NCR mayors to decide Tuesday what alert level to recommend for March — MMDA exec

Mayors from the National Capital Region (NCR) are set to meet Tuesday and decide what alert level to recommend in March, an official of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) said on Monday.

At the Laging Handa public briefing, MMDA officer-in-charge general manager Romando Artes was asked about the possible deescalation of the region to Alert Level 1.

“Iyan ay pag-uusapan namin bukas ng gabi. Meron pong gaganapin na pagpupulong ang mga mayors ng Kalakhang Maynila…Bukas po asahan niyo na magkakaroon ng desisyon ang Metro Manila Council dito,” he said.

(That will be discussed at our meeting tomorrow evening. We will have a meeting with the mayors of Metro Manila…You can expect that the Metro Manila Council will have a decision tomorrow.)

Artes said the mayors will look into the data of the Department of Health and the Inter-Agency Task Force in making the recommendation.

He added they will consider the risk classification, health care utilization rate, and trend of COVID-19 cases.

Earlier, the OCTA Research group said that despite an improvement in its trends, the NCR remained at risk for COVID-19, although at the "low risk" level.

OCTA Research fellow Dr. Guido David reported that for the period February 12 to 18, NCR's average daily attack rate  improved to 3.36 from 5.49 in the previous week, and its positivity rate improved to 6% from from 9%.

NCR's healthcare utilization rate decreased from 29% to 26% and its reproduction number decreased slightly from 0.22 to 0.20.

Last week, Malacañang said Metro Manila will remain under Alert Level 2 until February 28. 

Under Alert Level 2 — the second lowest in the new alert level system — certain establishments and activities are allowed at 50% capacity indoors for fully vaccinated adults (and minors, even if unvaccinated), and 70% capacity outdoors. — Joviland Rita/RSJ, GMA News