METRO MANILA STAYS UNDER ALERT LEVEL 3

As the country continues to face a surge in coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases, the government’s pandemic task force has decided to keep the National Capital Region (NCR) under Alert Level 3 until the end of the month.

As the country continues to face a surge in coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases, the government’s pandemic task force has decided to keep the National Capital Region (NCR) under Alert Level 3 until the end of the month.

Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles made the announcement a day before Metro Manila’s supposed last day under Alert Level 3 on Jan. 15.

In his press briefing yesterday, Nograles said that the following areas will also be placed under Alert Level 3 from Jan. 16 to 31, 2022 aside from Metro Manila: Baguio City, Ifugao, Mountain Province, Dagupan City, Ilocos Sur, City of Santiago, Cagayan, Angeles City, Aurora, Bataan, Bulacan, Olongapo City, Pampanga, Zambales, Rizal, Batangas, Cavite, Laguna, Lucena City, Marinduque, Romblon, Camarines Norte, Catanduanes, Naga City, Sorsogon, Iloilo City, Iloilo, Negros Occidental, Guimaras, Lapu-Lapu City, Bohol, Cebu, Negros Oriental, Ormoc City, Biliran, Eastern Samar, Leyte, Northern Samar, Southern Leyte, Western Samar, City of Isabela, Zamboanga City, Zamboanga Del Sur, Bukidnon

Iligan City, Misamis Occidental, Misamis Oriental, Davao Del Sur, Davao Del Norte, General Santos City

South Cotabato, Surigao Del Sur, Agusan Del Norte, and Lanao Del Sur.

Alert Level 3 will also be hoisted in the following areas from Jan. 14 until the end of the month:

Benguet, Kalinga, Abra, La Union, Ilocos Norte, Pangasinan, Nueva Vizcaya, Isabela, Quirino, Nueva Ecija, Tarlac, Quezon Province, Occidental Mindoro, Oriental Mindoro, Camarines Sur, Albay, Bacolod City, Aklan, Capiz, Antique, Cebu City, Mandaue City, Tacloban City, Cagayan de Oro City, Davao City, Butuan City, Agusan Del Sur, and Cotabato City.

Meanwhile, the following areas will be under Alert Level 2 from Jan. 16 to 31, 2022: Apayao

Batanes, Palawan, Puerto Princesa City, Masbate, Siquijor, Zamboanga Del Norte, Zamboanga Sibugay, Camiguin, Lanao Del Norte, Davao De Oro, Davao Occidental, Davao Oriental, North Cotabato, Sarangani, Sultan Kudarat, Dinagat Islands, Surigao Del Norte, Basialan, Maguindanao, Sulu, and Tawi-Tawi.

The Philippines logged a new single-day record of 34,021 new COVID-19 cases on Jan. 13, 2022, bringing the total number of infections to 3,092,409. A positivity rate of 47.9 percent has been pegged in the country.

In his press briefing, Nograles acknowledged that while Omicron is a more contagious variant of COVID-19, the number of severe and critical cases wasn’t high due to the country’s vaccination program and the public’s cooperation with the COVID response efforts.