THE cities of Cebu, Mandaue and Lapu-Lapu will remain under Alert Level 1 from May 1 to 15, 2022.
This after the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) made the decision to maintain the Alert Level 1 status in most regions, including Metro Manila, despite discussions on the possible resurgence of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) after the May 9 elections.
Aside from Cebu’s highly urbanized cities, the province of Siquijor, which is also in Central Visayas, was also placed on Alert Level 1.
But as Cebu’s highly urbanized cities and Siquijor province remained under Alert Level 1, the provinces of Cebu, Bohol and Negros Oriental will remain on Alert Level 2.
Cebu City officials welcomed the development.
Cebu City Councilor Joel Garganera, who serves as deputy chief implementer of the city’s Emergency Operations Center (EOC), said on Friday, April 29, 2022, that this only showed that vaccination worked in preventing the rise of new Covid-19 cases.
Garganera also said that despite a series of political gatherings that took place, the city never experienced any spike in cases.
“We have nothing to fear as long as we protect ourselves because once we protect ourselves, it is the same as protecting our loved ones and the community,” Garganera said in a mix of English and Cebuano.
However, Garganera continues to remind the public to observe the minimum health protocols, especially on election day, May 9.
Garganera suggested that individuals who are immuno-compromised and the elderly take extra care and be prioritized on the voting day.
As of April 28, there were 58 of 80 barangays in the city that had recorded zero transmission of the virus.
Based on the EOC’s data, three individuals tested positive on April 28, which brought up the total number of active cases in the city to 49.
The city’s critical care occupancy rate in the city remained low at 0.43 percent and 1.47 percent in the city’s private and public hospitals respectively.
Aside from Cebu’s highly urbanized cities and Siquijor, areas under Alert Level 1 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, Quirino and Santiago City 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 Calabarzon; Marinduque, Oriental Mindoro, Romblon, and Puerto Princesa City in Mimaropa; Albay, Catanduanes, and Naga City in Bicol Region; Aklan, Capiz, Guimaras, Iloilo Province, Bacolod City, and Iloilo City in Western Visayas; Biliran, Eastern Samar, Southern Leyte, Ormoc City, and Tacloban City in Eastern Visayas; Zamboanga City in Region 9; Camiguin, Bukidnon, Misamis Oriental, Cagayan de Oro City, and Iligan City in Region 10; Davao City in Region 11; Surigao del Sur and Butuan City in Caraga.
Also under the same alert level are these component cities and municipalities: Tublay, Benguet; Candelaria, Dolores and San Antonio in Quezon; Cagayancillo, Palawan; Caramoan, Pili, and Tigaon in Camarines Sur; and Capalonga, Camarines Norte; Candoni, Negros Occidental and Tobias Fornier (Dao), Antique; Amlan (Ayuquitan), Negros Oriental; Duero, Bohol; Matalom, Leyte; Jose Dalman (Ponot) and Labason, Zamboanga del Norte; Molave and Ramon Magsaysay (Liargo) Zamboanga del Sur; Buug, Zamboanga Sibugay; Tudela, Misamis Occidental; Baroy, Lanao del Norte; Lala, Lanao del Norte; Tubod, Lanao del Norte; Caraga, Davao Oriental; City of Koronadal, South Cotabato; Arakan, North Cotabato; Lebak, Sultan Kudarat; Kitcharao, Agusan del Norte; Santa Josefa, Agusan del Sur; Libjo (Albor), Dinagat Islands; General Luna, Surigao del Norte; South Upi, Maguindanao and Turtle Islands, Tawi-Tawi in Mindanao.
Aside from the provinces of Cebu, Bohol and Negros Oriental, areas under Alert Level 2 include Benguet and Ifugao at CAR; Nueva Vizcaya in Cagayan Valley; Quezon Province in Calabarzon; Occidental Mindoro and Palawan in Mimaropa; Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, Masbate, and Sorsogon in Bicol region; Antique and Negros Occidental in Western Visayas; Leyte, Northern Samar and Western Samar in Eastern Visayas; City of Isabela, Zamboanga del Sur, Zamboanga del Norte and Zamboanga Sibugay in Region 9; Lanao del Norte and Misamis Occidental in Region 10; Davao del Norte, Davao del Sur, Davao Oriental, Davao de Oro and Davao Occidental in Region 11; General Santos City, North Cotabato, Sarangani, Sultan Kudarat and South Cotabato in Soccsksargen; Agusan del Norte, Agusan del Sur, Dinagat Islands and Surigao del Norte in Caraga; Basilan, Cotabato City, Lanao del Sur, Maguindanao, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao. (TPM, IRT / SunStar Philippines)