Metropolitan Manila Development Authority Chairman Benhur Abalos is wishing for the National Capital Region (NCR) to be placed under the lower Alert Level 3 in October with the decline of new coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) cases.
“I’m always data-driven,” he said during a virtual briefing on Monday. “Talagang gumanda ang reproduction rate, growth rate, active cases. Hindi ako doctor, ayoko pangunahan ang mga eksperto, I’m just hoping.”
Abalos pointed out that the pilot run of the Covid-19 alert level system in the National Capital Region is working with some businesses opening its establishments for fully vaccinated customers.
The NCR has been placed under Alert Level 4 from Sept. 16 until the end of the month. Under the classification, business establishments like restaurants, barbershops, hair spas, nail spas, and beauty salons are allowed to operate at 30% outdoor capacity.
Indoor areas are also open up to 10% and only for fully vaccinated customers.
Meanwhile, Dr. Alethea De Guzman, chief of the Epidemiology Bureau of the Department of Health, said during a Palace briefing that health experts are “very cautiously interpreting the decline”.
“We need to assess the large decline in the laboratory output we saw in the past week,” De Guzman said. Ronald Espartinez