The Department of Health (DOH) announced on Monday that if COVID-19 cases continue to rise throughout the country, the government may raise the Alert Level to 2.
The National Capital Region will stay on Alert Level 1 — the lowest level in the alert system — until June 15.
“The possibility would always be there ‘pag nag tuloy-tuloy po ang mga kaso (if cases continue to increase),” Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said.
Certain establishments and activities are permitted at 50 percent capacity indoors for fully vaccinated adults (and minors, even if unvaccinated) and 70 percent capacity outside under Alert Level 2.
The Philippines recorded 308 new COVID-19 cases on Sunday, the most significant number of new cases since April 20.
It has also been four days in a row that the number of new COVID-19 cases has exceeded 250 each day.
However, Vergeire earlier stated that the recent slight spike in cases had not been sustained.
“Pero ang kailangan po maintindihan ng ating mga kababayan, we are learning to live with the virus. Alam po natin hindi aalis ang virus na ito. It will stay with us,” she added.
(But our countrymen need to understand that we are learning to live with the virus. We know this virus will not go away. It will stay with us.)
Alert Level 2 possible in Metro Manila due to COVID-19 cases increase
She emphasized that mild and asymptomatic cases should be considered “acceptable.”
Vergeire reported an upsurge in incidents in 14 of 17 Metro Manila regions.
“Ang pinakaimportante, hindi pa natin nakikitang tumataas ang severe and critical na mga kaso at hindi pa din nagkakaroon ng problema sa ating mga ospital by observing kung meron man increase of admission,” she said.
(Most importantly, we have not seen an increase in severe and critical cases, and we have not yet had a problem with our hospitals by observing whether there is an increase in admissions.)
According to the DOH, the escalation of the warning level is determined by the Alert Level System parameters.
“The possibility of escalation of the Alert Level is dependent on the metrics of our Alert Level System in accordance with the IATF Guidelines,” it said.
“The DOH is continuously monitoring all these metrics,” it added.
Visit our Facebook page for more news updates.