Metro Manila to remain under Alert Level 1 until July 31 – DOH

In this photo taken on March 22, 2021, policemen guard the boundary of Cavite and Metro Manila as the national capital and its nearby provinces are placed under lockdown due to a surge in COVID-19 cases. INQUIRER file photo / MARIANNE BERMUDEZ

MANILA, Philippines — Metro Manila, along with dozens of other regions and areas will continue to be under Alert Level 1 status from July 16 to 31, the Department of Health (DOH) announced on Tuesday.

The DOH, in a statement, also announced that General Santos City and 18 other local government units (LGUs) were deescalated to the most relaxed alert level status.

With this, all areas under Alert Level 1 are the following:

• Metro Manila
• 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, Oriental Mindoro, Romblon, and Puerto Princesa City and
• Region V: Albay, Catanduanes, Naga City, and Sorsogon.
• 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
• 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
• BARMM: Cotabato City

Apart from these areas, the following component cities and municipalities shall likewise be placed under Alert Level 1 for the same period:

• Cordillera Administrative Region: Sablan, Benguet
• Region IV-A: Alabat, Quezon
• Region IV-B: Magsaysay and Paluan, Occidental Mindoro; and Region V: San Fernando, Masbate
• Region VI: Ilog, Negros Occidental
• Region VII: Albuquerque, Bohol
• Region VIII: Motiong, Samar
• Region IX: Guipos and San Miguel, Zamboanga del Sur
• Region X: Kolambugan, Lanao Del Norte
• Region XI: Santo Tomas, Davao del Norte and Santa Maria, Davao Occidental
• CARAGA: Bacuag, Placer, and Tubod, Surigao del Norte and
• Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao: Bubong and Lumbatan, Lanao del Sur

Meanwhile, DOH said that 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.”

• Cordillera Administrative Region: Benguet, 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 Western Samar
• 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
• BARMM: Basilan, Lanao del Sur, Maguindanao, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi

Alert level system under review

The DOH then announced that under the new instructions of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr, and with the advice of health experts, the agency is now reviewing future directions for the COVID-19 alert level status.

DOH said Marcos has also requested the DOH for recommendations on the updated membership of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID).

But while waiting for the changes, the DOH said it will first streamline meetings and processes with clear directives to assist in safe reopening and will be utilizing the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) platform.

“Makakaasa po ang ating mga kababayan na mananatili ang gabay pangkalusugan ng kagawaran,” said DOH Officer-in-Charge Dr. Maria Rosario Singh-Vergeire in a statement.

(Our kababayans can expect that the Department’s health advice will remain.)

“Amin pong inaaral kung paano natin maipaparating ng mas maigi pa sa taumbayan kung ano ang kasalukuyang kalagayan ng COVID-19 para sila ay makaiwas dito,” she added.

(We are studying how we can better inform the people about the current COVID-19 situation so they can avoid it.)

As of July 19, the country’s total caseload is now at 3,737,222 nationwide, with 20,511 active cases, 3,656,070 recoveries and 60,641 deaths.

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