Alert levels maintained in the country for the rest of July

The Covid-19 alert level classification of the country will be retained for now even as the national government is expected to come up with a new-alert classification by mid-August.

President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. has agreed to retain the Covid-19 alert level system on Monday to avoid confusion adding that he wants to reclassify restrictions in the country.

“To avoid confusion, we will retain the alert level system for now. We are however thinking, we are studying very closely, and we’ll come to a decision very soon as to decoupling the restrictions from the alert levels,” he said during a meeting with Department of Health Officer-In-Charge Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire.

DOH said that they will come up with a new alert level classification by August.

Meanwhile, Marcos continued to advocate for the booster shots citing that the alert level can be improved if the public will get their booster shots.

Based on the previous alert level classification from July 1 to July 15, only the provinces of Antique and Negros Occidental are under Alert Level 2 classification in Western Visayas.

Aklan, Bacolod City, Capiz, Guimaras, Iloilo Province, and Iloilo City retain their previous Alert Level 1 classification.

According to Dr. Roland Jay Fortuna, chairman of the Iloilo City Covid-19 Team, the city is classified as a high risk based on its average daily attack rate (ADAR). However, its health care utilization rate remains low risk. Hence, it was classified as Alert Level 1.

“Based sa aton nga ADAR, we are already at high risk. Imagine we started with 0.19 percent on June 1 up to 11.36 subong nga July. But, nubo gihapon aton nga HCUR. So, we are hoping that we will maintain it although we observe nga slowly nagataas naman aton nga HCUR,” he said in a virtual meeting on Tuesday.

As of July 18, Iloilo City’s ADAR is at 11.36% while its HCUR is at 47.58%.

The city recorded a 52.49% occupancy in terms of Covid-19 wards; 30.16% occupancy in ICU; and 26.92% occupancy in mechanical ventilators. (DG)