MANILA – Western Visayas will remain under coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) Alert Level 2 for the first 15 days of 2022, acting presidential spokesperson Karlo Alexi Nograles announced on Thursday.
The recommendation was made by the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) and was generally approved by President Rodrigo Duterte.
“The recommendation to maintain all provinces, highly urbanized cities, and independent component cities under Alert Level 2 from Jan. 1, 2022 until Jan.15, 2022 was approved,” Nograles said.
Alert Level 2 is being maintained despite the country already having four cases of omicron variant of COVID-19 and the gradual increase of infections in the country these past few days.
Nograles, however, said the IATF-EID is always on alert if COVID-19 cases will continue to rise.
“Palagi namang naka-monitor si Presidente Duterte at ang IATF and we are ready to increase it to Alert Level 3 if needed,” said Nograles, also the spokesperson of IATF-EID.
Iloilo province, Negros Occidental, Antique, Aklan, Capiz, and Guimaras have been under Alert Level 2 since the start of November, while Iloilo City and Bacolod City shifted to the status on Nov. 15.
The keeping of Alert Level 2 in the entire region came amid fears of new travel restrictions like flight suspensions and heightened quarantine protocols.
Under Alert Level 2, indoor dine-in services and fitness studios and gyms may operate at a 50 percent venue capacity while outdoor dine-in services and fitness studios and gyms may operate at a 70 percent venue capacity.
On-site capacities will only be allowed for fully vaccinated individuals, while take-out and delivery in restaurants will be allowed in all alert level statuses./PN
