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Friday, March 29, 2024

NCR Alert Level 3 extended

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Metro Manila and 10 other areas will remain under the Alert Level 3 classification for the first two weeks of November, despite the drop of COVID 19 cases, Malacanang said.

Palace spokesman Harry Roque said that aside from the National Capital Region (NCR), other areas under Alert Level 3 are Baguio City (included as an area for special monitoring), Bataan, Cavite, Laguna, Rizal, Iloilo City, Siquijor, Lanao del Norte, Davao City and Davao del Norte.

“We are gradually adjusting the alert level system so we won't have a surge in COVID-19 cases," Roque said Friday.

“Although the data have shown a lower attack rate and hospital care utilization rate, of course there will be an increase in mobility with transportation capacity now at 70 percent,” he said.

“So we expect that with the increased mobility, it’s also possible for cases of COVID to increase,” Roque said.

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Business leaders described the decision to extend Alert Level 3 as a "minor setback."

"We believe the government is trying to balance economy and health, and not prioritize one over the other," said Philippine Chamber of Commerce and industry chairman emeritus Francis Chua.

"But the government should assure us business owners that come December, we will be at Alert Level 1," he added.

Socioeconomic Planning chief Karl Chua earlier said the country stands to gain P3.6 billion and generate 16,000 jobs per week if Metro Manila eases into the more relaxed Alert Level 2.

Roque said the government’s pandemic task force also approved the recommendation to further expand the pilot implementation of the Alert Levels System (ALS).

Covered in the ALS pilot expansion for the period of Nov. 1 to 14 are Regions 3, 6, and 10, and Baguio City as an area for special monitoring.

Under Alert Level 3, several establishments — including restaurants, gyms, cinemas, and movie houses — will be allowed to operate at 30 percent indoor venue capacity only for fully vaccinated individuals and 50 percent outdoor venue capacity, provided that all employees are fully vaccinated.

Meanwhile, areas under Alert Level 2 are Angeles City, Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Olongapo City, Pampanga, Tarlac, Batangas, Quezon Province, Lucena City, Aklan, Antique, Capiz, Guimaras, Iloilo, Negros Occidental, Bohol, Cebu City, Lapu-Lapu City, Mandaue City, Cebu Province, Bukidnon, Cagayan de Oro City, Camiguin, Iligan City, Misamis Occidental, Misamis Oriental, Davao de Oro, Davao del Sur, and Davao Oriental.

At least 25 provinces and cities outside Metro Manila have been added to the roster of areas that will be placed under new alert levels from Nov. 1 to 14, Malacañang said.

Originally, only 14 provinces and five cities joined Metro Manila in the pilot implementation of ALS from Oct. 20 to 31.

Meanwhile, Presidential Adviser for Entrepreneurship Joey Concepcion announced that various business sectors are pushing for the easing of mobility and business restrictions to Alert Level 2 from Alert Level 3 as COVID cases continue to drop.

“Business establishments are looking forward to the possibility of declaring Alert Level 2 in Metro Manila as it would lead to additional capacity to accommodate more customers. This would translate to more income that could help them recoup their losses during the pandemic,” Concepcion said in a recent meeting attended by representatives from restaurants, salons, spas, cinemas, gyms, amusement parks, hotels, and airlines.

Based on data released by OCTA Research, the number of COVID-19 cases continues to decline, not just in Metro Manila but also in other parts of the country.

Metro Manila is currently under a low risk for COVID-19 as it tallied just 953 cases per day on a seven-day average from Oct. 20 to 26.

The independent OCTA Research Group said the reproduction rate in NCR was 0.52 percent while its incidence rate was just 6.73 percent per 100,000. Metro Manila recorded a positivity rate of 6 percent while its health care utilization rate was down to 35 percent.

"By the end of November, we are expecting fewer than 2,000 cases per day in the whole country, we hope we can sustain this trend and perhaps by December, it could be at less than 1,000 cases per day. There is no guarantee of course because these are just projections, but those are possibilities," said OCTA fellow Guido David.

Under Alert Level 3, indoor businesses such as restaurants and personal care services are allowed 30 percent capacity for fully vaccinated individuals and 50 percent outdoor regardless of vaccination status, provided that all employees are fully vaccinated.

If Metro Manila is placed under Alert Level 2, indoor establishments will be allowed 50 percent indoor capacity, on top of the 20 percent additional capacity now that Metro Manila has a vaccination rate of more than 70 percent.

In addition, Concepcion said an indoor business establishment is given an additional 10 percent if it carries a safety seal, bringing the total capacity to 80 percent. Outdoor venues would be allowed to operate at 70 percent capacity, regardless of vaccination status of customers.

Meanwhile, the Philippine College of Physicians said it was amenable to proposals to lower the COVID-19 alert level in Metro Manila but warned the public to stay vigilant despite a decline in coronavirus infections.

Dr. Maricar Limpin, president of the Philippine College of Physicians, said relaxing health measures might reverse earlier gains.

“We are somewhat comfortable in downgrading NCR to Alert Level 2. But there's a caveat. The public and government must ensure that minimum public health standards are followed,” she told ABS-CBN in Filipino.

The Philippines logged 4,043 new COVID-19 cases on Friday, bringing the total number of cases to 2,779,943.

There were 44 new fatalities Friday, bringing the COVID-19 death toll to 42,621.

The DOH also reported 3,224 new recoveries, bringing the total recoveries to 2,686,692.

There were 50,630 active cases, of which 74.1 percent were mild, 6.5 percent were asymptomatic, 2.6 percent were critical, 6.1 percent were severe, and 10.71 percent were moderate.

Nationwide, 50 percent of ICU beds, 37 percent of isolation beds, 34 percent of ward beds, and 34 percent of ventilators, were in use.

In Metro Manila, 41 percent of ICU beds, 31 percent of isolation beds, 31 percent of ward beds, and 30 percent of ventilators, were in use.

The Department of Health (DOH) on Friday reported some 3,349 more COVID-19 cases as backlog from recent days, as the agency continues sorting out issues being experienced by its data collating system.

The backlog cases were supposedly uploaded from Sept. 29 to Oct. 18 to the COVID-19 Data Repository System but were only processed or "pushed" to the COVIDKaya on Oct. 27, DOH said.

This raised the country's total infections to 2,775,930.

Most of the newly-announced cases, or 3,415, turned out to be recoveries, while two are fatalities, said the DOH.

Also on Friday, the OCTA Research Group said they believe the Delta variant has reached its endgame in the Philippines as COVID-19 infections continue to fall.

“We're at the end-game of the Delta variant and are not seeing a resurgence. But we still need to be vigilant as there could still be spikes in cases, clustering and local outbreaks,” said Guido David, OCTA Research fellow.

The Philippines has recorded a 7-day average of 4,700 COVID infections, lower than in the previous months of June and July after the Alpha and Beta surges.

David said he believes that the country will no longer return to recording 10,000 or 20,000 cases per day.

For now, David added, there is no threatening variant of concern in the country.

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