Malacañang on Friday announced Metro Manila will remain under Alert Level 3 next month despite its decreasing number of novel coronavirus disease (Covid-19) in the region.
Under the expanded implementation of the pilot test of the Alert Level System, the National Capital Region will retain its current Alert Level from Nov. 1 to Nov. 14, 2021.
In a virtual press briefing last Friday, Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said the IATF decided to delay issuing a lower alert level in NCR to make sure the increased mobility of the public it will allow will cause a spike in Covid infections in the region.
This after the IATF approved the recommendation of the Department of Transportation (DOTr) to start the gradual increase in the passenger capacity in public transportation.
“This [Alert Level 3] will only be for the next two weeks. If the case will not increase despite the increased mobility with 85 percent of the population in NCR already vaccinated, we will lower it to Alert Level 2,” Roque said.
In a related development, Roque said the IATF also decided to expand the pilot implementation of the ALS to include regions 3, 6, and 10.
Starting on Monday, Aurora, Bacolod City, Negros Oriental, and Davao Occidental shall be placed under Alert Level 4.
Meanwhile, areas, which will be placed under Alert Level 3 include Bataan, Cavite, Laguna, Rizal, Iloilo City, Siquijor, Lanao del Norte, Davao City, and Davao del Norte, and Baguio City, as an “area for special monitoring.”
Alert Level 2 locations include Angeles City, Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Olongapo City, Pampanga, Tarlac, Batangas, Quezon Province, Lucena City, Aklan, Antique, Capiz, Guimaras, Iloilo, Negros Occidental, Bohol, Cebu City, Lapu-Lapu City, Mandaue City, Cebu Province, Bukidnon, Cagayan de Oro City, Camiguin, Iligan City, Misamis Occidental, Misamis Oriental, Davao de Oro, Davao del Sur, and Davao Oriental.
The ALS list will be in effect until Nov. 14, 2021. Roque said in areas still not covered by the ALS, the following community quarantine classifications will be in effect:
Modified Enhanced Community Quarantine (MECQ): Mountain Province, Catanduanes, and Zamboanga City (Nov. 1 to 15, 2021).
General Community Quarantine (GCQ) with heightened restrictions: Abra, Cagayan, Isabela, City of Santiago, Nueva Vizcaya, and Quirino shall be placed under restrictions (Nov. 1 to 30, 2021).
GCQ: Ifugao, Benguet, Apayao, Kalinga, Ilocos Sur, Dagupan City, Batanes, Occidental Mindoro, Oriental Mindoro, Puerto Princesa, Palawan, Albay, Naga City, Camarines Norte, Tacloban City, Zamboanga Sibugay, Zamboanga del Norte, Zamboanga del Sur, General Santos City, Sarangani, North Cotabato, South Cotabato, Agusan del Norte, Agusan del Sur, Surigao del Norte, Surigao del Sur, Butuan City, Dinagat Islands, Cotabato City, and Lanao del Sur (Nov. 1 to 31, 2021).
“All other areas not mentioned shall be placed under Modified General Community Quarantine (MGCQ) for the whole month of November 2021,” Roque said.
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