IATF: NCR placed under Alert Level 3 until Oct. 31, 2021

The Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) on Wednesday approved the recommendation to place the National Capital Region (NCR) under Alert Level 3 beginning October 16, 2021 until October 31, 2021.

Under Alert Level 3, several establishments will be allowed to operate at 30% indoor venue capacity only for fully vaccinated individuals and 50% outdoor venue capacity, provided that all employees are fully vaccinated. 

These establishments include:

• Venues for meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions (MICE);
• Permitted venues for social events such as parties, wedding receptions, engagement parties, wedding anniversaries, debut and birthday parties, family reunions, and bridal or baby showers;
• Visitor or tourist attractions such as libraries, archives, museums, galleries, exhibits, parks, plazas, public gardens, scenic viewpoints or overlooks, and the like; d. Amusement parks or theme parks;
• Recreational venues such as internet cafes, billiard halls, amusement arcades, bowling alleys, skating rinks, archery halls, swimming pools, and similar venues;
• Cinemas and movie houses;
• Limited face-to-face or in-person classes for higher education and for technical-vocational education and training;
• In-person religious gatherings; gatherings for necrological services, wakes, inurnment, and funerals for those who died of causes other than COVID-19 and for the cremains of the COVID-19 deceased;
• Licensure or entrance/qualifying examinations administered by their respective government agency, and specialty examinations authorized by the IATF subject to the health and safety guidelines as approved by the IATF;
• Dine-in services in food preparation establishments such as kiosks, commissaries, restaurants, and eateries, subject to DTI sector-specific protocols;
• Personal care establishments such as barbershops, hair spas, hair salons, and nail spas, and those offering aesthetic/cosmetic services or procedures, make-up services, salons, spas, reflexology, and other similar procedures including home service options, subject to the sector-specific protocols of the DTI;
• Fitness studios, gyms, and venues for non-contact exercise and sports, subject to DTI sector-specific protocols. Provided that patrons/clients and workers/employees wear face masks at all times and that no group activities are conducted;
• Film, music, and television production, subject to the joint guidelines as may be issued by the DTI, DOLE, and the DOH.

Individual outdoor exercises will also be allowed for all ages regardless of comorbidities or vaccination status.

Unapproved face to face classes for basic education; contact sports except bubble-type setup; funfairs; kid amusement industries; and venues with live voice or wind-instrument performers such as karaoke, clubs, concert halls and theaters are prohibited.

Likewise, casinos, horse racing, cockfighting, lottery, betting shops and other gaming establishments except those approved by the government remain banned.

Also, gatherings in residences with individuals not belonging to the same household are not allowed.

As this developed, the IATF also approved placing Apayao, Kalinga, Batanes, Bulacan, Bataan, Cavite, Rizal, Laguna, and Naga City for Luzon; and Zamboanga City and Zamboanga del Norte for Mindanao under Modified Enhanced Community Quarantine (MECQ).

Under General Community Quarantine (GCQ) with heightened restrictions are Abra, Baguio City, Ilocos Sur, Pangasinan, Cagayan, Isabela, City of Santiago, Nueva Vizcaya, Quirino, Quezon, and Batangas for Luzon; Bacolod City, Capiz, Lapu-Lapu City, Negros Oriental, and Bohol for the Visayas; and Zamboanga del Sur, Misamis Oriental, Cagayan de Oro City, Davao del Norte, Davao Occidental, Davao de Oro, Butuan City, and Surigao del Sur for Mindanao.

Also approved under GCQ are Ilocos Norte, Dagupan City, Ifugao, Benguet, Tarlac, Lucena City, Occidental Mindoro, Oriental Mindoro, Puerto Princesa, Marinduque, Albay, and Camarines Norte for Luzon; Aklan, Antique, Guimaras, Negros Occidental, Iloilo City, Iloilo Province, Cebu City, Cebu Province, Mandaue City, Siquijor, and Tacloban City for the Visayas; and Zamboanga Sibugay, Misamis Occidental, Iligan City, Davao City, Davao Oriental, Davao del Sur, General Santos City, Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani, North Cotabato, South Cotabato, Agusan del Norte, Agusan del Sur, Surigao del Norte, Dinagat Islands, Cotabato City, and Lanao del Sur for Mindanao.

All other areas shall be placed under Modified General Community Quarantine (MGCQ).

This latest risk-level classification shall take effect beginning October 16, 2021 until October 31. -NB, GMA News