DOH: 4 regions under 'Code Blue' due to Carina, Habagat

The National Capital Region (NCR), Ilocos Region, Calabarzon, and Central Luzon have been placed under Code Blue alert following the onslaught of Typhoon Carina and the enhanced Southwest Monsoon or Habagat, Health Secretary Ted Herbosa said Thursday. 

Under code blue, the second highest alert, there is a 50% agency resource mobilization, meaning teams are mobilized to augment existing regular day-to-day resources, and to tend to affected areas or to treat patients.

The Department of Health’s (DOH) Incident Command System is also activated and a coordinative meeting with health clusters is conducted. Coordination with the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) is also signaled for this alert. 

“We have three regions that have raised code blue alert — Metro Manila regional office, even the hospitals of DOH are considered under blue alert. Gano’n din ang [it also includes] Ilocos at ang Calabarzon,” Herbosa said at a press conference. 

“And Central Luzon is also under Code Blue,” he added. 

As of 12 p.m., DOH’s data showed that Cagayan Valley and Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) are under Code White. 

The DOH on Wednesday said it has declared a Code White alert in all its Centers for Health Development nationwide, as well as the Ministry of Health in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, due to the inclement weather brought about by Carina and the Habagat. 

The DOH usually declares the Code White alert when Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal (TCWS) No. 2 and above are raised during tropical cyclones. Under this alert, there is no need for the activation of the Incident Command System. 

Aside from cities in Metro Manila, a state of calamity has been declared in Bataan, Bulacan, Batangas and Cavite due to the inclement weather, according to Interior and Local Government Secretary Benhur Abalos Jr. on Thursday. —KBK, GMA Integrated News