THE Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) on Emerging infectious Diseases has placed Cagayan de Oro City and four other areas in Mindanao under Alert Level 3 starting January 14 until January 31, 2022.

The decision was announced on Wednesday, January 12, by Cabinet Secretary and Acting Presidential Spokesperson Karlo Nograles.

Also under Alert Level 3 from January 14 to 31 are Davao City, Butuan City, Agusan del Sur and Cotabato City.

Prohibited under Alert Level 3 are face-to-face classes, contact sports, sun fairs, karaoke bars, clubs, concert halls, theaters, casinos, horse racing, cockfighting, and social gatherings of individuals who do not belong to the same household, among others.

The IATF looks into the two-week growth rate, average daily attack rate and healthcare utilization rate of specific provinces, towns or cities before deciding on escalating the alert levels.

As of January 10, 2022, Cagayan de Oro has a two-week growth rate of 1,337 percent, an average daily attack rate of 2.69, and healthcare utilization rate of 15.5 percent.