BY NOEL TALACAY
LOCAL executives of Metro Manila want the region to stay under Alert Level 3 regardless of the surge in daily coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases, Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) chairperson Benhur Abalos yesterday said.
Abalos said the recommendation was approved during the meeting of the Metro Manila Council (MMC) last January 7.
In a virtual briefing, the MMDA head said Metro mayors do not yet see the need to place the region under heightened alert level because its hospital bed utilization rate remains at moderate risk amid the spike in COVID-19 cases.
On January 9, the COVID-19 Tracker of the Department of Health showed the NCR logged 16,924 new cases, bringing its total number of cases to 943,701. Of the total number, 852,812 have recovered while 11,198 have died. The DOH said there are 79,691 active cases in the capital region.
Abalos said that while cases are on an uptrend, the intensive care unit (ICU) bed use in the NCR is still at 52 percent, isolation bed use at 50 percent, and ward bed use at 65 percent. Ventilator utilization is also at moderate risk at 26 percent as of January 9.
Cabinet Secretary and acting presidential spokesman Karlo Nograles acknowledged that Metro Manila’s hospital be utilization rate is still at moderate level.
Hospital bed use is one of three parameters used by the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) in deciding the alert level status of a region, province, city or municipality.
Nograles, who is also the co-chairman and spokesman of the IATF, said the three parameters are the two-week growth rate (TWGR), average daily attack rate (ADAR), and total hospitalization bed utilization.
In an interview with ANC, Nograles said the government is actively monitoring these parameters.
He said that while Metro Manila’s two-week growth rate and average daily attack rate are high, its total bed utilization rate is still at the moderate level. “It’s not enough for us to declare Alert Level 4,” Nograle said.
However, he said the government is ready to raise the alert level in the region to Alert level 4 once all three parameters are reached.
Aside from the moderate hospital beds use, Abalos said Metro Manila also has a high vaccination rate, with 11,543,072 individuals or 117.79 percent of target population, already fully inoculated as of January 8.
Abalos highlighted the need for Metro residents to be vaccinated, noting that 85 percent of individuals infected with the deadly virus and are experiencing severe and critical symptoms are unvaccinated, while 93 percent of those who have died were also not inoculated.
Interior Secretary Eduardo Año echoed Nograles and said that raising the quarantine status of NCR to Alert Level 4 is not yet warranted because of its sound healthcare utilization.
Año said raising Metro Manila’s alert status will be discussed by the IATF during its meeting today.
“That depends on the presentation of our TWG (technical working group) on data analytics because you have to satisfy metrics before you go up to level 4,” said Año.
“As of now our healthcare utilization rate does not warrant that we go up to Alert Level 4. Let’s see in the coming days. But that is under discussion by the IATF because the Department of Health recommended that we go to Alert Level 4,” said Año.
Año said raising the alert status of NCR needs careful study and consultation with the NCR mayors “because if we go on Alert Level 4, the first that will be affected is our economy.”
Abalos said President Duterte has the final say on Metro Manila’s alert level status. The NCR is under Alert Level 3 until January 15.
Aside from Metro Manila, also under alert Level 3 until January 15 are Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna, Rizal, Cagayan Bataan, Pampanga and Zambales and the cities if Baguio, Dagupan, Santiago, Angeles, Olongapo, Lucena, Naga, Iloilo, and Lapulapu, while the rest of the country is under Alert Level 2.
Nograles reiterated that government has directed hospitals and temporary treatment and monitoring facilities (TTMFs) nationwide to increase their bed capacities in preparation for more cases of Omicron while home quarantine and increased utilization of telemedicine and telehealth is also encouraged especially for those with mild cases. — With Jocelyn Montemayor and Victor Reyes
