'No escalation': 26 provinces under COVID-19 Alert Level 2 since June 2022
MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Health on Sunday clarified the 26 provinces under Alert Level 2 for the rest of April were not escalated from Alert Level 1.
"Rather, these have maintained their Alert Level 2 status since June 2022," the DOH said in a message to reporters.
"No province or city has been escalated to Alert Level 2 from Alert Level 1 since January 2023," it added.
According to a resolution of the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) signed on April 14, the following areas are under Alert Level 2:
- Benguet
- Ifugao
- Quezon Province
- Palawan
- Camarines Norte
- Masbate
- Antique
- Negros Occidental
- Bohol
- Cebu province
- Negros Oriental
- Leyte
- Western Samar
- Lanao del Norte
- Davao de Oro
- Davao del Norte
- Davao del Sur
- Davao Occidental
- North Cotabato
- Sarangani
- Sultan Kudarat
- Dinagat Islands
- Basilan
- Maguindanao
- Sulu
- Tawi-Tawi
The health department explained that while these areas have low COVID-19 cases and utilization rates, these provinces have vaccination rates lower than 70% of their target population and/or 70% of their total senior citizen population.
"Meeting these targets will allow these areas to be de-escalated to Alert Level 1," the DOH said.
Increase in admissions
The country is seeing an increase in COVID-19 cases as more people go out and as the economy continues to reopen.
The DOH said that while admissions have increased in some hospitals, no hospital has reported full capacity.
"This is not a good time to get sick. We have seen reports that some hospitals have increasing admissions for other diseases (eg. heart diseases) and these diseases account for admissions during pre-pandemic time," the department said, adding the extreme heat may trigger worsening symptoms of other illnesses.
The DOH also reminded those who are still unvaccinated, unboosted or under-boosted to get inoculated against COVID-19
The Philippines has confirmed over four million COVID-19 infections, including more than 66,000 deaths, since the pandemic began in early 2020.
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