MANILA, Philippines — Two provinces and four more towns have been de-escalated to Alert Level 1 pandemic status, the Department of Health (DOH) announced yesterday.
Based on its Aug. 16 to 31 metrics, the DOH has de-escalated the level of COVID-19 risk in the provinces of Occidental Mindoro and Camarines Sur.
The DOH, which chairs the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF), also de-escalated to Alert Level 1 the municipalities of Poro in Cebu (Region 7), Talalora in Western Samar (Region 8) and Binidayan and Pualas in Lanao del Sur in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).
“These areas were able to de-escalate by maintaining their case classification and total bed utilization rates at low risk, and reaching or nearing the vaccination thresholds for target population and target A2 (senior citizens) priority group,” the DOH said in a statement.
Meanwhile, the National Capital Region (NCR) remains under Alert Level 1, based on the same period of assessment.
Others under Alert Level 1 for Luzon are: Abra, Apayao, Kalinga, Mountain Province and Baguio City in the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR); Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, La Union, Pangasinan and Dagupan City in Region 1; Batanes, Cagayan, Isabela, Nueva Vizcaya, Quirino and City of Santiago in Region 2; Aurora, Bataan, Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga, Tarlac, Zambales, Angeles City and Olongapo City in Region 3; Batangas, Cavite, Laguna, Rizal and Lucena City in Region 4-A; Marinduque, Occidental Mindoro, Oriental Mindoro, Romblon and Puerto Princesa City in Region 4-B and Albay, Camarines Sur, Catanduanes, Naga City and Sorsogon in Region 5.
For the Visayas: Aklan, Capiz, Guimaras, Iloilo Province, Bacolod City and Iloilo City in Region 6; Siquijor, Cebu City, Lapu-Lapu City and Mandaue City in Region 7 and Biliran, Eastern Samar, Southern Leyte, Ormoc City and Tacloban City in Region 8.
For Mindanao, Zamboanga City in Region 9; Camiguin, Bukidnon, Misamis Occidental, Misamis Oriental, Cagayan de Oro City and Iligan City in Region 10; Davao City and Davao Oriental in Region 11; South Cotabato and General Santos City in Region 12; Agusan del Norte, Agusan del Sur, Surigao del Sur and Butuan City in CARAGA and Cotabato City in BARMM.
The DOH said cities and municipalities previously de-escalated shall remain under Alert Level 1.
Meanwhile, the following provinces, highly urbanized cities and independent component cities shall remain under Alert Level 2, without prejudice to their respective component cities and municipalities which may be under a different alert level classification.
Under Alert Level 2 for Luzon are: Benguet and Ifugao in CAR; Quezon Province in Region 4-A; Palawan in Region 4-B and Camarines Norte and Masbate in Region 5.
For the Visayas: Antique and Negros Occidental in Region 6; Bohol, Cebu and Negros Oriental in Region 7 and Leyte, Northern Samar and Western Samar in Region 8.
For Mindanao: the City of Isabela, Zamboanga del Sur, Zamboanga del Norte and Zamboanga Sibugay in Region 9; Lanao del Norte in Region 10; Davao del Norte, Davao del Sur, Davao de Oro and Davao Occidental in Region 11; North Cotabato, Sarangani and Sultan Kudarat in Region 12; Dinagat Islands and Surigao del Norte in CARAGA and Basilan, Lanao del Sur, Maguindanao, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi in BARMM.