Metro Manila back to COVID-19 Alert Level 2 starting Feb. 1 | ABS-CBN

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Metro Manila back to COVID-19 Alert Level 2 starting Feb. 1

Metro Manila back to COVID-19 Alert Level 2 starting Feb. 1

ABS-CBN News

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Updated Jan 30, 2022 02:45 PM PHT

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Travelers and transport workers receive their COVID-19 vaccine as the Department of Transportation and the Metro Manila Development Authority launch their mobile vaccination drive at the Parañaque Integrated Terminal Exchange (PITX) on Jan. 24, 2022. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News
Travelers and transport workers receive their COVID-19 vaccine as the Department of Transportation and the Metro Manila Development Authority launch their mobile vaccination drive at the Parañaque Integrated Terminal Exchange (PITX) on Jan. 24, 2022. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News

MANILA (2nd UPDATE) — Restrictions in Metro Manila will be eased starting Tuesday, Feb. 1, as the capital region reverts to COVID-19 Alert Level 2, acting presidential spokesperson Karlo Nograles said Sunday.

Home to more than 13 million people, the National Capital Region (NCR) will be placed under Alert Level 2 until Feb. 15, along with 7 other provinces, Nograles said in a statement. The NCR has been placed under Alert Level 3 until Jan. 31.

Alert Level 2 allows the conduct of limited in-person classes and raises the operating capacity of business, which have been battered by the pandemic.

Transportation Assistant Secretary Goddes Hope Libiran said the "no vaccination, no ride" policy in NCR would no longer take effect once the region deescalates to Alert Level 2.

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Minors will also be allowed to leave their homes but this still depends on ordinances implemented by local government units, said Interior Secretary Eduardo Año.

Año said the government decided to ease restrictions in NCR based on the improving COVID-19 situation.

"Nakita naman talaga na bumababa na 'yong cases. Tapos ang NCR ngayon ay classification niya, moderate risk na siya," he told reporters.

(We see that COVID cases are really going down. And then NCR's classification is now at moderate risk.)

With the easing of NCR's alert level status, the government expects people to flock to public places, Año said. But he added the government will continue to monitor the situation to see if there's a need to implement stricter rules.

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"We will make adjustment kung saan dapat maghigpit at hindi maghigpit. Nandiyan din naman 'yong ating mga local government units na puwedeng magpasa ng ordinances para magkaroon ng adjustment kung kailangang maghihigpit," he said.

(We will make adjustments where we need to be stricter or lenient. The local government units are also there to pass ordinances, if there's a need to make adjustments when it's time to be stricter again.)

Nograles said that aside from Metro Manila, the following provinces are also placed under Alert Level 2:

  • Batanes
  • Bulacan
  • Cavite
  • Rizal
  • Biliran
  • Southern Leyte
  • Basilan

Meanwhile, the following cities and provinces will be under Alert Level 3 during the same period:

  • Cordillera Administrative Region: Abra, Apayao, Baguio City, Benguet, Kalinga and Mountain Province
  • Region I: Dagupan City, Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, La Union and Pangasinan
  • Region II: City of Santiago, Cagayan, Isabela, Nueva Vizcaya and Quirino
  • Region III: Angeles City, Aurora, Bataan, Nueva Ecija, Olongapo City, Pampanga, Tarlac and Zambales
  • Region IV-A: Batangas, Laguna, Lucena City and Quezon Province
  • Region IV-B: Marinduque, Romblon, Occidental Mindoro, Oriental Mindoro and Puerto Princesa City
  • Region V: Albay, Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, Catanduanes, Masbate, Naga City and Sorsogon
  • Region VI: Aklan, Antique, Bacolod City, Capiz, Iloilo City, Iloilo, Negros Occidental and Guimaras
  • Region VII: Cebu City, Lapu-Lapu City, Mandaue City, Bohol, Cebu province, Negros Oriental and Siquijor
  • Region VIII: Ormoc City, Tacloban City, Eastern Samar, Leyte, Northern Samar and Western Samar
  • Region IX: City of Isabela, Zamboanga City, Zamboanga Del Sur, Zamboanga del Norte and Zamboanga Sibugay
  • Region X: Bukidnon, Cagayan de Oro City, Iligan City, Lanao del Norte, Misamis Occidental and Misamis Oriental
  • Region XI: Davao City, Davao Del Sur, Davao Del Norte, Davao Oriental and Davao de Oro
  • Region XII: General Santos City, North Cotabato, Sarangani, South Cotabato and Sultan Kudarat
  • Region XIII: Surigao del Norte, Surigao Del Sur, Agusan Del Norte, Agusan del Sur and Butuan City
  • Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao: Maguindanao, Cotabato City and Lanao Del Sur

The Philippines has recorded a total of 3,528,796 confirmed COVID-19 cases, as of Saturday, of which 213,587 are active.

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Of those still battling the disease, 318 are in critical condition and 1,526 are severe cases. Majority or 199,893 are mild, 8,736 have no symptoms, while 3,114 are moderately ill.

Jomar Rabajante of the University of the Philippines (UP) Pandemic Response Team said Sunday that the number of daily new COVID-19 infections in the country may return to pre-surge levels by late February or March.

Since late December, the Philippines has seen a quick rise in new COVID-19 cases, a wave of infections driven by the highly contagious omicron variant.

Authorities continue to remind the public to follow minimum health protocols and get themselves vaccinated against COVID-19.

- with reports from Jamaine Punzalan, Jaehwa Bernardo and Anjo Bagaoisan, ABS-CBN News

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