MANILA — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has placed 32 areas under COVID-19 Alert Level 2 from November 1 to 15, the Department of Health announced Monday.

Meanwhile, 89 out of 121 provinces, highly urbanized cities, and independent component cities are under Alert Level 1, the loosest of a 5-tier alert system, the DOH added.

"This means that our key indicators, such as the healthcare utilization rate (HCUR), are showing improvements. We attribute this development to every Filipino who continues to cooperate with our COVID-19 response," DOH officer-in-charge Maria Rosario Vergeire said in a statement.

"But while we see a continuous decline in case and admission trends, we must remember that deescalation does not mean that the battle with COVID-19 is already over. These current numbers are not permanent; we must all work together to maintain these low numbers," the OIC added.

The following areas are under Alert Level 2 from Nov. 1 to 15:

Luzon
Cordillera Administrative Region

• Benguet
• Ifugao

Calabarzon

• Quezon Province

Mimaropa

• Palawan

Bicol Region

• Camarines Norte
• Masbate

Visayas

Western Visayas

• Antique
• Negros Occidental

Central Visayas

• Bohol
• Cebu Province
• Negros Oriental

Eastern Visayas

• Leyte
• Northern Samar
• Western Samar

Mindanao

Zamboanga Peninsula

• City of Isabela
• Zamboanga Del Sur
• Zamboanga Sibugay

Northern Mindanao

• Lanao del Norte

Davao Region

• Davao De Oro
• Davao Del Norte
• Davao Del Sur
• Davao Occidental

Soccsksargen

• North Cotabato
• Sarangani
• Sultan Kudarat

Caraga

• Dinagat Islands
• Surigao del Norte

Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in
Muslim Mindanao

• Basilan
• Lanao Del Sur
• Maguindanao
• Sulu
• Tawi-tawi

Alert Level 2 allows face-to-face classes, dine-in services, religious gatherings, and personal care services, among others to accept fully vaccinated individuals at 50 percent of indoor venue capacity.

Meanwhile, the whole Metro Manila and the rest of the country are under Alert Level 1.

Alert Level 1 allows all establishments to operate at 100 percent capacity, including other mass gatherings, but only for those with full vaccination status.

The government has set a 5-tier COVID-19 alert system since last year after doing away with the previous quarantine classifications.

In light of the new classifications, along with the recent relaxation of mandatory masking in most settings, the DOH called for increased vigilance and stricter implementation of measures and policies against COVID-19, especially ahead of the coming holiday season where increased mobility and contact rates are expected.

As of October 30, the Philippines has 20,824 active COVID-19 cases.

Since the pandemic began, the country has tallied some 4 million coronavirus infections, of which 64,033 led to death.