Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Infectious Diseases approves the recommendation to downgrade Metro Manila to a relaxed alert level.
MANILA, Philippines — Metro Manila will be placed under a less restrictive Alert Level 3 starting Oct. 16 until the end of the month, Malacañang said Wednesday.
Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said the government’s pandemic task force, the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Infectious Diseases (IATF), approved the recommendation to downgrade Metro Manila to a relaxed alert level.
Movement of persons is allowed under Alert Levels 2 and 3 with reasonable restrictions based on age and comorbidities to be determined by the local government units.
Regarding intrazonal and interzonal travel under Alert Levels 2 to 4, persons who are not required to stay at their homes are allowed, depending on the LGU of their destination.
Persons of all ages regardless of comorbidities or vaccination status are allowed to individually exercise outside in areas under Alert Level 2 and 3.
For government work, offices in areas under Alert Level 3 may operate at 30 percent on-site capacity and those in areas under Alert Level 2 may operate at 50 percent capacity.
The following businesses and activities are allowed at a maximum of 30 percent on-site or venue capacity (except for those in areas under a granular lockdown):
• indoor visitor or tourist attractions, libraries, archives, museums, galleries, and cultural shows and exhibits
• indoor venues for meetings, incentives, conferences, events (MICE)
• indoor recreational venues such as internet cafes, billiard halls, amusement arcades, bowling alleys, and similar venues
• indoor face to face or in-person examinations approved by the IATF
• casinos, horse racing, cockfighting and operation of cockpits, lottery and betting shops, and other gaming establishments
• in-person religious gatherings
• gatherings for necrological services, wakes, inurnment, and funerals for those who died of causes other than COVID-19
• social events such as but not limited to concerts and parties, wedding receptions, engagement parties, wedding anniversaries, debut and birthday parties, family reunions, and bridal or baby showers, motorcades, and gatherings at residences with any person outside of one’s immediate household
• indoor dine-in services of food preparation establishments such as commissaries, restaurants, and eateries
• indoor sports courts or venues, fitness studios, gyms, spas or other indoor leisure centers or facilities, and swimming pools
• personal care services which include beauty salons, beauty parlors, medical aesthetic clinics, cosmetic or derma clinics, make-up salons, nail spas, reflexology, aesthetics, wellness, and holistic centers, and other similar establishments; acupuncture and electrocautery establishments, and massage therapy including sports therapy establishments and establishments providing tanning services, body piercings, tattooing, and similar services
The operation of the following remain prohibited:
• indoor entertainment venues such as cinemas, and venues with live performers such as karaoke bars, bars, clubs, concert halls, and theaters
• outdoor and indoor amusement parks or theme parks, fairs (peryas), kid amusement industries such as playgrounds, playroom, and kiddie ride places
Other establishments or activities in areas not included in the list above and are not under granular lockdown may operate at 100 percent capacity on-site or venue/seating capacity provided minimum public health standards are followed.
READ: What businesses, activities are allowed under new COVID-19 alert level system?
The government has also placed the following areas under modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ), the second-most strict quarantine classification in the old classification, starting Oct. 16 until Oct. 31:
-Apayao
-Kalinga
-Batanes
-Bulacan
-Bataan
-Cavite
-Rizal
-Laguna
-Naga City
-Zamboanga City
-Zamboanga del Norte
Areas placed under general community quarantine (GCQ) with heightened restrictions are:
-Abra
-Baguio City
-Ilocos Sur
-Pangasinan
-Cagayan
-Isabela
-City of Santiago
-Nueva Vizcaya
-Quirino
-Quezon
-Batangas
-Bacolod City
-Capiz
-Lapu-Lapu City
-Negros Oriental
-Bohol
-Zamboanga del Sur
-Misamis Oriental
-Cagayan de Oro City
-Davao del Norte
-Davao Occidental
-Davao de Oro
-Butuan City
-Surigao del Sur
The following areas, meanwhile, are placed under GCQ:
-Ilocos Norte
-Dagupan City
-Ifugao
-Benguet
-Tarlac
-Lucena City
-Occidental Mindoro
-Oriental Mindoro
-Puerto Princesa
-Marinduque
-Albay
-Camarines Norte
-Aklan
-Antique
-Guimaras
-Negros Occidental
-Iloilo City
-Iloilo Province
-Cebu City
-Cebu Province
-Mandaue City
-Siquijor,
-Tacloban City
-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
-Lanao del Sur
All other areas in the country which are not mentioned will be placed under the least restrictive modified GCQ.