By Nehmia Elyxa Relano 

PHOTO: PH Lifestyle

As the Department of Health (DOH) released a new alert classification system, eight Metro Manila cities and over 20 others in various regions have been placed on Alert Level 4 due to the rising rate of COVID-19 cases, and the high rate of hospitalization. 

“Alert level four areas are those whose risk classification have reached moderate to critical risk and whose utilization rate of either their total COVID-19 or ICU bed utilization are more than 70 percent,” Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said in an online media briefing. 





Vergeire named the Metro Manila cities under alert level 4 are Las Piñas, Muntinlupa, Pateros, Quezon City, Taguig, Malabon, Makati, and San Juan. 

Other areas under the same alert level were: CAR - Apayao, Baguio City, Benguet; Region 1- Ilocos Norte; Region 2 - Cagayan, Nueva Vizcaya, Quirino; Region 3 - Angeles City, Bataan, Olongapo City, Pampanga, Tarlac; Region 4A - Batangas, Cavite, Laguna, Quezon, Lucena City; Region 6 - Iloilo, Iloilo City; Region 7 - Cebu, Cebu City, Lapu-Lapu City, Mandaue City; Region 8 - Tacloban City; Region 10 - Bukidnon, Cagayan de Oro City, Camiguin; Region 11 - Davao City; and Region 12 - General Santos City.





According to Vergeire, the alert levels are based on COVID-19 transmission and the healthcare utilization rate (HCUR) of an area, as well as the presence of the Delta variant there.

The DOH said the highly transmissible Delta variant of COVID-19 was now present in all 17 local government units of the capital region.

On Friday, August 6, the Philippines recorded 10,623 new confirmed COVID-19 cases, the highest since April 17, when 11,101 cases were reported. 


Report sources: Manila Standard, GMA News