COVID-19 restrictions in Metro Manila have relaxed after Malacañang downgraded the country’s capital region to Alert Level 2 starting November 5.
Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque on Thursday, Nov. 4, announced that the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) approved the de-escalation of the National Capital Region to Alert Level 2.
“This shall take effect beginning tomorrow, November 5, 2021 until November 21, 2021,” he added.
Roque also said that the IATF approved the recommendation of the sub-Technical Working Group on Data Analytics to base the alert level assignments on data that is nearest to the implementation date.
“Starting December 1, 2021, alert level assignments shall be determined at every 15th and 30th of the month,” he said.
“Escalations, on the other hand, may be done at any time in the middle of the implementation period as warranted while de-escalations can only be done at the end of the two-week assessment period,” he added.
Under Alert Level 2, children in Metro Manila will be allowed outdoors.
The following establishments or activities are allowed to operate up to 50% capacity indoors and 70% outdoors as long as the workers are fully-vaccinated against COVID-19:
- Limited face-to-face or in-person classes for basic education subject to prior approval of the Office of the President;
- Contact sports approved by the LGU where such games shall be held;
- Funfairs/peryas or kid amusement industries such as playgrounds, playroom, and kiddie rides;
- Venues with live voice or wind-instrument performers and audiences such as in karaoke bars, clubs, concert halls, and theaters; and
- Gatherings in residences with individuals not belonging to the same household.
Other activities or establishments that may continue to operate based on the 50 percent indoor, 70 percent outdoor rule are:
- Venues for meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions;
- Permitted venues for social events such as parties, wedding receptions, engagement parties, wedding anniversaries, debut and birthday parties, family reunions, and bridal or baby showers;
- Visitor or tourist attractions such as libraries, archives, museums, galleries, exhibits, parks, plazas, public gardens, scenic viewpoints or overlooks, and the like;
- Amusement parks or theme parks;
- Recreational venues such as internet cafes, billiard halls, amusement arcades, bowling alleys, skating rinks, archery halls, swimming pools, and similar venues;
- Cinemas and movie houses;
- Limited face-to-face or in-person classes for higher education and for technical-vocational education and training;
- In-person religious gatherings; gatherings for necrological services, wakes, inurnment, and funerals for those who died of causes other than COVID-19 and for the cremains of the COVID-19 deceased;
- Licensure or entrance/qualifying examinations administered by their respective government agency, and specialty examinations authorized by the IATF subject to the health and safety guidelines as approved by the IATF;
- Dine-in services of food preparation establishments such as kiosks, commissaries, restaurants, and eateries, subject to the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) sector-specific protocols;
- Personal care establishments such as barbershops, hair spas, hair salons, and nail spas, and those offering aesthetic/cosmetic services or procedures, make-up services, salons, spas, reflexology, and other similar procedures including home service options, subject to the sector-specific protocols of the DTI;
- Fitness studios, gyms, and venues for individual non-contact exercise and sports, subject to DTI sector-specific protocols. Provided that patrons/clients and workers/employees wear face masks at all times and that no group activities are conducted; and
- Film, music, and television production subject to the joint guidelines as may be issued by the DTI, Department of Labor and Employment, and the Department of Health.
On the other hand, casinos, horse racing, cockfighting and operation of cockpits, lottery and betting shops, and other gaming establishments remain prohibited to operate under Alert Level 2. n
