Eased COVID-19 alert level in NCR possible — DOH

Roman Catholic devotees wearing face masks, face shields and observing social distancing to prevent the spread of the Covid-19 coronavirus attend mass on a road near Quiapo church in Manila on January 9, 2021, during the annual celebration of the feast of the Black Nazarene. (Photo by Ted ALJIBE / AFP)

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Health (DOH) is seeing a possibility of further downgrading Metro Manila’s COVID-19 alert level from 3 to 2.

“May posibilidad naman ‘pag tinignan natin kasi we are using metrics. These are based on science na tinitignan natin ‘yung number of new cases in an area. Tinitignan natin ‘yung kanilang two-week growth rate. Tinitignan din natin ‘yung hospital utilization,” Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said in a Teleradyo interview.

(There is a possibility when we look at it because we are using metrics. These are based on science which looks into the number of new cases in an area, two-week growth rate, and hospital utilization.)

Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire  (Screengrab from DOH Facebook page)

Metro Manila is under Alert Level 3 until October 31.

“So, when we look at Metro Manila or the National Capital Region (NCR), the hospital utilization declined. We are below 50 percent already, both in ICU (intensive care unit) and bed utilization,” she added.

Vergeire said Metro Manila is considered low risk.

All cities and the lone municipality in Metro Manila, except Muntinlupa City, have below 70-percent utilization, Vergeire said.

On Sunday, the Philippines logged 5,279 new COVID-19 cases, lower than in previous months.

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