Iloilo City is appealing to the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-MEID) to downgrade its Alert Level 3 status to Alert Level 2.
The IATF placed the city under Alert Level 3 from Nov. 1 until Nov. 14, which means it has “high and/or increasing COVID-19 case count, and increasing bed utilization and intensive care utilization rates.”
Mayor Jerry P. Treñas said all the indicators, according to COVID-19 Team focal person Dr. Roland Fortuna, showed that the city can be placed under Alert Level 2.
Citing data from the Department of Health (DOH-6), Treñas noted that the city has already fully vaccinated 88 percent of its target population.
The city’s immunization rate is the highest not only in Western Visayas (WV) but also outside the National Capital Region (NCR).
Its average number of COVID-19 cases per day is among the lowest in WV.
“Our businessmen here are hurting and many have closed their stores. Many have lost their jobs,” said Treñas.
“It is time to start the revival of our economy which has gone to its lowest levels in decades. Let us help our businessmen have a merrier Christmas this year so that more jobs can be provided,” he added
Under Alert Level 2,
Dine-in businesses, personal care services, entertainment and recreational venues, among others, are permitted to operate at a maximum of 50% capacity. Those with Safety Seal Certifications will be allowed to operate an additional 10% beyond the prescribed capacity
Meanwhile, the IATF imposed Alert Level 4 in Bacolod City and Alert Level 2 in Iloilo province, Negros Occidental, Antique, Aklan, Capiz and Guimaras.IMT
