The Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) has issued the guidelines for the implementation of a Covid-19 alert level system (ALS) in Metro Manila.
Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque on Monday said President Rodrigo R. Duterte approved the finalized IATF protocols for the ALS, which will relax business and movement restrictions in the National Capital Region (NCR).
The government, through the Regional Inter-Agency Task Force (RIATF), will try to achieve this by declaring granular lockdowns in areas with confirmed novel coronavirus disease (Covid-19) cases so it will not spread to the general public.
The granular lockdown will be for a period of not less than 14 days.
Roque said the new system will hopefully minimize the business disruption and labor displacement caused by the pandemic.
“We should strive for total health and this can only be realized by carefully balancing our COVID-19 response by considering both the health of our people and the economic health of the nation, which this policy shift is all about,” Roque said.
Under the said scheme, the allowed 3C activities–closed or in-door; crowded areas ; and those which promote close contacts– in an area will differ depending on its alert system.
In areas under the Alert Level 1 (green), 3Cs activities will be allowed in full venue capacity.
This venue capacity will be reduced to 50 percent in areas under Alert Level 2 (yellow) and to 30 percent in Alert Level 3 (orange).
3Cs activities will not be allowed in areas under Alert Level 4 (red).
For Alert Level 5, which is the strictest classification, the IATF protocols for an enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) will apply.
The Department of the Health (DOH) will declare which alert level will take effect in NCR starting the pilot of the ALS in the region on September 16, 2021.
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