XI

• Santo Tomas, Davao del Norte

• Santa Maria, Davao Occidental

CARAGA

• Bacuag, Placer, and Tubod, Surigao del Norte

Bangsamoro

• Bubong and Lumbatan, Lanao del Sur

Alert Level 1 allows all establishments to operate at 100 percent capacity, including other mass gatherings, but only for those with full vaccination status. Meanwhile, the following areas will be under Alert Level 2 during the same period. These were "without prejudice to their respective component cities and municipalities which may be under a different alert level classification," DOH said:

Cordillera Administrative Region

• Benguet, Ifugao

Region IV-A

• Quezon Province

Region IV-B

• Occidental Mindoro and Palawan

Region V

• Camarines Norte

• Camarines Sur

• Masbate

Region VI

• Antique

• Negros Occidental

Region VII

• Bohol

• Cebu

• Negros Oriental

Region VIII

• Leyte

• Northern Samar

• Western Samar

Region IX

• City of Isabela

• Zamboanga del Sur

• Zamboanga del Norte

• Zamboanga Sibugay

Region X

• Lanao del Norte

Region XI

• Davao del Norte

• Davao del Sur

• Davao de Oro

• Davao Occidental

Region XII

• North Cotabato

• Sarangani

• Sultan Kudarat

CARAGA

• Dinagat Islands

• Surigao del Norte

Bangsamoro

• Basilan

• Lanao del Sur

• Maguindanao

• Sulu

• Tawi-Tawi

Alert Level 2 allows face-to-face classes, dine-in services, religious gatherings, and personal care services, among others to accept fully vaccinated individuals at 50 percent of indoor venue capacity. The country recorded 14,640 new COVID-19 cases in the previous week, reflecting about a 40-percent increase from a week before, data from the health department showed. The OCTA Research group earlier in the day said they monitored a rise in fresh infections in the country's several areas, especially in Luzon, noting that Metro Manila already reached the peak of fresh COVID-19 cases. The DOH earlier attributed the slight spike in fresh infections to the population's waning immunity and the presence of more transmissible COVID-19 omicron variants. In its statement, the DOH said it is "reviewing future directions for the COVID-19 alert level system" as President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. wanted a new classification scheme by August. "While waiting for the changes, DOH as IATF-EID Chair will streamline meetings and processes with clear directives to assist in safe reopening, and will be utilizing the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) platform," the DOH said.

Source: news.abs-cbn.com