NCR stays under Alert 3

MANILA— The COVID-19 alert level system first tested in Metro Manila will be expanded to several areas in 3 regions from Nov. 1, Malacañang said on Friday, as virus cases continued to decline.

Starting Monday, the alert level pilot will include parts of Central Luzon, Western Visayas, and Northern Mindanao, said Palace spokesman Harry Roque.

The inter-agency task force on COVID-19 approved the following alert levels effective until Nov. 14, he said.

The capital region's 13 million people will stay under Alert Level 3, Roque said in a press briefing.

"Inaasahan po natin with increased mobility, posible rin po na tumaas ang mga kaso ng COVID," he said, when asked why Metro Manila kept current curbs, despite officials' earlier remarks that it might shift to Alert Level 2.

"Inuunti-unti natin ang pagbaba ng alert level system nang sa ganoon, hindi naman biglang sumipa muli ang numero ng mga kaso," continued the Palace spokesman.

(We expect that with increased mobility it is possible for COVID cases to spike. We are slowly lowering the alert level system so that the number of cases will not go up suddenly.)

Roque said government approved the following risk classifications for areas not yet covered by the COVID-19 alert system.

Government started testing out the alert system and accompanying granular lockdowns in Metro Manila in mid-September in a bid to better curb coronavirus clusters and spur business activity.

The Philippines has tallied 2.7 million overall coronavirus infections and at least 42,575 deaths. Around 26.8 million of its 109 people have been fully vaccinated so far.

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Video courtesy of PTV