Kalinga, Ifugao, Mt. Province now under Alert Level 4, Apayao elevated to Alert Level 3

January 23, 2022 Provincial

Three Cordillera provinces have been placed under Alert Level 4, even as another province has been elevated to Alert Level 3 joining the rest of the local government units in the Cordillera region. Kalinga, Ifugao and Mountain Province on Friday were placed under the stricter Covid-19 alert level along with Samar, Malacañang announced Thursday.
“The Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) approved on Thursday, January 20, 2022, the escalation of Kalinga, Ifugao, and Mountain Province in the Cordillera Administrative Region, as well as the province of Northern Samar, to Alert Level 4,” Malacañang said in the Thursday statement.
The IATF said that areas under Alert Level 4 have reached more than 70 percent in healthcare utilization rate, and alarmingly high two-week growth and average daily attack rates (ADAR).
Apayao, on the other hand, is one of the 14 provinces that were raised to Alert Level 3. Beside Apayao, the other provinces are: Puerto Princesa City, and Masbate in Luzon; Siquijor in Visayas and Zamboanga del Norte, Zamboanga Sibugay, Lanao del Norte, Davao de Oro, Davao Oriental, North Cotabato, Sarangani, Sultan Kudarat, Surigao del Norte, Maguindanao, and Basilan.
The alert levels will be in effect until January 31.
Earlier, the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) placed Kalinga, Ifugao, Mountain Province, and Northern Samar along with the National Capital Region and 78 other areas under Alert Level 3 due to surge in Covid-19 infections.
Other areas that were previously put under Alert Level 3 are Baguio City, Dagupan, Ilocos Sur, Santiago City, Cagayan, Angeles City, Aurora, Bataan, Bulacan, Olongapo City, Pampanga, Zambales, Rizal, Batangas, Cavite, Laguna, Lucena City, Marinduque, Romblon, Camarines Norte, Catanduanes, Naga City, Sorsogon, Iloilo City, Iloilo, Negros Occidental, Guimaras, Lapu-Lapu City, Bohol, Cebu, Negros Oriental, Ormoc City, Biliran, Eastern Samar, Leyte, Southern Leyte, Western Samar, City of Isabela, Zamboanga City, Zamboanga del Sur, Bukidnon, Iligan City, Misamis Occidental, Misamis Oriental, Davao del Sur, Davao del Norte, General Santos City, South Cotabato, Surigao del Sur,
Agusan del Norte, and Lanao del Sur.
Benguet and Abra were also placed under Alert Level 3 along with La Union, Ilocos Norte, Pangasinan, Nueva Vizcaya, Isabela, Quirino, Nueva Ecija, Tarlac, Quezon Province, Occidental Mindoro, Oriental Mindoro, Camarines Sur, Albay, Bacolod City, Aklan, Capiz, Antique, Cebu City, Mandaue City, Tacloban City, Cagayan de Oro City, Davao City, Butuan City, Agusan del Sur, and Cotabato City.
On Thursday, Ifugao reported 147 cases, Kalinga had 168, while Mountain Province reported 126 as the region reported 1,429 new cases. Kalinga had the most number of cases since the pandemic started in the region after Baguio and Benguet with 10,707, followed by Ifugao with 10,510, while Mountain Province is sixth with 8,593, behind Apayao which has 8,966 and Abra with the least at 5,034.
Baguio on Thursday logged 735 new cases, the biggest ever and its total confirmed cases to 36,261. Benguet, the Department of Health – Cordillera reported, have 306 new cases to bring its total cases 24,292.
Pigeon Lobien/ABN