By ADRIAN STEWART CO and IME SORNITO
ILOILO – The municipalities of Batad and Zarraga in Iloilo province are shifting to Alert Level 1, the lowest coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) alert level, beginning April 9.
This alert level will be until April 15, announced Acting Presidential Spokesperson Martin Andanar on Friday.
The de-escalation was recommended by the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID).
Zarraga and Batad are joining the towns of Anilao, Balasan, Banate, Barotac Nuevo, Barotac Viejo, Bingawan, Concepcion, Dueñas, Guimbal, Janiuay, Lemery, Mina, Pototan, San Dioniso, and Santa Barbara that were placed under Alert Level 1 beginning April 1. They all have very low COVID-19 cases and their vaccination rates are high (exceeding 70 percent of their target population now fully vaccinated).
Iloilo province, however, remains under Alert Level 2 together with the Western Visayas provinces of Negros Occidental and Antique.
In Batad as of March 31, 14,742 individuals were already fully vaccinated. This was 80.23 percent of its 18,374 target population.
In Zarraga, on the other hand, 20,004 individuals were already fully vaccinated, equivalent to 90.56 percent of its 22,089 target population.
With Zarraga and Batad’s shift, intrazonal and interzonal travel will now be allowed in them. Also, all establishments, persons or activities are permitted to operate, work, or be done at full onsite capacity, provided that health standards are observed.
In person or “face-to-face” classes for basic education, however, will be subject to the approval of the Office of the President.
In the days to come, more Iloilo towns may be downgraded to Alert Level 1. According to Dr. Maria Socorro Colmenares Quiñon, chief of the Iloilo Provincial Health Office, the following are soon to hit or even exceed the vaccination threshold of 70 percent of their target population – San Rafael, New Lucena, San Miguel, and Pavia.
Incentives from the provincial government to vaccinated persons should help local governments increase their vaccination rate, said Quiñon.
The incentives include nutrition items such as vitamins, milk, rice, and iodized salt, among others.
The provincial government targets 50,000 recipient-individuals. It has allotted a P25-million budget for the incentives.
Here are the parameters for de-escalation of alert levels:
* at least 70 percent of the target population have been fully vaccinated
* at least 70 percent of the target senior citizens population have been fully vaccinated
* the city or town must belong to a region or province with low-risk (less than 50 percent) total bed utilization rate/PN
