THE Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) on the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases on Monday night placed two provinces, two towns and one city under Alert level 1 from May 3 until 15 amid the improving situation of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic in the country.
IATF Resolution 167-C, signed on May 2 by IATF chairpersons Health Secretary Francisco Duque III and Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, hoisted Alert Level 1 over the provinces of Nueva Vizcaya and Misamis Occidental, the city of Talisay in Cebu and municipalities of Antipas in North Cotabato and Banga in South Cotabato.
The areas are in addition to the region, cities, municipalities and provinces identified under IATF Resolution 167 that were earlier placed under the relaxed Alert 1 category from May 1 until May 15.
Currently under Alert Level 1 are the entire National Capital Region, along with the cities of Baguio, Dagupan, Santiago, Angeles, Olongapo, Lucena, Puerto Princesa and Naga; and the provinces of Abra, Apayao, Kalinga, Mountain Province, Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, La Union, Pangasinan, Batanes, Cagayan, Isabela, Quirino, Aurora, Bataan, Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga, Tarlac, Zambales, Batangas, Cavite, Laguna, Rizal, and Marinduque, Oriental Mindoro, Romblon, Albay, Catanduanes in Luzon.
In the Visayas, under Alert Level 1 are the cities of Bacolod, Iloilo, Cebu, Lapu-Lapu, Mandaue, Ormoc and Tacloban; and the provinces of Aklan, Capiz, Guimaras, Iloilo Siquijor, Biliran, Eastern Samar, and Southern Leyte.
On the other hand, under Alert level 1 in Mindanao are the cities of Zamboanga, Cagayan de Oro, Iligan, Davao and Butuan; and the provinces of Camiguin, Bukidnon, Misamis Oriental, and Surigao del Sur.
Municipalities currently under Alert Level 1 until May 15 are: Tublay in Benguet; Candelaria,Dolores, and San Antonio, all in Quezon; Cagayancillo in Palawan; Caramoan, Pili, and Tigaon, all in Camarines Sur; Capalonga in Camarines Norte, Candoni in Negros Occidental, Tobias Fornier (Dao) in Antique, Amlan (Ayuquitan) in Negros Oriental, Duero in Bohol, Matalom in Leyte, Jose Dalman (Ponot) and Labason in Zamboanga del Norte, Molave and Ramon Magsaysay (Liargo) in Zamboanga del Sur, Buug in Zamboanga Sibugay, Tudela in Misamis Occidental; Baroy, Lala and Tubod, all in Lanao del Norte; Caraga in Davao Oriental, Koronadal City in South Cotabato, Arakan in North Cotabato, Lebak in Sultan Kudarat, Kitcharao in Agusan del Norte, Santa Josefa in Agusan del Sur, Libjo (Albor) in Dinagat Islands, General Luna in Surigao del Norte, South Upi in Maguindanao and Turtle Islands in Tawi-Tawi.
INFECTION RATE
The independent OCTA Research group said the reproduction rate of COVID-19 in the NCR yesterday inched closer to 1, the R naught mark set by the World Health Organization.
In a social media post, OCTA Research fellow Guido David said the reproduction rate in Metro Manila has climbed to 0.83 from the 0.79 last Sunday.
According to the WHO, the ideal reproduction rate is less than 1, as having greater than 1 means that the infection will spread exponentially.
Guido was quick to allay public concerns about the rising infection rate, pointing out that the 7 percent positive case growth rate observed earlier has already been wiped out since Metro Manila’s one-week growth rate has already dipped to negative 4 percent.
On Monday, the Department of Health affirmed that there has been an uptick in COVID-19 cases in the NCR, particularly in Las Piñas City, Mandaluyong City, Quezon City, Muntinlupa City, and Makati City which all saw two-week growth rates in cases.
