There may be new guidelines soon under alert level 3.
Malacañang said the government's pandemic task force is set to have a "full meeting" on Tuesday, Jan. 4, to "reassess" the guidelines of alert level 3 as it is applied with the high vaccination rate of the National Capital Region (NCR).
Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles made the statement after the Inter-agency Task Force (IATF) for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases decided on New Year's Eve to place Metro Manila under alert level 3 from Jan. 3 to Jan. 15 due to the recent spike of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases in the region.
In an interview with ANC's "Headstart" on Monday morning, Jan. 3, Nograles said the IATF will have to meet to talk about the different restrictions under alert level 3 because the original rules were crafted when the circumstances were different.
"Mag-uusap muna kami sa IATF (We will talk in the IATF first) because, remember, when these rules were crafted and announced, that was a time na mababa pa ang vaccination natin (when our vaccination rate was still low). So it's something that we will revisit," he said.
"Which is why technical working group is meeting today. We'll have an IATF meeting tomorrow (Jan. 4) so we can talk about this again," he added.
Nograles noted that many people are now being vaccinated, including senior citizens and those below the age of 18. Booster shots, or additional doses of the COVID-19 jab, are also being administered to qualified individuals.
As of Jan. 1, a total of 49,797,374 individuals have completed their vaccinations.
Based on the approved guidelines for alert level 3 published on Nov. 4, 2021, the following activities are not allowed under this classification:
- Face to face classes for basic education
- Contact sports, except those conducted under a bubble-type setup
- Funfairs/peryas and kid amusement industries such as playgrounds, playroom, and kiddie rides
- Venues with live voice or wind-instrument performers and audiences such as in karaoke bars, clubs, concert halls, and theaters
- Casinos, horse racing, cockfighting and operation of cockpits, lottery and betting shops, and other gaming establishments
- Gatherings in residences with individuals not belonging to the same household
While intrazonal and interzonal travel remain allowed under alert level 3, the following activities and businesses are only allowed at 30 percent indoor capacity for the fully vaccinated and 50 percent outdoor capacity for the unvaccinated:
- Venues for meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions (MICE)
- Permitted venues for social events such as parties, wedding receptions, family reunions, and other similar activities
- Visitor or tourist attractions such as libraries, museums, galleries, parks, plazas, public gardens, scenic viewpoints or overlooks, and the like
- Amusement parks or theme parks
- Recreational venues such as internet cafes, billiard halls, amusement arcades, bowling alleys, skating rinks, archery halls, swimming pools, and similar venues
- Cinemas and movie houses;
- Limited face-to-face classes for higher education and for technical-vocational education and training
- In-person religious gatherings
- Gatherings for necrological services, wakes, inurnment, and funerals for COVID-19 non-COVID-19 deaths
- Licensure or entrance/qualifying examinations and specialty examinations
- Dine-in services in food preparation establishments
- Personal care establishments such as barbershops, spas, salons, aesthetic/cosmetic services or procedures, reflexology, and other similar procedures including home service options
- Fitness studios, gyms, and venues for non-contact exercise and sports (group activities are not allowed)
- Film, music, and television production
Meanwhile, the IATF on Friday ordered a technical working group led by the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) and the National Vaccination Operations Center to formulate stricter measures for unvaccinated individuals against COVID-19.