NCR, 7 provinces under Alert Level 2; 90 areas under Alert Level 3 on Feb. 1-15

(FILE PHOTO BY ALI VICOY / MANILA BULLETIN)

by Argyll Cyrus Geducos, Manila Bulletin

The government’s pandemic task force has placed the National Capital Region (NCR) and seven other provinces under the coronavirus (COVID-19) Alert Level 2 starting February 1 to February 15, while 90 other areas will be under Alert Level 3, Malacañang announced.

Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles made the statement amid the decreasing number of COVID-19 cases in the country that came after a surge possibly caused by the Omicron variant.

In a statement on Sunday, January 30, Nograles said the following will be under Alert Level 2 on February 1 to 15:

Metro Manila

Batanes

Bulacan

Cavite

Rizal

Biliran

Southern Leyte

Basilan

Meanwhile, the Inter-agency Task Force (IATF) for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases placed the following cities and provinces in Luzon under Alert Level 3:

Abra

Apayao

Baguio City

Benguet

Kalinga

Mountain Province

Dagupan City

Ilocos Norte

Ilocos Sur

La Union

Pangasinan

City of Santiago

Cagayan

Isabela

Nueva Vizcaya

Quirino

Angeles City

Aurora

Bataan

Nueva Ecija

Olongapo City

Pampanga

Tarlac

Zambales

Batangas

Laguna

Lucena City

Quezon Province

Marinduque

Romblon

Occidental Mindoro

Oriental Mindoro

Puerto Princesa City

Albay

Camarines Norte

Camarines Sur

Catanduanes

Masbate

Naga City

Sorsogon

The IATF also placed the following areas in Visayas under Alert Level 3:

Aklan

Antique

Bacolod City

Capiz

Iloilo City

Iloilo

Negros Occidental

Guimaras

Cebu City

Lapu-Lapu City

Mandaue City

Bohol

Cebu

Negros Oriental

Siquijor

Ormoc City

Tacloban City

Eastern Samar

Leyte

Northern Samar

Western Samar

The following cities and provinces in Mindanao was also placed under Alert Level 3 by the IATF:

City of Isabela

Zamboanga City

Zamboanga Del Sur

Zamboanga del Norte

Zamboanga Sibugay

Bukidnon

Cagayan de Oro City

Iligan City

Lanao del Norte

Misamis Occidental

Misamis Oriental

Davao City

Davao Del Sur

Davao Del Norte

Davao Oriental

Davao de Oro

General Santos City

North Cotabato

Sarangani

South Cotabato

Sultan Kudarat

Surigao del Norte

Surigao Del Sur

Agusan Del Norte

Agusan del Sur

Butuan City

Maguindanao

Cotabato City

Lanao Del Sur

According to Nograles, the Alert Level 3 status in the said areas are also from February 1 to 15, 2022.

Meanwhile, he said that the IATF is yet to decide on the Alert Level for the province of Ifugao. They shall approve the risk classification on January 31, 2022.