IATF: Alert Level 3 raised in 14 areas from Jan. 9 to Jan. 15, 2022

The Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases has raised Alert Level 3 in the 14 cities and provinces due to the steep increase in COVID-19 cases over the past days, according to Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles. 

The alert level designation will be effective from January 9 to 15.

• Dagupan
• City of Santiago
• Cagayan
• Olongapo City
• Angeles City
• Bataan
• Pampanga
• Zambales
• Naga City
• Iloilo City
• Lapu-lapu City
• Batangas
• Lucena City
• Baguio City

Nograles said the IATF was also looking at the healthcare utilization rate metric for determining alert level classifications to better reflect the available healthcare workers.

“Based on the experience sa ground, marami na po sa healthcare workers natin ang under quarantine dahil exposed po sila sa positive case po ng COVID, at meron din pong nagkaka-mild COVID kaya isolated rin po sila,” Nograles said during President Rodrigo Duterte’s Talk to the People.

[Based on the experience on the ground, many of our healthcare workers are already under quarantine because they have been exposed to a positive case of COVID, and there are also few mild COVID cases, so they are also isolated.]

“So we have to look the healthcare workers natin as isa pang indicator sa pagdedesisyon natin ng alert levels,” he added.

[So we have to look at our healthcare workers as another indicator in our decision in placing alert levels.]

The National Capital Region (NCR) was placed under Alert Level 3 from January 3 to 15 following the sharp increase in new COVID-19 infections in the country.

Under Alert Level 3, several establishments will be allowed to operate at 30% indoor venue capacity only for fully vaccinated individuals and 50% outdoor venue capacity, provided that all employees are fully vaccinated.

Face-to-face classes, contact sports, funfairs/perya, and casinos are among the activities and establishments that are prohibited under Alert Level 3.

Work at government offices is limited to 60% of their onsite capacity.

The Philippines on Thursday recorded 17,220 new COVID-19 cases bringing the nationwide COVID-19 tally to 2,888,917. —NB, GMA News