Metro Manila stays under COVID Alert Level 1
BY GERARD NAVAL and JOCELYN MONTEMAYOR
SEVERE and critical cases of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases in the country may surge by August because of the low number of booster shots intake, the Department of Health said yesterday.
But despite the projection and the rising number of infections in the National Capital Region, the Inter Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) said all 16 cities and one municipality in the region will stay under Alert Level 1 from June 16 to 30.
The IATF said 84 out of 121 provinces, highly urbanized cities and independent component cities, and 161 out of 758 other component cities and municipalities in the country shall also stay under Alert Level 1 until the end of the month.
In a virtual press briefing, Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said the DOH sees that severe and critical COVID-19 cases could surge to almost 5,000 come August as the efficacy of the primary doses of vaccines are already waning.
“Based on the projected scenario, where more transmissible variants have been detected in the country, there is reduction of minimum public health standards, and booster uptake remains low, we will see a surge in the number of hospitalization,” said Vergeire.
“By August of this year, we would see around 4,800 plus severe and critical cases. This is even higher than what we saw during the Delta variant surge,” she added.
Currently, there are only 384 severe and 114 critical COVID-19 cases admitted across the country, adding: “The severe and critical cases only comprise about 11.30% of total admissions.”
The health official said its projection can be easily avoided if the 14.56 million booster shot uptake will sharply climb.
“We know and our experts are saying that immunity of the population is getting low. Once our immunity goes down, we know that the boosters can help us prevent severe infections and critical cases,” said Vergeire.
‘SHARP’ INCREASE
But while severe and critical cases in the country are expected to climb in August, mild and asymptomatic infections are already surging “sharply” in Metro Manila, according to Vergeire.
She said the upward trend in the region started since the middle of May.
“The National Capital Region has been showing a sharp increase in recent days. The increase has been continuous since mid-May and has breached 100 cases per day this June,” she said.
In particular, the DOH said the cities of Makati, Parañaque, San Juan, Mandaluyong, Muntinlupa, Las Piñas, Pasig, Manila, Quezon City, Marikina, and Valenzuela have been showing continued increases in cases both in the recent one and two weeks.
But Vergeire said the sharp increase in COVID-19 cases are not yet alarming as hospital bed occupancy remains low.
“It is not yet that significant because we are not seeing yet its translation in terms of increase in hospital admissions nor among severe and critical cases. Most of the infections are mild and asymptomatic. Hopefully, it stays that way,” said Vergeire.
OMICRON SUBVARIANT CASES
The DOH also reported yesterday that 16 additional cases of the Omicron subvariants have been detected in the Philippines, which include six additional BA.5 cases and 10 additional BA.2.12.1 cases.
“At the moment, exposure of individuals is still unknown and travel histories are being verified,” said Vergeire.
Among the BA.5 cases, two individuals are from Metro Manila, one each from Cagayan Valley, Western Visayas, and Northern Mindanao, while the address of the other one is still being verified.
Four individuals are fully vaccinated while the vaccination status of the other two are still being verified.
Two were with mild symptoms while the remaining four are still being verified.
Vergeire said the five individuals with BA.5 subvariants are now tagged as recovered, while one is still undergoing home isolation.
On the other hand, among BA.2.12.1 cases, four individuals are from Metro Manila, two from Calabarzon, one each from Cagayan Valley, Bicol Region, and Western Visayas, while the last one is a returning overseas Filipino.
Three individuals are fully vaccinated while the vaccination status of the rest is still being verified.
Vergeire said two of the cases presented mild symptoms, three are asymptomatic while the remaining five are still being verified.
One individual is still active while eight are now tagged as recovered. The remaining case of BA.2.12.1 is still being verified.
ALERT LEVEL 1
Communications secretary and acting presidential spokesman Martin Andanar said the IATF has approved the recommendation of the sub-Technical Working Group for Data Analytics to retain Alert Level 1 in the cities of Caloocan, Malabon, Navotas, Valenzuela, Pasig, Marikina, Taguig, Quezon, Manila, Makati, Mandaluyong, San Juan, Muntinlupa, Parañaque, Las Piñas and Pasay and the municipality of Pateros — all in the NCR — from June 16 until 30.
Also under Alert Level 1 during the same period are the provinces of Abra, Apayao, Kalinga, and Mountain Province, the city of Baguio, and the towns of Buguias and Tublay in Benguet, Kiangan, Lagawe, and Lamut in Ifugao in the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR).
Also under in the same alert level are Dagupan City and the provinces of Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, La Union, and Pangasinan in the Ilocos region; the city of Santiago and the provinces of Batanes, Cagayan, Isabela, Nueva Vizcaya, and Quirino in Cagayan Valley region; the cities of Angeles and Olongapo and the provinces of Aurora, Bataan, Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga, Tarlac, and Zambales in the Central Luzon region; the cities of Lucena and Tayabas, the provinces of Batangas, Cavite, Laguna, and Rizal, and the towns of Atimonan, Candelaria, Dolores, Lucban, Mauban, Pagbilao, Plaridel, Polillo, Quezon, Sampaloc, San Antonio, Tiaong, and Unisan in Quezon in the Calabarzon.
Also under Alert Level 1 in Luzon are Puerto Princesa City, the provinces of Marinduque, Oriental Mindoro and Romblon, and the towns of Calintaan, Looc, and Lubang in Occidental Mindoro; Cagayancillo and Culion in Palawan in the Mimaropa region; and Naga City, the provinces of Albay, Catanduanes, and Sorsogon, and towns of Basud, Capalonga, Daet, and San Vicente in Camarines Norte; Bombon, Cabusao, Camaligan, Caramoan, Iriga City, Pamplona, Pili, Presentacion (Parubcan,) San Fernando, and Tigaon in Camarines Sur; Balud, city of Masbate, and Mandaon in Masbate; and Barcelona, Bulusan, Casiguran, city of Sorsogon, Gubat, Irosin, Juban, Magallanes, Prieto Diaz, and Santa Magdalena in Sorsogon in the Albay region.
Under Alert Level 1 in the Visayas are the cities of Bacolod and Iloilo, the provinces of Aklan, Capiz, Guimaras and Iloilo, and the towns of Anini-Y, San Jose, Sebaste, and Tobias Fornier (Dao) in Antique; Cadiz City, Candoni, city of Victorias, Enrique B. Magalona (Saravia), La Carlota City, Pontevedra, Pulupandan, Sagay City, and San Enrique in Negros Occidental in Western Visayas.
Also under Alert Level 1 are the cities of Cebu, Lapu-Lapu (Opon), Mandaue, Talisay, Tagbilaran, and Dumaguete, the province of Siquijor, and the towns of Batuan, Calape, Corella, Dimiao, Duero, Garcia Hernandez, Jagna, Lila, Loay, Loboc, San Isidro, San Miguel, Sevilla, and Sikatunain Bohol; the towns of Alcoy, Borbon, Oslob, Pilar, Santander, and Tudela in Cebu; the towns of Amlan (Ayuquitan), Bacong, Dauin, Valencia (Luzurriaga), and Zamboanguita in Negros Oriental in Central Visayas; the cities of Ormoc, Tacloban, and Baybay; the provinces of Biliran, Eastern Samar, and Southern Leyte; the towns of Albuera, Dulag, Javier (Bugho), La Paz, Matag-Ob, Matalom, Palo, Tunga, and Villaba in Leyte; Allen, Capul, Lapinig, Lavezares, San Antonio, San Jose, and Victoria in Northern Samar; and Marabut, Pagsanghan, Paranas (Wright), Tarangnan, and Zumarraga in Western Samar.
In Mindanao, under Alert level 1 from June 16 until 30 are the cities of Zamboanga, Dapitan, and Dipolog; the towns of Jose Dalman (Ponot), Labason, Manukan, Piñan (New Piñan), Polanco, Rizal, and Salug in Zamboanga del Norte; Kumalarang, Lambangan, Lapuyan, Mahayag, Molave, and Ramon Magsaysay (Liargo) in Zamboanga del Sur; and Alicia, Buug, Diplahan, Ipil (Capital), Siay, and Tungawan towns in Zamboanga Sibugay in the Zamboanga Peninsula.
Also under Alert Level 1 are the cities of Cagayan de Oro and Iligan, provinces of Bukidnon, Camiguin, Misamis Occidental, and Misamis Oriental; and the towns of Bacolod, Baroy, Kauswagan, Lala, Linamon, and Tubod in Lanao del Norte in Northern Mindanao; Davao City, provinces of Davao Oriental, and the towns of Montevista, Nabunturan and New Bataan in Davao de Oro; Padada in Davao del Sur in the Davao region, South Cotabato and the towns of Antipas, Arakan, city of Kidapawan, and President Roxas in Cotabato; Banga, city of Koronadal, Polomolok, Santo Niño, and Tantangan in South Cotabato; the city of Tacurong, Kalamansig, and Lebak in Sultan Kudarat, all in the Soccsksargen region.
Also in the under the same alert level in the CARAGA region are Butuan City, the provinces of Surigao del Sur and Agusan del Norte, and the towns of Carmen, Jabonga, Kitcharao, Magallanes, and Nasipit in Agusan del Norte; Bunawan, Loreto, Prosperidad, San Francisco, Santa Josefa, and Sibagat in Agusan del Sur; Cagdianao, Dinagat, Libjo (Albor), Loreto, and Tubajon in Dinagat Islands; General Luna, Mainit, and Tagana-An in Surigao del Norte.
In the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region In Muslim Mindanao, under Alert Level 1 are the city of Cotabato, and towns of Bumbaran and Ditsaan-Ramain in Lanao del Sur, South Upi and Upi in Maguindanao, and Turtle Islands in Tawi-Tawi.
The IATF, on the other hand, placed under Alert Level 2 from June 16 until 30 the provinces of Benguet and Ifugao in CAR, Quezon in the Calabarzon, Occidental Mindoro and Palawan in Mimaropa; Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, and Masbate in Bicol; Antique and Negros Occidental in Western Visayas; Bohol, Cebu, and Negros Oriental in Central Visayas; Leyte, Northern Samar, and Samar (Western Samar) in Eastern Visayas; the city of Isabela and provinces of Zamboanga del Norte, Zamboanga del Sur, and Zamboanga Sibugay in the Zamboanga Peninsula; Lanao del Norte in Northern Mindanao; Davao de Oro, Davao del Norte, Davao del Sur, and Davao Occidental in Davao Region; Cotabato (North Cotabato), General Santos City (Dadiangas), Sarangani, and Sultan Kudarat in Soccsksargen; Agusan del Sur, Dinagat Islands, and Surigao del Norte in CARAGA; and Basilan, Lanao del Sur, Maguindanao, Sulu, and Tawi-Tawi in BARMM.
