THE Department of Health (DoH) said on Monday that placing Metro Manila under Alert Level 2 remains a possibility if Covid-19 cases continue to increase.
The DoH recorded 1,682 new cases between June 6 and June 12, which translates to 240 daily average cases. This is 30.4 percent higher than the cases recorded the previous week. Based on data, 13 out of the 17 cities and municipality in Metro Manila recorded a slight positive growth rate in Covid-19 cases last week.
"If the cases continue to increase, and if our hospital admissions will increase, we will shift and escalate to Alert Level 2," Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said in a radio interview.
However, she pointed out that the numbers have not yet translated to more severe cases, a significant rise or more hospital admissions.
She said stricter quarantine restrictions will only be put in place if more severe and critical cases are recorded, leading to a significant increase in hospital admissions.
"What's important is that we don't see a significant spike in severe and critical cases, and we have no problems at the hospital," she said. "The possibility would always be there, if the cases increase, but our kababayans must understand that we are learning to live with the virus. The virus won't go away, it will stay with us in these mild and asymptomatic cases. It should be acceptable to the population."