MANILA — Metro Manila will retain current restrictions against COVID-19 until the end of the month despite decreasing coronavirus infections, while seven other areas will be under Alert 3, Malacañang said on Monday.

Home to more than 13 million people, the capital region will stay under pandemic Alert 2 from Feb. 16 to 28, said Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles.

Manila City Mayor and presidential candidate Francisco "Isko Moreno" Domagoso said Sunday he would support placing the region under the lowest alert level as this could help with residents' livelihood.

But some analysts and health experts said it was too soon to ease curbs in Metro Manila, the epicenter of the country's COVID-19 outbreak.

• Hindi pa panahon para ibaba sa Alert Level 1 ang Metro Manila: experts

The second in 5 alert levels allows face-to-face classes, dine-in services, religious gatherings, and personal care services, among others to accept fully vaccinated individuals at 50 percent of indoor venue capacity.

Meanwhile, the following areas will be under COVID-19 Alert 3 from Feb. 16 to 28, said Nograles.

• Iloilo City, Iloilo Province and Guimaras in Region 6
• Zamboanga City in Region 9
• Davao de Oro and Davao Occidental in Region 11
• South Cotabato in Region 12

• Alert Level 3 bans in-person classes, contact sports, funfairs, and casinos.
• Other areas under Alert 2 during the same period include the following, Nograles said.

LUZON

• Abra, Apayao, Baguio City, Benguet, Ifugao, Kalinga and Mountain Province in the Cordillera Administrative Region
• Dagupan City, Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, La Union and Pangasinan in Region 1
• Batanes, City of Santiago, Cagayan, Isabela, Nueva Vizcaya and Quirino in Region 2
• Bulacan, Angeles City, Aurora, Bataan, Nueva Ecija, Olongapo City, Pampanga, Tarlac and Zambales in Region 3
• Cavite, Rizal, Batangas, Laguna, Lucena City and Quezon Province in Region 4-A
• Marinduque, Occidental Mindoro, Oriental Mindoro, Palawan, Puerto Princesa City and Romblon in Region 4-B;
• Albay, Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, Catanduanes, Masbate, Naga City and Sorsogon in Region 5

VISAYAS

• Aklan, Antique, Bacolod City, Capiz and Negros Occidental in Region 6
• Cebu City, Lapu-Lapu City, Mandaue City, Bohol, Cebu, Negros Oriental and Siquijor in Region 7
• Ormoc City, Tacloban City, Eastern Samar, Leyte, Northern Samar, Western Samar, Biliran and Southern Leyte in Region 8

MINDANAO

• City of Isabela, Zamboanga del Sur, Zamboanga del Norte and Zamboanga Sibugay in Region 9
• Bukidnon, Cagayan de Oro City, Camiguin, Iligan City, Lanao del Norte, Misamis Occidental and Misamis Oriental in Region 10
• Davao City, Davao del Sur, Davao del Norte and Davao Oriental in Region 11
• General Santos City, North Cotabato, Sarangani and Sultan Kudarat in Region 12
• Surigao del Norte, Surigao del Sur, Agusan del Norte, Agusan del Sur, Butuan City and Dinagat Islands in CARAGA
• Basilan, Maguindanao, Sulu, Tawi-Tawi, Cotabato City and Lanao del Sur in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.

New coronavirus cases in the Philippines have fallen from a September peak of more than 33,000 to just over 3,000 a day, while more than half of the country's 110 million people have now been fully vaccinated.

• PH confirms 3k new COVID cases, no new deaths as govt mulls easing alert

— With a report from Reuters

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