NCR stays under Alert Level 1 till end-june amid rising Covid cases

DESPITE the rising Covid-19 cases in Metro Manila in previous weeks, the region will remain under Alert Level 1 until the end of the month.

In a statement on Wednesday, Acting Presidential spokesperson Martin M. Andanar disclosed the Inter-agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) decided to retain the current Alert Level in the region.

He noted the classification will apply to all the cities of the National Capital Region (NCR).

Independent think tank OCTA Research Group expressed concern over the rising daily number of new Covid-19 cases in the region, which it noted could rise to as high as 400 to 500 by the end of the month.

It urged the government to implement measures to minimize the possible spread of infections such as reducing the capacity of public transportation and encouraging companies to implement work-from-home (WFH) arrangements.

Under Alert Level 1, businesses and public transportation are allowed to operate at full capacity.

When asked about the proposal from OCTA Research, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) said it will await the policy recommendation of the IATF before it decides to promote WFH.

“We will just abide what the health experts would say. As soon there will be adjustments in the alert levels, that would probably be the time for us to take a position [on encouraging WFH],” DOLE spokesperson Rolly Francia said in virtual press briefing last Wednesday.

Updated list

ASIDE from cities in NCR, the following highly urbanized cities (HUCS), independent component cities (ICCS) are to be placed under Alert Level 1: Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR): Abra, Apayao, Baguio City, Kalinga, and Mountain Province; Region 1: Dagupan City, Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, La Union, and Pangasinan; Region 2: Batanes, Cagayan, City of Santiago, Isabela, Nueva Vizcaya, and Quirino; Region 3: Angeles City, Aurora, Bataan, Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Olongapo City, Pampanga, Tarlac, and Zambales; Region 4-A: Batangas, Cavite, Laguna, Lucena City, and Rizal; Region 4-B: Marinduque, Oriental Mindoro, Puerto Princesa City, and Romblon; Region 5: Albay, Catanduanes, Naga City, and Sorsogon; Region 6: Aklan, Bacolod City, Capiz, Guimaras, Iloilo, and Iloilo City; Region 7: Cebu City, Lapu-lapu City (Opon), Mandaue City, and Siquijor; Region 8: Biliran, Eastern Samar, Ormoc City, Southern Leyte, and Tacloban City; Region 9: Zamboanga City; Region 10: Bukidnon, Cagayan de Oro City, Camiguin, Iligan City, Misamis Occidental, and Misamis Oriental; Region 11: Davao City and Davao Oriental; Region 12: South Cotabato; Caraga: Butuan City, Surigao del Sur, and Agusan del Norte; and Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM): Cotabato City;

Also to be placed under Alert Level 1 are these component cities and municipalities in Luzon: CAR: Benguet—buguias and Tublay; Ifugao—kiangan, Lagawe (Capital), and Lamut; Region 4-A: Quezon—atimonan, Candelaria, City of Tayabas, Dolores, Lucban, Mauban, Pagbilao, Plaridel, Polillo, Quezon, Sampaloc, San Antonio, Tiaong, and Unisan; Region 4-B: Occidental Mindoro—calintaan, Looc, and Lubang; Palawan— Cagayancillo and Culion; and Region 5: 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;

In the Visayas, the Alert Level 1 classification will apply to: Region 6: 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 7: 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; and Region 8: 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;

For Mindanao, the similar classification will be implemented in: Region 9: 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 10: Lanao del Norte— Bacolod, Baroy, Kauswagan, Lala, Linamon, and Tubod (Capital); Region 11: Davao de Oro— Montevista, Nabunturan (Capital), and New Bataan; Davao del Sur—padada; Region 12: 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; and BARMM: Lanao del Sur—bumbaran and Ditsaanramain, Maguindanao-south Upi and Upi, Tawi-tawi—turtle Islands.

The IATF secretariat said 84 of 121 provinces, highly urbanized cities and independent component cities and 161 of 758 other component cities and municipalities are now under Alert Level 1.

Meanwhile, Andanar said the IATF decided to place the following HUCS, and ICCS under Alert Level 2: Car—benguet and Ifugao; Region 4-A – Quezon; Region 4-B—occidental Mindoro and Palawan; Region 5— Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, and Masbate; Region 6—Antique and Negros Occidental; Region 7— Bohol, Cebu, and Negros Oriental; Region 8—Leyte, Northern Samar, and Samar (Western Samar); Region 9—City of Isabela, Zamboanga del Norte, Zamboanga del Sur, and Zamboanga Sibugay; Region 10—Lanao del Norte; Region 11—Davao de Oro, Davao del Norte, Davao del Sur, and Davao Occidental; Region 12—Cotabato (North Cotabato), General Santos City (Dadiangas), Sarangani, and Sultan Kudarat; Caraga—agusan del Sur, Dinagat Islands, and Surigao del Norte; and Barmm—basilan, Lanao del Sur, Maguindanao, Sulu, and Tawi-tawi.

Business operations and public transportations have limited capacity in areas under Alert Level 2.

Andanar said the new list of Alert Level classifications will take effect from June 16 to 30, 2022.