FILE PHOTO: Vehicles on Edsa, Metro Manila’s main thoroughfare. NIÑO JESUS ORBETA / PHILIPPINE DAILY INQUIRER
MANILA, Philippines — Metro Manila and several other provinces and towns will still be under Alert Level 1 of the COVID-19 alert classification system, while other areas will remain under Alert Level 2 according to acting Presidential spokesperson Secretary Martin Andanar.
Andanar said in a statement on Sunday that the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) has approved proposals to keep Metro Manila and the following other provinces and areas under Alert Level 1 from May 16 to 31, 2022:
Cordillera Administrative Region (Abra, Apayao, Kalinga, Mountain Province, Baguio City)
Ilocos Region (Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, La Union, Pangasinan, and Dagupan City
Cagayan Valley (Batanes, Cagayan, Isabela, Nueva Vizcaya, Quirino, and City of Santiago)
Central Luzon (Aurora, Bataan, Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga, Tarlac, Zambales, Angeles City, and Olongapo City
Calabarzon (Batangas, Cavite, Laguna, Rizal, and Lucena City)
Mimaropa (Marinduque, Oriental Mindoro, Romblon, and Puerto Princesa City)
Bicol Region (Albay, Catanduanes, and Naga City)
Western Visayas (Aklan, Capiz, Guimaras, Iloilo, Bacolod City, and Iloilo City)
Central Visayas (Siquijor, Cebu City, Lapu-Lapu City, and Mandaue City)
Eastern Visayas (Biliran, Eastern Samar, Southern Leyte, Ormoc City, and Tacloban City)
Zamboanga Peninsula (Zamboanga City)
Northern Mindanao (Bukidnon, Camiguin, Misamis Occidental, Misamis Oriental, Cagayan de Oro City, and Iligan City)
Davao Region (Davao City)
Caraga (Surigao del Sur and Butuan City)
The following areas will also be under Alert Level 1 without prejudice to component cities and municipalities already under Alert Level 1:
Cordillera Administrative Region: (Kiangan, Ifugao)
Bicol Region (Balud, Masbate; and Irosin, Sorsogon)
Central Visayas (Calape, Bohol; Garcia Hernandez, Bohol; San Isidro, Bohol; San Miguel, Bohol; Alcoy, Cebu; Borbon, Cebu; Oslob, Cebu; Pilar, Cebu; Santander, Cebu; Tudela, Cebu; Bacong, Negros Oriental; Dauin, Negros Oriental; Valencia (Luzarriaga), Negros Oriental; and Zamboanguita, Negros Oriental
Eastern Visayas (Tarangnan, Samar; and Zumarraga)
Zamboanga Peninsula (Mahayag, Zamboanga del Sur; and Diplahan, Zamboanga Sibugay)
Soccsksargen: (Kalamansig, Sultan Kudarat)
Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) (Upi, Maguindanao)
Meanwhile, the following areas are under Alert Level 2, without affecting nearby areas or areas in the same province that are under a different classification:
Cordillera Administrative Region (Benguet, Ifugao)
Calabarzon (Quezon Province)
Mimaropa (Occidental Mindoro, and Palawan)
Bicol Region (Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, Masbate, and Sorsogon)
Western Visayas (Antique and Negros Occidental)
Central Visayas (Bohol, Cebu Province, and Negros Oriental)
Eastern Visayas (Leyte, Northern Samar, and Western Samar)
Zamboanga Peninsula (City of Isabela, Zamboanga del Sur, Zamboanga del Norte, and Zamboanga Sibugay)
Northern Mindanao (Lanao del Norte)
Davao Region (Davao del Norte, Davao del Sur, Davao Oriental, Davao de Oro, and Davao Occidental)
Soccsksargen (General Santos City, North Cotabato, Sarangani, Sultan Kudarat, and South Cotabato)
Caraga (Agusan del Norte, Agusan del Sur, Dinagat Islands, and Surigao del Norte)
BARMM (Basilan, Cotabato City, Lanao del Sur, Maguindanao, Sulu, and Tawi-Tawi)
According to the Department of Health (DOH), COVID-19 cases in the country are actually dropping despite increased mobility.
However, experts have also warned that the country may see an uptick in cases amid the campaign period for the 2022 polls, and the election held last Monday.
Last Friday, DOH confirmed the presence of the Omicron variant’s BA.2.12.1 subvariant in Metro Manila and Puerto Princesa. This subvariant is slightly different from the Omicron version that hit the country late December, which led to a massive surge in infections.
READ: Omicron subvariant BA.2.12.1 now in NCR, Puerto Princesa
READ: DOH vows to monitor any possible uptick in COVID cases after 2022 polls