Alert Level 1 to set up shift from pandemic to endemic COVID state
The government is preparing for Alert Level 1 and the eventual transition of the COVID-19 pandemic to an endemic state, in which the community accepts the virus as part of daily life, the Department of Health (DOH) said on Friday.
Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said Alert Level 1 would be the country’s “new normal” as restrictions are eased—although the mandatory use of face masks would be the last to go.
In the country’s five-step alert level system, Alert Level 1 is declared when case transmission and health care utilization rates are low.
Earlier the independent OCTA Research Group said Metro Manila was already classified as low risk.
Vergeire, however, refuted this, saying the National Capital Region remains at moderate risk with an average daily attack rate of 12.53 and with a 7-day moving average of 886 cases per day.
“Even as cases in NCR are declining, our metrics show that it is still under moderate risk, not low risk. I don’t understand why our metrics don’t align because it’s confusing people. DOH is the official source and we are using metrics that show NCR is still classified as moderate risk,” Vergeire said.
Vergeire said under the new normal, restrictions will be very specific or will only be implemented in areas with high risk of infection, while the capacity limit in establishments, whether indoor or outdoor, and in transportation will be removed.
“But what would be retained would be our self-regulation,” Vergeire said.
People would still be expected to maintain minimum health standards—with masking, washing of hands, physical distancing, and maintaining good ventilation indoors.
Among the restrictions, she said, the mandatory wearing of face masks would be the last to go, because they afford protection, not just from COVID-19, but also from other respiratory diseases.
Dr. Edsel Salvana of the DOH-Technical Advisory Group said the easing of the rule regarding face masks would be done gradually.
“Maybe outdoors first before the indoors, and the vulnerable population may possibly hang on to their masks a little longer. And for instance, during long trips in airlines,” Salvana said.
Vergeire said they are also working on making private establishments and public spaces safe to the public through the issuance of Safety Seals.
The National Capital Region is under Alert Level 2 until Feb. 15.
A group of doctors on Friday cautioned against relaxing COVID-19 restrictions in Metro Manila to Alert Level 1, saying it presents a risk of another COVID-19 surge.
“Maybe it’s better to be cautious before lowering the alert level,” Dr. Maricar Limpin, president of the Philippine College of Physicians, said.
“We do not need to lower it right away.”
Limpin noted that the country’s current COVID-19 tally was understated, and said it would be “more detrimental” for businesses if cases rise again.
The Philippines logged 3,788 new COVID-19 cases on Friday, bringing the total case count to 3,630,637.
This is the fourth time in as many days the daily cases tally remained below 5,000.
The positivity rate was at 14.7 percent, based on 32,795 people tested for COVID-19 on Feb. 9.
The top regions with cases in the recent two weeks were National Capital Region (Metro Manila) with 470 or 13 percent, Region 6 (Western Visayas) with 455 or 12 percent, and Region 11 (Davao Region) with 453 or 12 percent.
There were 72 fatalities reported Friday, bringing the COVID-19 death toll to 54,854.
The DOH also reported 5,652 new recoveries, bringing the total number of recoveries to 3,484,636.
There were 91,147 active cases, of which 3,261 were asymptomatic; 83,145 were mild; 2,986 were moderate; 1,443 were severe; and 312 were critical.
Nationwide, 34 percent of ICU beds, 33 percent of isolation beds, 30 percent of ward beds, and 19 percent of ventilators, are in use.
In Metro Manila, 24 percent of ICU beds, 29 percent of isolation beds, 28 percent of ward beds, and 17 percent of ventilators, are in use.
The DOH said all regions in the country are now considered as “low” to “moderate risk” for COVID-19 aside from Region XII.
Vergeire, during a press briefing, said Region XII has a two-week growth rate of 28 percent.
Vergeire said, despite this, the total bed utilization and ICU utilization rate in all regions, including Region XII, remain at low to moderate risk.
At present, the national health system capacity is also at low risk.
Vergeire said the DOH observed a continuous decline in the number of new COVID-19 cases in the country as cases averaged at 6,103 per day this week, less than half that of last week.
OCTA said NCR may be classified as “very low risk” for COVID-19 by March.
OCTA fellow Dr. Guido David said the projections indicate that new COVID-19 cases may decrease to around 200 by the end of February from the current average of 600 new infections per day.