MANILA, Philippines — The government's pandemic task force on Wednesday approved putting the province of Laguna under the stricter Alert Level 3 from January 7 to 15 as COVID-19 cases shoot up.
In a resolution, Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases accepted the recommendation of its Sub-Technical Working Group on Data Analytics to increase the alert level in the province.
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Laguna Gov. Ramil Hernandez announced the IATF's decision on his social media account and through the Laguna Provincial Information Office.
According to the latest update from Philippine Information Agency-Laguna, there were 273 active cases of COVID-19 in the province as of Tuesday against just 25 on December 29, 2021. Cases have increased in Santa Rosa City, Calamba City, San Pablo City and Los Baños, it said.
The National Capital Region entered Alert Level 3 on Monday followed by the provinces of Bulacan, Cavite and Rizal on Wednesday.
The Department of the Interior and Local Government this week said that the government has been monitoring the COVID-19 situation in provinces neighboring Metro Manila since "they really form an integral part of the Metro Manila area."
Businesses are allowed to operate under Alert Level 3 but at 30% capacity indoors and 50% capacity for outdoor venues to ensure physical distancing. Public transportation like buses and jeepneys operate at 70% capacity.
Metro Manila's mayors have agreed to pass ordinances that will limit the activities and movements of unvaccinated people, a move that they said will help prevent them from catching COVID-19 or passing it on to others.
The pandemic task force has yet to decide on whether restrictions for unvaccinated people will be implemented nationwide. — Jonathan de Santos