The entire country, reiterating its capital will Metro Manila will remain under COVID-19 Alert Level , the second most lenient classification under the five-level COVID-19 alert system, until December 15, Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles announced last week. Nograles said in a statement that the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) on Emerging Infectious Diseases gave a green light on the recommendation to retain Metro Manila’s existing alert level.
Also placed under Alert Level 2 are:
- Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR): Benguet, Abra, Kalinga, Baguio City, Mountain Province, and Ifugao;
- Region 1: Dagupan City, Ilocos Sur, Ilocos Norte, La Union, and Pangasinan;
- Region 2: Batanes, Cagayan, Isabela, Nueva Vizcaya, Quirino, and City of Santiago;
- Region 3: Angeles City, Aurora, Bataan, Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Olongapo City, Pampanga, Zambales, and Tarlac;
- Region 4-A: Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, Quezon, and Lucena City;
- Region 4-B: Occidental Mindoro, Oriental Mindoro, Puerto Princesa City, Marinduque, Romblon, and Palawan;
- Region 5: Albay, Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, Catanduanes, Sorsogon, Masbate, and Naga City;
- Region 6: Aklan, Antique, Bacolod City, Capiz, Guimaras, Iloilo, Iloilo City, and Negros Occidental;
- Region 7: Bohol, Cebu, Cebu City, Lapu-Lapu City, Mandaue City, Negros Oriental, and Siquijor;
- Region 8: Biliran, Eastern Samar, Leyte, Northern Samar, Ormoc City, Southern Leyte, Tacloban City, and Western Samar;
- Region 9: City of Isabela, Zamboanga City, Zamboanga del Norte, Zamboanga del Sur, and Zamboanga Sibugay;
- Region 10: Bukidnon, Cagayan de Oro City, Camiguin, Iligan City, Lanao del Norte, Misamis Occidental, and Misamis Oriental;
- Region 11: Davao City, Davao del Norte, Davao de Oro, Davao del Sur, Davao Occidental, and Davao Oriental;
- Region 12: General Santos City, North Cotabato, Sarangani, South Cotabato, and Sultan Kudarat;
- Region 13 (Caraga): Butuan City, Surigao del Norte, Agusan del Sur, Surigao del Sur, Dinagat Islands, and Agusan del Norte; and Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao: Basilan, Cotabato City, Tawi-Tawi, Sulu, Lanao del Sur, and Maguindanao.
- Meanwhile, the province of Apayao shall be placed under Alert Level 3 from Dec. 1 to 15.
Last week, the Department of Health (DOH) reported 665 additional cases of Covid-19— the lowest single-day tally in over 16 months—bringing the total number of cases in the Philippines 2,832,275.
First detected in Botswana, Southern Africa, the Omicron variant has since cropped up in South Africa, Israel, Germany, Italy and Britain, and Hong Kong
Currently, the Philippines has not yet reported a case of the Omicron variant of Covid-19.
With additional report: Inquirer.net, CNN, The Philippine Star
Image Sources: bworldonline.com, pna.gov.ph,
