Metro Manila stays under Alert Level 1 until June 30

FILE PHOTO: Marikina residents receive the fourth dose of the COVID-19 vaccine in Marikina Sports Complex, Marikina City on Tuesday, May 17. Metro Manila will stay under COVID-19 Alert Level 1 until June 30, 2022, according to Malacañang. INQUIRER/GRIG C. MONTEGRANDE

MANILA, Philippines — Metro Manila will still be under COVID-19 Alert Level 1 until the end of June, Malacañang announced Wednesday.

Acting presidential spokesperson Martin Andanar said in a statement that the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases approved the recommendations of the sub-Technical Working Group for Data Analytics, which included keeping the country’s capital region on Alert Level 1.

The retention of the most lenient alert level in Metro Manila comes despite the increasing COVID-19 cases in the region.

READ: OCTA Research says new COVID-cases in Metro Manila ‘have accelerated’

According to the IATF secretariat, 84 of the country’s 121 provinces, highly urbanized cities, and independent component cities are also under Alert Level 1 from June 16-30. These are:

• Cordillera Administrative Region: Abra, Apayao, Baguio City, Kalinga, and Mountain Province
• Region I: Dagupan City, Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, La Union, and Pangasinan
• Region II: Batanes, Cagayan, City of Santiago, Isabela, Nueva Vizcaya, and Quirino
• Region III: Angeles City, Aurora, Bataan, Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Olongapo City, Pampanga, Tarlac, and Zambales
• Region IV-A: Batangas, Cavite, Laguna, Lucena City, and Rizal
• Region IV-B: Marinduque, Oriental Mindoro, Puerto Princesa City, and Romblon
• Region V: Albay, Catanduanes, Naga City, and Sorsogon
• Region VI: Aklan, Bacolod City, Capiz, Guimaras, Iloilo, and Iloilo City
• Region VII: Cebu City, Lapu-Lapu City (Opon), Mandaue City, and Siquijor
• Region VIII: Biliran, Eastern Samar, Ormoc City, Southern Leyte, and Tacloban City
• Region IX: Zamboanga City
• Region X: Bukidnon, Cagayan de Oro City, Camiguin, Iligan City, Misamis Occidental, and Misamis Oriental
• Region XI: Davao City and Davao Oriental
• Region XII: South Cotabato
• CARAGA: Butuan City, Surigao del Sur, and Agusan del Norte
• Bangsamoro Autonomous Region In Muslim Mindanao: Cotabato City

Meanwhile, Malacañang said that of the 758 component cities and municipalities nationwide, 161 will likewise be under COVID-19 Alert Level 1 during the same period:

• Cordillera Administrative Region: Benguet – Buguias and Tublay; Ifugao – Kiangan, Lagawe (Capital), and Lamut
• Region IV-A: Quezon – Atimonan, Candelaria, City of Tayabas, Dolores, Lucban, Mauban, Pagbilao, Plaridel, Polillo, Quezon, Sampaloc, San Antonio, Tiaong, and Unisan
• Region IV-B: Occidental Mindoro – Calintaan, Looc, and Lubang; Palawan – Cagayancillo and Culion
• Region V: Camarines Norte – Basud, Capalonga, Daet (Capital), and San Vicente; Camarines Sur – Bombon, Cabusao, Camaligan, Caramoan, Iriga City, Pamplona, Pili (Capital), Presentacion (Parubcan,) San Fernando, and Tigaon; Masbate – Balud, City of Masbate (Capital), and Mandaon; Sorsogon – Barcelona, Bulusan, Casiguran, City of Sorsogon (Capital), Gubat, Irosin, Juban, Magallanes, Prieto Diaz, and Santa Magdalena
• Region VI: Antique – Anini-Y, San Jose (Capital), Sebaste, and Tobias Fornier (Dao); Negros Occidental – Cadiz City, Candoni, City of Victorias, Enrique B. Magalona (Saravia), La Carlota City, Pontevedra, Pulupandan, Sagay City, and San Enrique
• Region VII: Bohol – Batuan, Calape, Corella, Dimiao, Duero, Garcia Hernandez, Jagna, Lila, Loay, Loboc, San Isidro, San Miguel, Sevilla, Sikatuna, and Tagbilaran City (Capital); Cebu – Alcoy, Borbon, City of Talisay, Oslob, Pilar, Santander, and Tudela; Negros Oriental – Amlan (Ayuquitan), Bacong, Dauin, Dumaguete City (capital), Valencia (Luzurriaga), and Zamboanguita
• Region VIII: Leyte – Albuera, City of Baybay, Dulag, Javier (Bugho), La Paz, Matag-Ob, Matalom, Palo, Tunga, and Villaba; Northern Samar – Allen, Capul, Lapinig, Lavezares, San Antonio, San Jose, and Victoria; Samar (Western Samar) – Marabut, Pagsanghan, Paranas (Wright), Tarangnan, and Zumarraga
• Region IX: Zamboanga del Norte – Dapitan City, Dipolog City (Capital), Jose Dalman (Ponot), Labason, Manukan, Piñan (New Piñan), Polanco, Rizal, and Salug; Zamboanga del Sur – Kumalarang, Lambangan, Lapuyan, Mahayag, Molave, and Ramon Magsaysay (Liargo);  Zamboanga Sibugay – Alicia, Buug, Diplahan, Ipil (Capital), Siay, and Tungawan
• Region X: Lanao del Norte – Bacolod, Baroy, Kauswagan, Lala, Linamon, and Tubod (Capital)
• Region XI: Davao de Oro – Montevista, Nabunturan (Capital), and New Bataan; Davao del Sur – Padada
• Region XII: Cotabato (North Cotabato) – Antipas, Arakan, City of Kidapawan (Capital), and President Roxas;  South Cotabato – Banga, City of Koronadal (Capital), Polomolok, Santo Niño, and Tantangan;  Sultan Kudarat – City of Tacurong, Kalamansig, and Lebak
• CARAGA: Agusan del Norte – Carmen, Jabonga, Kitcharao, Magallanes, and Nasipit; Agusan del Sur – Bunawan, Loreto, Prosperidad (Capital,) San Francisco, Santa Josefa, and Sibagat; Dinagat Islands – Cagdianao, Dinagat, Libjo (Albor), Loreto, and Tubajon; Surigao del Norte – General Luna, Mainit, and Tagana-An
• Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao: Lanao del Sur – Bumbaran and Ditsaan-Ramain; Maguindanao – South Upi and Upi; Tawi-Tawi – Turtle Islands

COVID-19 Alert Level 2, on the other hand, will be raised over the following provinces, highly urbanized cities, and independent component cities:

• Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) – Benguet and Ifugao
• Region IV-A – Quezon
• 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 Samar (Western Samar)
• Region IX – City of Isabela, Zamboanga del Norte, Zamboanga del Sur, and Zamboanga Sibugay
• Region X – Lanao del Norte
• Region XI – Davao de Oro, Davao del Norte, Davao del Sur, and Davao Occidental
• Region XII – Cotabato (North Cotabato), General Santos City (Dadiangas), Sarangani, and Sultan Kudarat
• CARAGA – Agusan del Sur, Dinagat Islands, and Surigao del Norte
• Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao – Basilan, Lanao del Sur, Maguindanao, Sulu, and Tawi-Tawi

Malacañang said the above-mentioned places will be under Alert Level 2 “without prejudice to their respective component cities and municipalities which may be under a different alert level classification.”

Based on the latest data from the Department of Health, the country has 3,130 active COVID-19 cases as of June 14.

KGA