‘Not yet time to scrap alert level system’

- Advertisement -

MALACANANG yesterday rejected calls to do away with the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) alert level system in the country, saying it helps the country in controlling the spread of the deadly virus, especially if new variants emerge.

“We cannot remove the alert levels…We will not remove the alert levels just in case a new variant of concern or interest comes or there is a surge, we can immediately raise it back to Alert Level 2,” Cabinet Secretary and acting presidential spokesman Karlo Nograles said in an interview with the ANC’s Headstart.

He said that while the vaccination rate in the National Capital Region is high and COVID cases are going down, there is still a need for several regions to ramp up their inoculation drives and catch up to better protect the community against the virus.

- Advertisement -

National Task Force against COVID-19 adviser Ted Herbosa said removing alert levels and easing restrictions should be done gradually and only after a thorough study to avoid risks and having regrets later.

Nograles said instead of talking about removing alert levels, the public should work as one to enable the country to achieve alert level one, which is the new normal or closest to normal life before the pandemic.

He said that under Alert Level 1, age limits and comorbidity restrictions for intrazonal and interzonal travel will be lifted, limitations of establishments in terms of venue capacity — provided that minimum public health standards are followed — will be eased, and face-to-face classes in the basic education level will resume, subject to the approval of the Office of the President.

He said under Alert level 1, certain areas should be classified under the minimal risk classification, meaning the total bed utilization should be below 49 percent, the two-week growth rate is zero, and the average daily attack rate should be below one.

“We’re almost back to new normal but very clearly the minimum public health standards will still be there,” he added.

Some senators are open to the idea of doing away with the alert level system to help boost the country’s economic recovery while Presidential adviser on entrepreneurship Joey Concepcion has proposed the scrapping of the alert level system as major cities already have high vaccination rates.

Nograles said the possible lowering of alert levels would be discussed when the IATF decides on the next alert level for mid-February.
Metro Manila is under Alert Level 2 until February 15.

As of February 1, more than 127.16 million doses of vaccines have been administered nationwide. Of this, 760.466 million have received their first dose, 59.12 million have been fully vaccinated, and 7.576 million have received their booster shots.

Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong said the COVID-19 situation has greatly improved in the city, which he said is now ready to transition to the lower Alert Level 2 of quarantine.

“The (COVID-19) cases here are going down. In fact, our highest seven-day moving average, daily cases, was 693. Now, we’re down to about 141,” Magalong said in a radio interview.

The city was among the many areas in the country that experienced a surge in infections last month, which prompted officials to place the city under Alert Level 3.

“That is why I am going to (request), I am going to write the IATF if we can be declared next week under Alert Level 2,” he said. — With victor Reyes

Author

- Advertisement -

Share post: