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Alert Level 4 trigger identified: It's hospital bed utilization in NCR
Alert Level 4 trigger identified: It's hospital bed utilization in NCR
A further uptick in total bed utilization rate would lead to an escalation of the National Capital Region (NCR) to an Alert Level 4.
Cabinet Secretary and Acting Presidential Spokesperson Karlo Nograles had this to say Tuesday, Jan. 11, noting that it's the specific metric that the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) is keeping a close eye on.
"Ito iyong binabantayan natin, iyong total bed utilization, kapag pumalo po ito ng 71 percent and higher or 71 percent to 84 percent, dito na po natin masasabi na dapat i-Alert Level 4 na po ang Metro Manila (Right now we're looking at the total bed utilization, if it reaches 71 percent and higher or 71 to 84 percent, then we can day that Metro Manila should be escalated to Alert Level 4)," he said in a virtual press conference.
"As of the moment, hindi pa po tayo nagbi-breach noong threshold na iyan (we have yet to breach that threshold) and that is why iyong Metro Manila still remains under Alert Level 3," Nograles added.
According to the Palace official, total bed utilization rate currently sits in the range of 50 to 70 percent.
The entire Philippines entered the New Year at the relatively lenient classification of Alert Level 2 under the five-tier Alert Level System (ALS) for coronavirus disease (COVID-19) response. But by Jan. 3, NCR was elevated to Alert Level 3.
The continued skyrocketing of COVID-19 cases in NCR or Metro Manila has led to the recurring talks of an Alert Level 4. The surge in infections is reportedly being caused by the Omicron variant.
"So, hangga’t tumama iyan sa 71 percent to 84 percent that’s the only time na mag-Alert Level 4 tayo, unless tumama po diyan (So, the only time that we will hoist Alert Level 4 is if we hit 71 percent to 84 percent, and unless that happens), we will continue to be on Alert Level 3," stressed Nograles, who also acts as IATF spokesperson.
"That being said, we have to manage our hospital beds to make sure na ang priority para sa (that the priority for the) hospital beds should be severe, critical, the elderly, iyong may (those with) commorbidities and iyong (those who are) vulnerable," he said.