Palace says Metro Manila, 197 areas under Alert Level 1 until mid-April

MANILA — Metro Manila and 197 other areas nationwide will be placed under Alert Level 1 until April 15, as the number of new COVID-19 infections continued to slow down, Malacañang said on Thursday. 

• New guidelines under Alert Level 1

Acting Palace spokesperson Martin Andanar said the COVID-19 task force approved putting the following areas under Alert Level 1, the loosest of the country's 5-tier quarantine system: 

 LUZON: 

•  CAR: Abra, Apayao, Kalinga, and Baguio City, Lagawe and Lamut in Ifugao, and Besao, Bontoc, and Sagada in Mountain Province
•  Region I: Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, La Union, Pangasinan, and Dagupan City
•  Region II: Batanes, Cagayan, Isabela, City of Santiago, Quirino, and Bambang, Bayombong, Dupax Del Norte, Quezon, Solano, Villaverde in Nueva Vizcaya
•  Region III: Aurora, Bataan, Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga, Angeles City, Tarlac, Zambales, and Olongapo City
•  Region IV-A: Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, and Lucena City, and City of Tayabas, Lucban, Mauban, Pagbilao, Plaridel, Polillo, Quezon, Sampaloc in Quezon Province
•  Region IV-B: Oriental Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon, and Puerto Princesa City, as well as Lubang in Occidental Mindoro and Culion in Palawan
•  Region V: Albay, Catanduanes, Naga City, and Daet; San Vicente in Camarines Norte; Bombon, Cabusao, Camaligan, Iriga City, Presentacion (Parubcan), and San Fernando in Camarines Sur; Barcelona, Bulusan, Casiguran, City of Sorsogon, Gubat, Juban, Magallanes, and Prieto Diaz in Sorsogon

 VISAYAS:

•  Region VI: Aklan, Guimaras, Capiz, Bacolod City, and Iloilo City; San Jose and Sebaste in Antique; Anilao, Balasan, Banate, Barotac Nuevo, Barotac Viejo, Bingawan, Concepcion, Dueñas, Guimbal, Janiuay, Lemery, Mina, Pototan, San Dioniso, and Santa Barbara in Iloilo province; Enrique B. Magalona (Saravia), La Carlota City, Pulupandan, Sagay City, and San Enrique in Negros Occidental
•  Region VII: Siquijor, Cebu City, Lapu-Lapu City, and Mandaue City; Batuan, Corella, Dimiao, Jagna, Lila, Loay, Loboc, Sikatuna, and Tagbilaran City in Bohol; and Dumaguete City in Negros Oriental
•  Region VIII: Biliran, Ormoc City, and Tacloban City; Arteche, Balangkayan, Can-Avid, City of Borongan, Jipapad, Maydolong, Salcedo, San Policarpo, Sulat, and Taft in Eastern Samar; Albuera, City of Baybay, Dulag, Matag-ob, Palo, and Tunga in Leyte; Capul, Lapinig, Lavezares, San Antonio, San Jose, and Victoria in Northern Samar; Marabut and Pagsanghan in Samar; and Anahawan, City of Maasin, Hinundayan, Libagon, Limasawa, Macrohon, Padre Burgos, Pintuyan in Southern Leyte

MINDANAO:

•  Region IX: Zamboanga City; Dapitan City, Dipolog City, Piñan (New Piñan), Polanco, and Rizal in Zamboanga del Norte; as well as Ipil and Tungawan in Zamboanga Sibugay
•  Region X: Camiguin, Bukidnon, Iligan City, and Cagayan de Oro City; Bacolod in Lanao del Norte; Clarin, Jimenez, Ozamiz City, and Panaon in Misamis Occidental; and Alubijid, Binuangan, City of El Salvador, Initao, Laguindingan, Libertad, Lugait, Naawan, Sugbongcogon, and Tagoloan in Misamis Oriental 
•  Region XI: Davao City; Montevista in Davao de Oro; and Cateel and City of Mati in Davao Oriental
• Region XII: Kidapawan City and President Roxas in Cotabato; Polomolok and Santo Niño in South Cotabato; and Tacurong City in Sultan Kudarat
• Region XIII (CARAGA): Surigao del Sur, Surigao City, and Butuan City; as well as Carmen, Jabonga, Magallanes, and Nasipit in Agusan del Norte; Bunawan, Loreto, and Prosperidad in Agusan del Sur; Loreto in Dinagat Islands; and Tagana-an in Surigao del Norte.

The rest of the country will be placed under Alert Level 2.

Aside from highly urbanized cities and provinces, the Palace also included component cities and municipalities that have met the criteria for the so-called "new normal."

Malacañang earlier said areas that would meet the following criteria can shift to the lowest alert level: 

• Low to minimal risk case classification.
• Total bed utilization rate of less than 50 percent.
• Full vaccination of 70 percent of its target population (denominator is 80 percent of its total population).
• Full vaccination of 80 percent of its target population in the elderly (denominator is 85 percent of its population).

Last week, the COVID-19 task force said towns and component cities may deescalate to Alert Level 1 as long as they meet the criteria. 

Philippines has posted less than 500 new daily COVID-19 cases in the past 7 days, data analyzed by the ABS-CBN Data Analytics team showed. 

The 40,412 total active cases recorded on Wednesday is the lowest since Jan. 5, Data Analytics head Edson Guido said.

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