Metro Manila and most provinces will be retained under Alert Level 1, the lowest in a scale of 5, until 15 August based on the assessment of the Department of Health (DoH).
In a statement, DoH said the Philippines remains under “low-risk classification” for Covid-19 despite the continuous rise of cases.
Also placed under lowest alert level for the same period are Abra, Apayao, Kalinga, Mountain Province, Baguio City, Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, La Union, Pangasinan, Dagupan City, Batanes, Cagayan, Isabela, Nueva Vizcaya, Quirino and City of Santiago.
The DoH also placed Aurora, Bataan, Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga, Tarlac, Zambales, Angeles City, Olongapo City; Batangas, Cavite, Laguna, Rizal, Lucena City; Marinduque, Oriental Mindoro, Romblon, Puerto Princesa City, Albay, Catanduanes, Naga City and Sorsogon under the most relaxed alert level system.
Areas under Alert Level 1 in the Visayas are Aklan, Capiz, Guimaras, Iloilo Province, Bacolod City, Iloilo City, Siquijor, Cebu City, Lapu-Lapu City, Mandaue City, Biliran, Eastern Samar, Southern Leyte, Ormoc City and Tacloban City.
In Mindanao, Zamboanga City, Camiguin, Bukidnon, Misamis Occidental, Misamis Oriental, Cagayan de Oro City, Iligan City, Davao City, Davao Oriental, South Cotabato, General Santos City, Agusan del Norte, Agusan del Sur, Surigao del Sur, Butuan City and Cotabato City are under the same alert level system.
The following component cities and municipalities shall likewise be placed under Alert Level 1 for the same period: Barbaza, Antique, Bato and Tabontabon, Leyte, Payao, Zamboanga Sibugay, Braulio E. Dujali, Davao del Norte, Maitum, Sarangani, Pilar, Surigao del Norte, Calanogas, Marogong and Tagoloan II, Lanao del Sur.
Most prohibitions removed
In areas under Alert Level 1, all establishments and public transport are allowed to operate.
There were also no prohibitions on domestic travel, except if local government units imposed restrictions or requirements on tourists going to their respective jurisdictions.
Meanwhile, the following provinces, highly urbanized cities (HUC), and independent component cities (ICC) shall remain under Alert Level 2: Benguet, Ifugao, Quezon Province, Occidental Mindoro, Palawan, Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur and Masbate.
Also included are Antique, Negros Occidental, Bohol, Cebu, Negros Oriental, Leyte, Northern Samar, Western Samar, City of Isabela, Zamboanga del Sur, Zamboanga del Norte, Zamboanga Sibugay, Lanao del Norte, Davao del Norte, Davao del Sur, Davao de Oro and Davao Occidental, North Cotabato, Sarangani and Sultan Kudarat.
Dinagat Islands, Surigao del Norte, Basilan, Lanao del Sur, Maguindanao, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi are likewise placed under the same scheme.
Under Alert Level 2, establishments and activities are allowed at 50 percent venue capacity if held indoors for fully vaccinated adults, as well as minors regardless of their vaccination status. It expands to 70 percent if held outdoors.
A case risk classification based on average daily attack rates, total bed utilization rates, and its thresholds was used as the basis for the alert level system.
“Even with the observed increase in cases, it is more important that our bed and ICU (intensive care unit) utilization rates stay low — meaning our hospitals stay open and not overwhelmed,” DoH stated.
“Nationwide — as of 28 July 2022 — we are still at low-risk case classification with an average daily attack rate of 2.52 cases per 100,000 population and a bed and ICU utilization rate of less than 29 percent and 24 percent respectively,” the statement further read.
On Friday, 29 July, the DoH reported the highest daily tally in over five months with 4,127 cases.