Video courtesy of PTV

An infectious disease expert on Monday said it was "too early" and "too drastic" for Metro Manila to shift to the lowest of five COVID-19 alert levels.

Authorities should instead monitor if cases will further decline "in the next 2 weeks", said Dr. Rontgene Solante, head of the Adult Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine unit of the San Lazaro Hospital.

"In my opinion, siguro we still need to stay in the Alert Level 2. It’s too early and I think it’s too drastic to change to a lower alert level like 1," he said in a televised public briefing.

"Remember, mataas pa rin ang mga kasong nakikita natin. M2ataas pa rin ang hawaan (the cases we are seeing are still high, the infection rate is still high). And we need to be vigilant about these numbers," added Solante.

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Metro Manila shifted to Alert 2 from Alert 3 last Feb. 1 until 15.

This allowed businesses to raise their operating capacity by 20 percent, noted Trade Undersecretary Ruth Castelo.

"Iyong 20 percent, according to DTI estimates, we have around 100,000 to 200,000 jobs na makakabalik (that will return). According to NEDA estimates naman, this is around 16,000 jobs weekly na makakabalik under Alert Level 2," she said in the same briefing.

Asked if the trade department was in favor of calls to eventually scrap the COVID-19 alert system, Castelo said. "Basta dahan-dahan, hindi naman biglaan kasi kailangan rin nating iayos ‘yong mindset naman rin ng publiko."

"Hindi kasi ibig sabihin na bumaba iyong alert level system natin or tanggalin na siya totally ay wala na tayong kailangan pag-ingatan na COVID virus," she added.

(As long as it's done slowly because we also need to prepare the public's mindset. If we lower or remove the alert level system, it does not mean that we no longer need to take caution against COVID.)

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