The government is set to announce on Tuesday (March 15) the new alert level classifications for the remaining weeks of the month, as the Alert Level 1 implementation in Metro Manila and other areas expires.
Department of Health (DOH) Secretary Francisco Duque III said more areas might be placed under Alert Level 1 as average daily COVID-19 cases continue to decline.
“Mas mababa sa isang libo ang kaso ng COVID-19 in the past 5 to 8 days…Kung bababa pa sa 500 ang cases, posible na madagdagan pa ang mga lugar na ilalagay sa Alert Level 1,” he said in an interview.
In a separate interview, Presidential Adviser for Entrepreneurship Joey Concepcion expressed support on the move to lift the alert levels, but noted that COVID-19 vaccination must continue, particularly the booster shot administration.
“Maski [binuksan na natin] ang economy, may mga rallies diyan, hindi naman tumataas iyong level of infection natin ‘no. So, mukhang [gumagana] ang bakuna program natin,” he said.
“I think that eventually, we really have to move to that new normal ‘no, at nakikita ko we should allow the business establishments, kung mapunta tayo diyan sa Alert Level Zero, we should allow the business owners, business establishments to set their own [health protocols],” he added.
Concepcion said the shift to the new normal “will boost confidence that the Philippines has been able to achieve,” but stressed that the country should not be complacent.
For the Private Hospitals Association of the Philippines (PHAPi), it is not yet time to transition to Alert Level Zero as there are still COVID-19 hospital admissions despite a decline in the number of patients brought to hospitals.
“Mas maganda pa nga noong before Christmas na talagang halos nawala ang patients, halos ang mga hospitals ay nag-empty yung COVID wards, to the point na talagang inalis muna nila temporarily yung COVID wards,” PHAPi President Dr. Jose De Grano said. – Report from Mark Fetalco/AG-rir
