Metro Manila may be placed under Alert Level 2 if COVID-19 cases continue to rise — DOH
The Department of Health announced the possibility of placing Metro Manila under Alert Level 2 as 13 out of 17 cities saw an uptick of COVID-19 cases.
"The possibility [of Alert Level 2] would always be there 'pag nagtuloy-tuloy po ang mga kaso pero ang kailangan pong maintindihan ng ating mga kababayan, we are learning to live with the virus. Alam po nating hindi aalis ang virus na ito. It will stay with us so eto pong mga sakit na nagkakaroon ng mild at asymptomatic, it should be acceptable po to the population," Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said on TeleRadyo on June 13.
Vergeire added that raising the Alert Level will only happen if there is a significant spike in severe and critical cases and if hospital utilization rates go up.
"Kung magtutuloy-tuloy po ang mga kaso siyempre makakakita tayo rin ng patuloy na pagtaas at baka yung admissions natin sa ospital ay tumaas, and therefore 'pag ganyan ang nangyari, magshi-shift tayo and mag-e-escelate sa Alert Level 2," she said.
Metro Manila has been placed under Alert Level 1 since March due to the drop in daily COVID-19 infections recorded. The region will be under the most relaxed alert level until June 15 as per Malacañang.
From May 30 to June 5, the Philippines logged 1,295 new COVID-19 cases—an average of 185 per day—which is 1.4% lower than the previous 188 average cases per day the previous week.
Vergeire said that this slight uptick in infections may be attributed to mobility, waning immunity to COVID-19 vaccines, and the detection of other subvariants. The country recently logged its first case of the Omicron BA.4 subvariant, which is classified as a "variant of concern" in the country.
OCTA Research said that a surge in cases is possible in June or July, but DOH said this will not likely happen anytime soon.
As of June 12, there are 2,918 active COVID-19 cases in the Philippines.