There is a possibility that the Alert Level System with granular lockdowns in Metro Manila may be extended beyond the Sept. 30 deadline, Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Undersecretary Epimaco Densing III said on Thursday, Sept. 23.
“Ang pananaw po namin baka ma-extend pa uli itong pagpa-pilot (Alert Level System) sa National Capital Region (NCR) (We think the pilot testing Alert Level System will again be extended in the National Capital Region, ” Densing said in an ABS-CBN TeleRadyo interview.
Densing said there are also talks about the possibility of revising some of the Alert Level System guidelines currently implemented in Metro Manila.
Under the Alert Level System, granular lockdowns are enforced in areas with high numbers of coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) infections contrary to the previous restrictions where lockdowns are done in the entire provinces or regions.
The Alert Level System was conceptualized where small areas referred to as critical zones with high COVID-19 positive cases are placed in granular lockdowns in a bid to open up the economy while restrictions are still imposed in the target areas.
Densing confirmed that the concerned agencies will meet in the sub-technical working group on data analytics to review the Alert Level System guidelines piloted in Metro Manila with the view that revisions might be in the offing.
The DILG official noted that the implementation of the Alert Level System is also being eyed in areas outside Metro Manila adding the governor’s group in a previous meeting is amenable to the idea but viewed that some of the LGUs might be unprepared for the new system.
Densing said he hopes the new Alert Level System will result, if not lower numbers, a stable average daily COVID-19 cases in Metro Manila. (Chito A. Chavez)