Alert Level 2 in NCR possible if Covid-19 cases continue to go up, says Vergeire

DOH UNDERSECRETARY MARIA ROSARIO VERGEIRE (Manila Bulletin File Photo)

by Jel Santos, Manila Bulletin

Should the Covid-19 cases in the National Capital Region (NCR) continue to rise, the quarantine level may be raised to the more restrictive Alert Level 2.

This was according to Department of Health (DOH) spokesperson Usec. Maria Rosario S. Vergeire during a radio interview on Monday, June 13.

The NCR is currently under Alert Level 1.

“The possibility would always be there kapag nagtuloy-tuloy po ang mga kaso pero ang kailangan pong maintindihan ng ating mga kababayan ay (when the cases continue to rise but what we need to understand is) we are learning to live with the virus,” she said when asked if it is possible to place the NCR under Alert Level 2

Based on the DOH’s Covid-19 trend monitoring in the NCR, the health department observed a positive two-week growth rate from 14 out of 17 cities and municipality last week.

Vergeire said currently 13 out of the 17 NCR areas have been observed with uptick in Covid-19 cases.

The DOH spokesperson said the slight rise in cases could be attributed to the public’s mobility, the entry of more transmissible Covid-19 sub-variants (BA.4, BA.5, BA 2.12.1), and the waning immunity due to low booster update.

“All of these factors contribute dito sa ating nakikita nating (in what we see as) slight increases in the areas in the country, pero hindi pa natin masabi kung mag-tutuloy-tuloy (but we don’t know if this would continue),” she said.

Vergeire said the increases in Covid-19 cases are still insignificant as they don’t affect hospital admissions.

“Kapag tiningnan po natin ang kanilang average attack rate at mga kaso na tinatala bawat area (When we look at their average attack rate and cases logged in each area), nakikita naman ho natin na (we see that) it is still not significant because it is not affecting the admissions in the hospitals,” she stressed.

Although the rise in Covid-19 cases in the metropolis is still insignificant, Vergeire reminded the public to always observe minimum health and safety protocols, and “always be aware and precautious.”