Alert levels to remain as status quo holds pending IATF review on July 18 —Palace

The alert levels related to COVID-19 will remain in effect from July 16 until the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases has conducted a review on Monday, July 18, according to Malacañang on Saturday.

This means that the National Capital Region (NCR) will still be under Alert Level 1 effective July 16.

"The status quo holds for our alert levels, which the IATF will be reviewing on Monday (July 18)," Press Secretary Trixie Cruz-Angeles said in a statement.

President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. will meet with Department of Health (DOH) Officer-in-Charge Dr. Maria Rosario Vergeire on Monday about the alert levels, Angeles said in another statement sent Saturday afternoon.

"Pursuant to the alert levels on COVID 19, the President will be conferring with DOH OIC Rosario Vergeire on Monday (July 18) for any action thereon. Meanwhile, the IATF will continue to monitor the status of the pandemic," she said.

NCR and several other areas were placed under Alert Level 1 from July 1 to 15 amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Under Alert Level 1, intrazonal and interzonal travel is allowed without regard to age and comorbidities.

All establishments, persons, or activities, are allowed to operate, work, or be undertaken at full on-site or venue/seating capacity provided it is consistent with minimum public health standards.

Alert Level 1

Aside from NCR, other areas placed under Alert Level 1 from July 1-15 include:

• Abra, Apayao, Baguio City, Kalinga, and Mountain Province in Cordillera Administrative Region, Dagupan City, Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, La Union, and Pangasinan in Region 1
• Batanes, Cagayan, City of Santiago, Isabela, Nueva Vizcaya, and Quirino in Region 2
• Angeles City, Aurora, Bataan, Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Olongapo City, Pampanga, Tarlac, and Zambales in Region 3
• Batangas, Cavite, Laguna, Lucena City, and Rizal in Region 4A
• Marinduque, Oriental Mindoro, Puerto Princesa City, and Romblon in Region 4B
• Albay, Catanduanes, Naga City, and Sorsogon in Region 5
• Aklan, Bacolod City, Capiz, Guimaras, Iloilo Province, and Iloilo City in Region 6
• Cebu City, Lapu-Lapu City (Opon), Mandaue City, and Siquijor in Region 7
• Biliran, Eastern Samar, Ormoc City, Southern Leyte, and Tacloban City in Region 8
• Zamboanga City in Region 9
• Bukidnon, Cagayan De Oro City, Camiguin, Iligan City, Misamis Occidental, and Misamis Oriental in Region 10
• Davao City and Davao Oriental in Region 11
• South Cotabato in Region 12
• Butuan City, Surigao Del Sur, Agusan Del Norte, and Agusan Del Sur in Caraga and Cotabato City in Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM)

The following component cities and municipalities were also placed under Alert Level 1 during the same period:

• Cordillera Administrative Region
  • Benguet - Buguias and Tublay
  • Ifugao - Kiangan, Lagawe (Capital), and Lamut
• Region IV-A
  • Quezon - Atimonan, Candelaria, City of Tayabas, Dolores, Lucban, Mauban, Pagbilao, Plaridel, Polillo, Quezon, Sampaloc, San Antonio, Tiaong, and Unisan
• Region IV-B
  • Occidental Mindoro - Calintaan, Looc, Lubang, and Rizal
  • Palawan - Cagayancillo and Culion
• Region V
  • Camarines Norte - Basud, Capalonga, Daet (Capital), San Vicente, and Talisay
  • Camarines Sur - Bombon, Cabusao, Camaligan, Caramoan, Goa, Iriga City, Pamplona, Pili (Capital), Presentacion (Parubcan), San Fernando, San Jose, and Tigaon
  • Masbate - Balud, City of Masbate (Capital), and Mandaon
• Region VI
  • Antique - Anini-Y, San Jose (Capital), Sebaste, and Tobias Fornier (Dao)
  • Negros Occidental - Cadiz City, Candoni, City of Talisay, City of Victorias, Enrique B., Magalona (Saravia), La Carlota City, Pontevedra, Pulupandan, Sagay City, San Enrique, and Valladolid
• Region VII
  • Bohol - Batuan, Calape, Corella, Dimiao, Duero, Garcia Hernandez, Jagna, Lila, Loay, Loboc, Maribojoc, San Isidro, San Miguel, Sevilla, Sikatuna, and Tagbilaran City (Capital)
  • Cebu - Alcoy, Borbon, City of Talisay, Oslob, Pilar, Santander, and Tudela
  • Negros Oriental - Amlan (Ayuquitan), Bacong, Dauin, Dumaguete City (Capital), Valencia (Luzurriaga), and Zamboanguita
• Region VIII
  • Leyte - Albuera, City of Baybay, Dulag, Javier (Bugho), La Paz, Matag-Ob, Matalom, Palo, Tunga, and Villaba
  • Northern Samar - Allen, Capul, Lapinig, Lavezares, San Antonio, San Jose, and Victoria
  • Samar (Western Samar) - Marabut, Pagsanghan, Paranas (Wright), Tarangnan, and Zumarraga
• Region IX
  • Zamboanga Del Norte - Dapitan City, Dipolog City (Capital), Jose Dalman (Ponot), Labason, Manukan, Piñan (New Piñan), Polanco, Rizal, and Salug
  • Zamboanga Del Sur - Kumalarang, Labangan, Lapuyan, Mahayag, Molave, and Ramon Magsaysay (Liargo)
  • Zamboanga Sibugay - Alicia, Buug, Diplahan, Ipil (Capital), Siay, and Tungawan
• Region X
  • Lanao Del Norte - Bacolod, Baroy, Kauswagan, Lala, Linamon, and Tubod (Capital)
• Region XI
  • Davao De Oro - Mawab, Montevista, Nabunturan (Capital), and New Bataan
  • Davao Del Sur - Padada
• Region XII
  • Cotabato (North Cotabato) - Antipas, Arakan, City of Kidapawan (Capital), and President Roxas
  • Sultan Kudarat - City of Tacurong, Kalamansig, and Lebak
  • Caraga
  • Dinagat Islands - Cagdianao, Dinagat, Libjo (Albor), Loreto, and Tubajon
  • Surigao Del Norte - Claver, Dapa, General Luna, Mainit, and Tagana-An
• BARMM
  • Lanao Del Sur - Bumbaran, Ditsaan-Ramain, and Wao
  • Maguindanao - South Upi and Upi
  • Tawi-Tawi - Turtle Islands

Alert Level 2

The following areas, meanwhile, were placed under Alert Level 2 from July 1 to 15 without prejudice to their respective component cities and municipalities which may be under a different Alert Level classification:

• Cordillera Administrative Region - Benguet and Ifugao
• Region IV-A - Quezon Province
• Region IV-B - Occidental Mindoro and Palawan
• Region V - Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, and Masbate
• Region VI - Antique and Negros Occidental
• Region VII - Bohol, Cebu, and Negros Oriental
• Region VIII - Leyte, Northern Samar, and Samar (Western Samar)
• Region IX - City of Isabela, Zamboanga Del Norte, Zamboanga Del Sur, and Zamboanga Sibugay
• Region X - Lanao Del Norte
• Region XI - Davao De Oro, Davao Del Norte, Davao Del Sur, and Davao Occidental
• Region XII - Cotabato (North Cotabato), General Santos City (Dadiangas), Sarangani, and Sultan Kudarat
• Caraga - Dinagat Islands and Surigao Del Norte
• BARMM - Basilan, Lanao Del Sur, Maguindanao, Sulu, and Tawi-Tawi

Alert Level 2 areas are those with low case transmission, health care utilization is low or case counts are low but increasing or case counts are low and decreasing but total bed and intensive care unit occupancy rate is increasing.

Movement of persons will be allowed except for reasonable restrictions. They must also be allowed to access essential goods and services or for work in permitted industries and offices.

Positivity rate, case count

On Friday, the DOH said the weekly COVID-19 positivity rate in the NCR has climbed to 13% while the national rate stood at 10%.

Positivity rate refers to the percentage of people who were found positive for COVID-19 among the total number of individuals tested.

Despite this, the DOH said NCR remains at low-risk classification.

The DOH on Friday reported 2,588 new COVID-19 infections, the highest daily tally since February 16 when 2,671 reported.

The new cases brought the nationwide case load to 3,727,970.

A total of 18,090 COVID-19 cases are active, the DOH said.

Meanwhile, the Philippines’ recovery tally also climbed to 3,649,239, while the number of deaths remained at 60,461. —KG, GMA News