NCR remains under Alert Level 1, more areas ease alert status for August 16 to 31

The National Capital Region (NCR) and some areas remained under Alert Level 1, while several provinces and municipalities had their COVID-19 alert level status de-escalated for the period August 16 to 31, the Department of Health (DOH) announced on Saturday.

The DOH, chair of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID), said the provinces of Occidental Mindoro and Camarines Sur, and municipalities of Poro, Cebu; Talalora, Western Samar; Pualas, Lanao del Sur; and Binidayan, Lanao del Sur have been de-escalated to Alert Level 1.

“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 DOH said in a statement.

The other areas placed under Alert Level 1 are the following:

LUZON

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, Occidental Mindoro, Oriental Mindoro, Romblon, and Puerto Princesa City; and Region V: Albay, Camarines Sur, Catanduanes, Naga City, and Sorsogon.

VISAYAS

Region VI: Aklan, Capiz, Guimaras, Iloilo Province, 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.

MINDANAO

Region IX: Zamboanga City; Region X: Camiguin, Bukidnon, Misamis Occidental, Misamis Oriental, Cagayan de Oro City, and Iligan City; Region XI: Davao City and Davao Oriental; Region XII: South Cotabato and General Santos City; CARAGA: Agusan del Norte, Agusan del Sur, Surigao del Sur and Butuan City; and BARMM: Cotabato City.

Under Alert Level 1, intrazonal and interzonal travel shall be 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.

Meanwhile, the following provinces, highly urbanized cities (HUCs), and independent component cities (ICCs) shall remain under Alert Level 2, without prejudice to their respective component cities and municipalities, which may be under a different alert level classification:

LUZON

Cordillera Administrative Region: Benguet, Ifugao; Region IV-A: Quezon Province; Region IV-B: Palawan; and Region V: Camarines Norte and Masbate.

VISAYAS

Region VI: Antique and Negros Occidental; Region VII: Bohol, Cebu, and Negros Oriental; and Region VIII: Leyte, Northern Samar and Western Samar.

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 de Oro and Davao Occidental; Region XII: North Cotabato, Sarangani, and Sultan Kudarat; CARAGA: Dinagat Islands and Surigao del Norte; and Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao: Basilan, Lanao del Sur, Maguindanao, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi.

Under Alert Level 2 — the second lowest in the alert level system — certain establishments and activities are allowed at 50% capacity indoors for fully vaccinated adults (and minors, even if unvaccinated), and 70% capacity outdoors.

“We can see that the stronger our participation in the PinasLakas booster and vaccination campaign, the sooner we can open our economy more safely," DOH officer-in-charge Maria Rosario Vergeire said.

At a press briefing on Friday, Vergeire said at least 72.3 million Filipinos have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 as of August 18.

Around 6.8 million senior citizens have been inoculated, while more than 9.8 million adolescents, along with 4.5 million children, have been fully vaccinated, according to Vergeire.

She said more than 17.3 million individuals have received their first booster dose and more than 1.9 million people have received their second dose. —VBL, GMA News