Skip to main content

IATF places DavOcc on Alert Level 4; Davao City,DavNor on Alert 3

The province of Davao Occidental was categorized under Alert Level 4 by the IATF

DAVAO CITY, October 18 (PIA) – The Department of Health XI announced in today’s virtual presser that Davao Occidental was categorized by the Inter-agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) under Alert Level 4; Davao City and Davao del Norte on Alert Level 3 while Davao de Oro , Davao del Sur, and Davao Oriental are placed on Alert Level 2.

Alert Level 4 refers to areas wherein case counts are high and/or increasing, with total bed utilization rate and intensive care unit utilization rate at high utilization; Alert Level 3 refers to areas wherein case counts are high and/or increasing, with total bed utilization rate and intensive care unit utilization rate at increasing utilization; while Alert Level 2 refers to areas wherein case transmission is low and decreasing, healthcare utilization is low, or case counts are low but increasing, or case counts are low and decreasing but total bed utilization rate and intensive care unit utilization rate is increasing.

DOH XI head of the Epidemiology Surveillance Unit Dr. Rachelle Pasion said that areas categorized on Alert Level 4 and 3 need to increase vaccination roll-out and to avoid using hospitals as vaccination sites as these hospitals need to cater COVID and non-COVID cases.

“Also, we need to ramp up case finding, and have an aggressive contact tracing. We may utilize antigen testing for these scenarios and we need to immediately isolate those close contacts. On genome sequencing, we also need to secure more samples from identified areas with high cases,” Dr. Pasion said.

The IATF recently used the COVID-19 Alert Levels System as the new Community Quarantine Classifications for dealing with COVID-19 covering entire cities, municipalities and/or regions.

It is aimed to manage and minimize the risk of the disease through System Indicators, Triggers and Thresholds determined by the IATF to specify the public health and social measures to be taken in relation to the COVID-19 response, as may be updated based on new scientific knowledge, information about the effectiveness of control measures in the country and overseas, and its application.

Establishments in areas under Alert Level 3 are still prohibited to hold:

a. Face to face or in-person classes for basic education, except those previously approved by the IATF and/or the Office of the President;

b. Contact sports, except those conducted under a bubble-type setup as provided for under relevant guidelines adopted by the IATF, Games and Amusement Board, and Philippine Sports Commission, and approved by the LGU where such games shall be held;

c. Funfairs/peryas and kid amusement industries such as playgrounds, playroom, and kiddie rides;

d. Venues with live voice or wind-instrument performers and audiences such as in karaoke bars, clubs, concert halls, and theaters;

e. Casinos, horse racing, cockfighting and operation of cockpits, lottery and betting shops, and other gaming establishments except as may be authorized by the IATF or the Office of the President; and

f. Gatherings in residences with individuals not belonging to the same household.

A maximum of 30% indoor venue capacity for fully vaccinated individuals only and 50% outdoor venue capacity is allowed for the following:

a. Venues for meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions (MICE);

b. Permitted venues for social events such as parties, wedding receptions, engagement parties, wedding anniversaries, debut and birthday parties, family reunions, and bridal or baby showers;

c. Visitor or tourist attractions such as libraries, archives, museums, galleries, exhibits, parks, plazas, public gardens, scenic viewpoints or overlooks, and the like;

d. Amusement parks or theme parks;

e. Recreational venues such as internet cafes, billiard halls, amusement arcades, bowling alleys, skating rinks, archery halls, swimming pools, and similar venues;

f. Cinemas and movie houses; With Amendments as of October 13, 2021.

g. Limited face-to-face or in-person classes for higher education and for technical-vocational education and training;

h. In-person religious gatherings; gatherings for necrological services, wakes, inurnment, and funerals for those who died of causes other than COVID-19 and for the cremains of the COVID-19 deceased;

i. Licensure or entrance/qualifying examinations administered by their respective government agency, and specialty examinations authorized by the IATF subject to the health and safety guidelines as approved by the IATF;

j. Dine-in services in food preparation establishments such as kiosks, commissaries, restaurants, and eateries, subject to DTI sector-specific protocols;

k. Personal care establishments such as barbershops, hair spas, hair salons, and nail spas, and those offering aesthetic/cosmetic services or procedures, make-up services, salons, spas, reflexology, and other similar procedures including home service options, subject to the sector-specific protocols of the DTI;

l. Fitness studios, gyms, and venues for non-contact exercise and sports, subject to DTI sector-specific protocols. Provided that patrons/clients and workers/employees wear face masks at all times and that no group activities are conducted; and m. Film, music, and television production, subject to the joint guidelines as may be issued by the DTI, DOLE, and the DOH.

Provided, that all workers/employees of these establishments are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and MPHS shall be strictly maintained. Provided further, that there is no objection from the LGU where these activities may take place. (PIA XI/Frances Mae Macapagat)


Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Davao del Sur State College first president formally proclaimed

DIGOS CITY, Mar. 31 (PIA) – Commission on Higher Education (CHED) Commissioner Aldrin A. Darilag has formally proclaimed Dr. Augie E. Fuentes as the first president of the Davao del Sur State College (DSSC) in the investiture rites held recently at the Davao del Sur Coliseum in Digos City.   Dr. Fuentes has been appointed as DSSC president in 2020, but her appointment was made formal only last March 17 due to the restrictions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.   The formal proclamation highlighted the institute’s accomplishments ever since they started as a state college, and not anymore as a sister campus of the Southern Philippines Agri-Business and Marine and Aquatic School of Technology (SPAMAST) of Malita in Davao Occidental.   “Actually I would say that we are fortunate. Though we are young, though we are still around two-years old from the time we were launched, I say we are fortunate because we did not start from zero. We were a campus of SPAMAST such that there wer...

LTO to public: Do not patronize colorum vehicles

  NABUNTURAN, Davao de Oro (PIA) - An official of the Land Transportation Office enjoined the public for the eradication of colorum vehicles plying the streets in Davao region. During the second episode of Kapihan sa Bagong Pilipinas in Davao City, LTO XI Regional Director Eleanor Calderon urged the public not to patronize colorum vehicles to avoid any road safety risk and to also complement their enforcement operations against these violators. “If we stop patronizing these (colorum vehicles), they will just die a natural death; mawala ra na sila sa kalsad a (they will just vanish in our roads),” Calderon said. The traffic official emphasized that LTO XI has apprehended a total of 115 colorum vehicles from January to April 2024. Calderon also provided tips to identify colorum vehicles. She said that UV express vehicles should have yellow plates; other than that, the public should not board not yellow-plated vehicles whose drivers or operators are offering rides for a fee. “Dapat ...

Pilipinas Shell to build import facility in Sta. Cruz, DavSur

DAVAO CITY, April 22-   Petroleum giant Pilipinas Shell Petroleum Corporation will be constructing its Darong Import Facility in Sta. Cruz, Davao del Sur. When completed it will be the third largest import facility in the country after the Shell Import Facility Tabangao in Batangas and the North Mindanao Import Facility in Cagayan de Oro. The Darong Import Facility has a rated capacity of 67-million liters of petroleum products.   The import facility will help and promote business continuity and stability in the area by providing needed fuel resources for mobility during storms, floods and other calamities. A groundbreaking ceremony was held in Darong, Sta Cruz   on April 22.   The event was attended by   Engr. Jaime G. Lao, Municipal Mayor of Sta. Cruz, Davao del Sur; DMCI Holdings Inc. President Sid Consunji; Santa Cruz Storage Corporation President Das Consunji Reyes; and Juan Miguel Delgado, COO of Northern Star; Sta Cruz Storage Corporation and Stephen Tion...