HEALTH Secretary Francisco Duque III said Thursday, February 3, 2022, that he is hopeful that the alert level status in Western Visayas, including Negros Occidental and Bacolod City, will be reduced to Alert Level 2 in terms of coronavirus disease (Covid-19) risk transmission.

"In about a week or two, if our average daily attack will reduce, Region 6 (Western Visayas) will be placed under Alert Level 2, but for now, its Covid cases are still high," the health official said.

Bacolod City, Negros Occidental, Iloilo City, Aklan, Antique, Capiz and Guimaras were placed under Alert Level 3 from February 1 until February 15.

Duque, who led the launching of “Resbakuna sa Botika” at the Mercury Drug at Ayala Malls Capitol Central in Bacolod City, lauded the accomplishment of the local government units (LGUs) in Western Visayas in their campaign against Covid-19.

Duque said in Iloilo City, about 140 percent of population availed of the first dose against Covid-19 and 136 percent were already fully vaccinated.

In Bacolod City, meanwhile, 91 percent of the total population were already vaccinated against Covid-19, he said.

Duque said they are considering institutionalizing the alert levelling system in the country like typhoon signal warnings.

"We are guided by our alert levelling system, so we have alert levels 1 to 5," he said, adding that “future pandemics are not anything but unusual, so we have to prepare to make sure that this is put in place, that anytime that the situation calls for it, we can readily calibrate the equivalent response for every level in this alert levelling system.”

The health official also sais the pandemic exit plan is living and learning to live with Covid-19.

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