MMDA: IATF has decided on proposal to place NCR under Alert Level 1

(FILE) Vehicles on Edsa, Metro Manila’s main thoroughfare. INQUIRER file photo / NIÑO JESUS ORBETA

MANILA, Philippines — The Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) has already decided on the proposal made by the mayors of Metro Manila to place the region under Alert Level 1 or the lowest COVID-19 alert level, Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) officer-in-charge and General Manager Romando Artes said Friday.

The IATF’s decision on the proposal may be announced by Malacañang over the weekend, Artes added.

Artes said “decisions were made” during the meeting of the IATF on Thursday afternoon regarding the recommendation of the Metro Manila mayors to place the region under Alert Level 1 by March 1.

“I attended that meeting yesterday. Decisions were made but as the usual protocol, it will be Secretary Karlo Nograles who will announce the decision probably by Saturday or Sunday because there are some guidelines being finalized before the proper announcement,” Artes said over ABS-CBN News Channel.

“But I think we already qualify despite the fact that there were some adjustments in the metrics for deescalation for Alert Level 1,” he added, assuring that local government units are ready for a downgrade in the alert level.

Artes said the guidelines being ironed out will apply in all places which will be placed under Alert Level 1.

“[It’s] not necessarily NCR alone, because I think there are also a lot of places that qualify to de-escalation to Alert Level 1,” he added.

Should the lowest alert level be imposed in Metro Manila, all establishments will be back to 100 percent capacity but minimum public health standards set against COVID-19 will still be imposed, according to the MMDA official.

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