DESPITE the projected increase in active Covid-19 cases later this month by health officials, the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) decided to retain the Alert Level 1 in Metro Manila and most parts of the country.
In a statement issued late Sunday evening, Acting Presidential Spokesperson Martin M. Andanar announced that aside from the National Capital Region (NCR), the following provinces, highly urbanized cities (HUCs) and independent component cities (ICCs) in Luzon will be placed under Alert Level 1: Cordillera Administrative Region: Abra, Apayao, Kalinga, Mountain Province, and Baguio City; Region I: Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, La Union, Pangasinan, and Dagupan City; Region II: Batanes, Cagayan, Isabela, Nueva Vizcaya, Quirino, and City of Santiago; Region III: Aurora, Bataan, Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga, Tarlac, Zambales, Angeles City, and Olongapo City; Region IV-A: Batangas, Cavite, Laguna, Rizal, and Lucena City; Region IV-B: Marinduque, Oriental Mindoro, Romblon, and Puerto Princesa City; and Region V: Albay, Catanduanes, and Naga City.
For the Visayas: Region VI: Aklan, Capiz, Guimaras, Iloilo, Bacolod City, and Iloilo City; Region VII: Siquijor, Cebu City, Lapu-Lapu City, and Mandaue City; and Region VIII: Biliran, Eastern Samar, Southern Leyte, Ormoc City, and Tacloban City. For Mindanao: Region IX: Zamboanga City; Region X: Bukidnon, Camiguin, Misamis Occidental, Misamis Oriental, Cagayan de Oro City, and Iligan City; Region XI: Davao City; and CARAGA: Surigao del Sur and Butuan City.
Also to be placed under Alert Level 1 are the following component cities and municipalities: Cordillera Administrative Region: Kiangan, Ifugao; and Region V: Balud, Masbate; and Irosin, Sorsogon. Region VII: Calape, Bohol; Garcia Hernandez, Bohol; San Isidro, Bohol; San Miguel, Bohol; Alcoy, Cebu; Borbon, Cebu; Oslob, Cebu; Pilar, Cebu; Santander, Cebu; Tudela, Cebu; Bacong, Negros Oriental; Dauin, Negros Oriental; Valencia (Luzarriaga), Negros Oriental; and Zamboanguita, Negros Oriental; and Region VIII: Tarangnan, Samar; and Zumarraga, Samar. Region IX: Mahayag, Zamboanga del Sur; and Diplahan, Zamboanga Sibugay; Region XII: Kalamansig, Sultan Kudarat; and Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao: Upi, Maguindanao.
According to the IATF secretariat, there are now a total of 79 PHIs (Provinces, highly urbanized cities, and independent component cities) and 160 other component cities and municipalities under Alert Level 1.
It noted this is 60 percent or 987 of the total component cities and municipalities.
Businesses and public transportation are allowed to operate at 100 percent capacity in Alert Level 1.
In areas under higher alert levels, both activities are restricted to minimize the risk of spreading Covid-19 in public places.
Meanwhile, the IATF PHI under Alert Level 2 are: Cordillera Administrative Region: Benguet, Ifugao; Region IV-A: Quezon Province; Region IV-B: Occidental Mindoro, and Palawan; and Region V: Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, Masbate, and Sorsogon. For the Visayas: Region VI: Antique and Negros Occidental; Region VII: Bohol, Cebu Province, and Negros Oriental; and Region VIII: Leyte, Northern Samar, and Western Samar. For Mindanao: Region IX: City of Isabela, Zamboanga del Sur, Zamboanga del Norte, and Zamboanga Sibugay; Region X: Lanao del Norte; Region XI: Davao del Norte, Davao del Sur, Davao Oriental, Davao de Oro, and Davao Occidental; Region XII: General Santos City, North Cotabato, Sarangani, Sultan Kudarat, and South Cotabato; CARAGA: Agusan del Norte, Agusan del Sur, Dinagat Islands, and Surigao del Norte; and Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao: Basilan, Cotabato City, Lanao del Sur, Maguindanao, Sulu, and Tawi-Tawi.
Andanar said the new Alert Level 1 and 2 classifications will take effect from May 16, 2022 until May 31, 2022.
The Department of Health (DOH) projects the weekly active Covid-19 cases could increase due to the recently concluded May 9, 2022 polls, which is considered as a possible super spreader event as well as the detection of the Omicron subvariant BA.2.12.1.
Health officials said the subvariant may be more infectious than the orginal Omicron variant.
DOH said several individuals in NCR and Palawan were infected with the BA.2.12.1 subvariant.
Image credits: Roy Domingo