The Palace on Tuesday announced that Metro Manila would retain its Alert Level 1 classification until March 31, citing the latest decision of the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) on Emerging Infectious Diseases.

Also under Alert Level 1 are:

Luzon:
Cordillera Administrative Region: Abra, Apayao, Baguio City and Kalinga
Region I: Dagupan City, Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, La Union and Pangasinan
Region II: Batanes, Cagayan, City of Santiago, Isabela and Quirino
Region III: Angeles City, Aurora, Bataan, Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Olongapo City, Pampanga, Tarlac and Zambales
Region IV-A: Batangas, Cavite, Laguna and Lucena City
Region IV-B: Marinduque, Puerto Princesa City and Romblon
Region V: Naga City and Catanduanes.

Visayas:
Region VI: Aklan, Bacolod City, Capiz, Guimaras and Iloilo City
Region VII: Cebu City and Siquijor
Region VIII: Biliran, Ormoc City and Tacloban City.

Mindanao:
Region IX: Zamboanga City
Region X: Cagayan de Oro City and Camiguin
Region XI: Davao City
Caraga: Butuan City.

Areas not listed above will be under Alert Level 2 from March 16 to March 31.

There had been talks about introducing Alert Level 0 to the government’s current set of classifications.

Metropolitan Manila Development Authority General Manager Frisco San Juan Jr. said earlier on Tuesday that the region’s mayors were ready to shift to Alert Level 0.

But several experts have raised concerns on the presumed shift, saying the country should reach a higher vaccination threshold first. John Ezekiel J. Hirro