Alert level 2 eases mobility in NCR: 'No vax, no ride' policy shelved; minors allowed outdoors
Policies limiting the movement of people in the National Capital Region (NCR) will be effectively suspended starting Tuesday as the region shifts to Alert Level 2 on February 1 to 15, 2022, Malacañang said.

Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles made the statement a day before Metro Manila's return to Alert Level 2 after being placed under stricter restrictions due to a surge of coronavirus (COVID-19) cases this month.
In his press briefing on Monday, January 31, Nograles reiterated that the No Vaccination, No Ride policy in Metro Manila "is not perpetual" and is only effective under the Alert Level 3 status.
He said that minors can now go outside again under Alert Level 2 but appealed to parents to keep infants in their homes, noting the pediatric cases of COVID-19 that were recorded in December.
"We've been through this before December. Please make sure na yung bata naka-mask (that kids are wearing masks)," he said.
"'Wag palabasin yung mga bata na nasa very young age na hindi naman appropriate mag-mask (Don't let kids out if they are at a very young age and cannot wear masks appropriately)," he added.
According to Nograles, it is the responsibility of parents to ensure the safety of kids.
"Kung hindi naman angkop sa bata yung mask, 'wag nating pilitin. Ibig sabihin, 'wag na lang ilabas ang bata (If the kid cannot wear a mask properly, let's not force it. Meaning, let's not bring the kid outdoors)," he said.
"Mga magulang tayo, dapat naiintindihan natin 'yan. Safety first pagdating sa mga bata (We are parents so we must understand that. It's always safety first when it comes to our children)," he added.
Why shift?
Meanwhile, the acting Palace spokesman explained the reason why the government's pandemic task force decided to deescalate Metro Manila to a lower alert level despite the Department of Health (DOH) statement last week that such a move was premature.
According to Nograles, Metro Manila's total bed utilization is at 49 percent, making the region qualified for deescalation.
Despite this, he appealed to the public to continue cooperating with the government and continue following health protocols.