Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said that he would want to keep the current Alert Level 2 status since people are expected to flock to public areas this holiday season.
“Para sa akin dapat siguro tama lang manatili muna tayo sa Alert Level 2. Bakit kamo? Unang-una, ang mobility tataas na naman nitong kapaskuhan, alam natin ‘yan. At lalo na’t nagbabadya ang Omicron variant,” he said during a virtual Malacañang briefing.
However, Duque did not confirm if he wanted to change the status into Alert Level 1 after the holidays.
Interior Secretary Eduardo Año, on the other hand, praised the alert level system in the country, noting its effectiveness since there are only a few areas under lockdown.
“Makikita po natin sa buong bansa 77 areas lang po ang under sa granular lockdown at ito po ay nasa loob ng 18 LGUs (local government units) at 61 barangays at 99 households lang po ang apektado. Sa NCR, makikita po natin walo na lang po ang lugar na nandoon sa ilalim ng granular lockdown, at nakakaapekto sa 26 na household at…70 individuals,” Año said during the Talk to the People briefing. Ronald Espartinez