MANILA — Malacañang said on Tuesday there was a "big possibility" for Metro Manila to shift to a lower COVID-19 alert level before the upcoming holidays, which would ease curbs and allow more businesses to reopen.

Palace spokesman Harry Roque said authorities were waiting for the average daily attack rate of COVID-19 to go down to 7 percent from the current 7.7 percent. This is the percentage of an at-risk population that contracts COVID-19.

"Malaki po ang posibilidad na bumaba," he said, quoting the health department, when asked if the capital region would go down to Alert 2.

(The possibility that it will be lowered is big.)

Video courtesy of PTV

Metro Manila's 13 million people are under Alert Level 3 until Nov. 14.

The OCTA Research Group last week cited improved COVID-19 figures and said the region was ready to shift to Alert 2.

• OCTA: Philippines COVID-19 tally could go down to 2,000 cases a day by end-Nov

"We have to look at the extent of granular lockdowns in the different LGUs," infectious disease expert Dr. Edsel Salvaña said, when asked whether or not he agreed with OCTA's assessment.

"Rather than making these pronouncements, it’s really important that we work with the local governments para alam po talaga natin kung ano iyong sitwasyon (so that we know the real situation) on the ground," he said during the Palace briefing.

Roque noted that gatherings for Christmas could lead to another increase in coronavirus infections.

"Bagama’t ang datos ay nagpapakita na pupuwedeng ibaba nga po sa mas mababang alert level ang Metro Manila, importante po, huwag tayong magpabaya. Huwag tayong mag-isip na tapos na ang pandemya, dahil nandiyan pa rin po si COVID-19," he urged the public.

(Although data shows the alert level of Metro Manila could be lowered, it is important that we do not get complacent. Let us not think that the pandemic is over because COVID-19 is still there.)

The Philippines has tallied some 2.7 million overall coronavirus cases and 43,276 deaths.

• Philippines completes COVID-19 vaccination of 27 million, or 35 pct of target
• Nearly 150k doses of COVID-19 vaccines lost in Zamboanga del Sur fire