Alert Level 1 Possible in NCR if Cases Go Below 1,000, Says Health Chief

Metro Manila could be placed under Alert Level 1—the most relaxed COVID-19 status in the country—if cases of the disease continue to drop and go fewer than 1,000, according to Department of Health Secretary Francisco Duque III.

“Titingnan natin ang numero, ang datos. Kung ang datos ay patuloy namang bumababa, halimbawa kahapon is nasa a little over 2,000 lang tayo, so posible na kapag below 1,000 tayo or 500 per day ay baka pwede nating ibaba pa hanggang Alert Level 1,” Duque said at the Laging Handa public briefing on Nov. 9 when asked about the possibility of relaxing current measures ahead of the Christmas holiday.

(We’ll look at the numbers, data. If the numbers continue to decline, for example yesterday [Nov. 8], we recorded a little over 2,000, so it’s possible that if we reach below 1,000 or 500 per day, we could consider downgrading the status further to Alert Level 1.”)

The National Capital Region is under Alert Level 2 until Nov. 21, allowing most establishments to operate at larger capacities and discarding mobility restrictions for children.

Under Alert Level 1, businesses may operate at full capacities if they meet minimum public health standards.

However, Duque warned that cases could spike again as public spaces are swarming with people amid the relaxed measures. He also reminded the public to comply with the government’s COVID-19 protocols and get vaccinated.

The Philippines recorded 1,409 additional COVID-19 cases on Nov. 9, bringing the total cases to 2,806,694.