Metro Manila to remain under Alert Level 3 until January 31
Metro Manila and several other areas will remain under Alert Level 3 until the end of January.
Acting palace spokesman Karlo Nograles made the announcement on Jan. 14 in a televised public briefing.
Nograles's virtual presentation also showed that more areas have been placed under Alert Level 3, starting Jan. 16 to Jan. 31. Alert Level 2, meanwhile, will take effect in other areas during the same period:
The new list will round out areas that have been previously placed under Alert Level 3 starting today, Jan. 14, until Jan. 31, as announced by Nograles last Jan. 12:
Under Alert Level 3, the third highest in the five-tier system, several establishments are allowed at 30% capacity indoors for fully vaccinated adults. Outdoor settings may accept anybody at half capacity.
Under Alert Level 2, meanwhile, establishments may cater up to half capacity for indoors for fully vaccinated adults and even unvaccinated minors. Outdoor settings are allowed at 70% capacity.
No area is under Alert Level 4, which only allows up to 10% indoor capacity indoors for fully vaccinated individuals and 30% outdoors.
Nograles previously mentioned that Metro Manila still hasn't met the parameters necessary for Alert Level 4.
"Binabantayan namin ang Metro Manila," Nograles said during the televised public briefing. "Kapag tumama iyan sa 71%, that's when it'll be right to elevate Metro Manila to Alert Level 4."
As of Jan. 13, 58% of 1,100 intensive care unit beds, 54% of 4,800 isolation beds, and 66% of 4,400 ward beds in Metro Manila have been occupied.
In the same period, about 45% of 3,400 ICU beds, 46% of 20,100 isolation beds, and 45% of 13,400 ward beds are being utilized nationwide.
Last week Jan. 7, 48% of 1,100 intensive care unit beds, 47% of 4,800 isolation beds, and 59% of 4,400 ward beds in Metro Manila have been occupied. About 32% of 3,400 ICU beds, 35% of 20,100 isolation beds, and 31% of 13,400 ward beds are being utilized nationwide.
Metropolitan Manila Development Authority chairman Benhur Abalos previously said that mayors have agreed to maintain Alert Level 3 in the capital.
In a previous statement, the World Health Organization said there's "no need" to raise the alert level system in Metro Manila as its healthcare system can still manage the surge in COVID-19 cases.
On Jan. 13, the Department of Health reported 34,021 new COVID-19 cases in yet another all-time high, surpassing Jan. 10's previous tally of 33,169 fresh daily infections in a single day since the onset of the pandemic.
That day's active case count also set another all-time high, at 237,387, which surpassed last Jan. 12's 208,164.
Of over 78,000 individuals tested, a record-high 47.9% of them turned out positive for COVID-19, nearly tenfold the WHO's threshold of 5%.