A TOP Palace official said the National Capital Region (NCR), together with seven other areas, will revert back to Alert Level 2 starting February 1 to 15, 2022.
Acting Presidential Spokesperson and Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles said that the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF), in Resolution No. 159-A issued today, January 29, 2022, placed the NCR, along with Batanes, Bulacan, Cavite, Rizal, Biliran, Southern Leyte, and Basilan under Alert Level 2.
This means certain establishments and activities in these areas can operate at 50 percent indoor capacity and will accept entry to fully vaccinated adults (and minors, even if unvaccinated), and 70-percent capacity outdoors.
Also, the controversial ” no vaccination, no ride” policy of the Department of Transportation that bars unvaccinated individuals in NCR from taking public transportation will be suspended under Alert Level 2.
Last January 16, the government placed NCR plus 50 other areas under Alert Level 3 up to January 31, 2022, primarily because of the increasing COVID-19 cases.
On the other hand, the IATF resolution placed the following areas under Alert Level 3:
- Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR): Abra, Apayao, Baguio City, Benguet, Kalinga and Mountain Province
- Region I: Dagupan City, Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, La Union and Pangasinan
- Region II: City of Santiago, Cagayan, Isabela, Nueva Vizcaya and Quirino
- Region III: Angeles City, Aurora, Bataan, Nueva Ecija, Olongapo City, Pampanga, Tarlac and Zambales
- Region IV-A: Batangas, Laguna, Lucena City and Quezon Province
- Region IV-B: Marinduque, Romblon, Occidental Mindoro, Oriental Mindoro and Puerto Princesa City
- Region V: Albay, Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, Catanduanes, Masbate, Naga City and Sorsogon
- Region VI: Aklan, Antique, Bacolod City, Capiz, Iloilo City, Iloilo, Negros Occidental and Guimaras
- Region VII: Cebu City, Lapu-Lapu City, Mandaue City, Bohol, Cebu, Negros Oriental and Siquijor
- Region VIII: Ormoc City, Tacloban City, Eastern Samar, Leyte, Northern Samar and Western Samar
- Region IX: City of Isabela, Zamboanga City, Zamboanga Del Sur, Zamboanga del Norte and Zamboanga Sibugay
- Region X: Bukidnon, Cagayan de Oro City, Iligan City, Lanao del Norte, Misamis Occidental and Misamis Oriental
- Region XI: Davao City, Davao Del Sur, Davao Del Norte, Davao Oriental and Davao de Oro
- Region XII: General Santos City, North Cotabato, Sarangani, South Cotabato and Sultan Kudarat
- Region XIII: Surigao del Norte, Surigao Del Sur, Agusan Del Norte, Agusan del Sur and Butuan City
- Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM): Maguindanao, Cotabato City and Lanao Del Sur.
Alert Level 3 status allows several establishments to operate at 30 percent indoor venue capacity and can only accept fully vaccinated customers, while 50 percent outdoor venue capacity is allowed for establishments whose employees are fully vaccinated, and work at government offices is also limited to 60 percent of onsite capacity.