Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, January 22)— The Department of Health (DOH) said it is still too early to say whether Metro Manila can deescalate to Alert Level 2 next month.
“I think it’s too early to declare and to say to people that we will shift or deescalate to Alert Level 2,” Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire told a Laging Handa briefing on Saturday.
“Kahit po sa tingin natin bumabagal na po ang pagdami ng kaso, bumaba na ang numero araw-araw, pero alalahanin po natin na mayroon pa rin po tayong mga kababayan na hindi na po nagpapa-test,” she also said. “Mayroon din tayong mga kababayan na nag-a-antigen test na hindi po naire-report sa DOH.”
[Translation: Even though we think the cases are slowing down and the numbers are going down every day, we have to remember that there are people who don’t get tested. There are people who undergo antigen tests but do not get reported to the DOH.]
The Alert Level 3 classification in the capital region has been extended until Jan. 31.
Vergeire said officials are closely monitoring the COVID-19 trends, but she maintained earlier projections that case peak may happen by the end of the month or by the middle of February.
Coronavirus infections nationwide jumped to 3,387,524 after the DOH listed 30,552 fresh cases on Saturday.
