MALACAÑANG on Wednesday said the duration of the Alert Level 2 classification for the entire country will now last until the end of the month due to the existing public health threat of the Omicron variant of Covid-19.
In a vitual press briefing, Acting presidential spokesperson Karlo B. Nograles disclosed that the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) issued its Resolution No. 154-A, which extended the duration of the nationwide Alert Level 2 from December 16 to 31, 2021.
He noted the IATF adopted the measure since they observed a surge in new Covid-19 cases in areas, which reported a confirmed case of Omicron.
The Omicron variant was declared a variant of concern by the World Health Organization (WHO) since its mutations makes it more infectious compared to other SARS-CoV-2 variants.
“We are being very cautious because of the threat of the Omicron,” Nograles said.
Also, the still pending parameters for an area to be placed under Alert Level 1 was another reason, Nograles said, for the government’s decision to defer lowering the quartantine restriction in some parts of the country.
Early detection
On Wednesday, the Department of Health (DOH) announced it detected two passengers, who tested positive for the Covid-causing Omicron variant.
One of the passengers is a returning Filipino who came from Japan, while the other one is a Nigerian national. Both were isolated in a quarantine facility, when they were tested.
DOH is now conducting contact tracing to determine those people, who may have interacted with the two passengers.
Nograles said the detection of both cases showed that the government’s entry protocols to prevent the spread of infection are effective.
“This early detection forms part of our Prevent-Detect-Isolate-Treat-Reintegrate [PDITR] strategy that has been in place all throughout the pandemic,” Nograles said.
But despite measures, the concurrent Cabinet Secretary urged the public to religiously observe minimum public health standards and get vaccinated against Covid-19.
