MANILA, Philippines — Metro Manila and 38 other areas are set to be placed under the "new normal" Alert Level 1 upon the approval of the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases on Sunday.
The designation is effective starting March 1 until March 15, acting presidential spokesperson Karlo Nograles confirmed to reporters.
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Under Alert Level 1, all establishments may operate and all activities may be done at full on-site and venue capacity. However, business owners and event organizers must ensure health measures like proper ventilation, wearing of face masks and handwashing are followed.
The other areas to be placed under the most lenient classification in the Alert Level system are:
Luzon
Cordillera Administrative Region
- Abra
- Apayao
- Baguio City
- Kalinga
Ilocos Region
- Dagupan City
- Ilocos Norte
- Ilocos Sur
- La Union
- Pangasinan
Cagayan Valley
- Batanes
- Cagayan
- City of Santiago
- Isabela
- Quirino
Central Luzon
- Angeles City
- Aurora
- Bataan
- Bulacan
- Olongapo City
- Pampanga
- Tarlac
Calabarzon
- Cavite
- Laguna
Mimaropa
- Marinduque
- Puerto Princesa
- Romblon
Bicol Region
- Naga City
- Catanduanes
Visayas
Western Visayas
- Aklan
- Bacolod City
- Capiz
- Guimaras
Central Visayas
- Siquijor
Eastern Visayas
- Biliran
Mindanao
Zamboanga Peninsula
- Zamboanga City
Northern Mindanao
- Cagayan de Oro City
- Camiguin
Davao
- Davao City
The IATF also placed these areas under Alert Level 2
- Cordillera Administrative Region: Benguet, Ifugao and Mountain Province;
- Region II: Nueva Vizcaya;
- Region III: Nueva Ecija and Zambales
- Region IV-A: Batangas, Lucena City, Quezon Province and Rizal;
- Region IV-B: Occidental Mindoro, Oriental Mindoro and Palawan;
- Region V: Albay, Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, Masbate and Sorsogon
- Region VI: Antique, Iloilo City, Iloilo Province and Negros Occidental;
- Region VII: Bohol, Cebu Province, Cebu City, Lapu-Lapu City, Mandaue City and Negros Oriental
- Region VIII: Eastern Samar, Leyte, Northern Samar, Ormoc City, Southern Leyte, Tacloban City and Western Samar;
- Region IX: City of Isabela, Zamboanga del Sur, Zamboanga del Norte and Zamboanga Sibugay
- Region X: Bukidnon, Iligan City, Lanao del Norte, Misamis Occidental and Misamis Oriental;
- Region XI: Davao De Oro, Davao Del Sur, Davao Del Norte, Davao Oriental and Davao Occidental
- Region XII: General Santos City, North Cotabato, Sarangani, South Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat;
- Region XIII: Surigao del Norte, Surigao del Sur, Agusan del Norte, Agusan del Sur, Butuan City, Dinagat Islands
- BARMM: Basilan, Maguindanao, Sulu, Tawi-Tawi, Cotabato City Lanao Del Sur
Earlier Sunday, the Department of Health recorded 1,038 new coronavirus cases with a positivity rate of 5.0% out of 25,313 tests.
— Franco Luna with reports from The STAR/Alexis Romero