IATF keeps NCR under Alert Level 1 despite rise in COVID-19 cases

The Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) has decided to keep the National Capital Region (NCR) and 83 other provinces, highly urbanized cities (HUCs), and independent component cities (ICCs) under COVID-19 Alert Level 1 until June 30, 2022.

This decision was made despite a reported spike in COVID-19 cases in Metro Manila, with analytics groups Octa Research noting a 53 percent increase in NCR cases last week.

OCTA Research had previously projected daily new COVID-19 cases to reach 450-500 nationwide, with about 250 cases from the NCR, and noted a rise in the NCR's positivity rate to 4%.

The Department of Health (DOH) had cautioned about a potential increase in severe and critical COVID-19 cases by August due to waning public immunity and a slow uptake of booster shots.

However, health officials stated that the current number of severe and critical cases remains stable, and hospitals are not overwhelmed.