MMDA: Alert Level 4 experiment a success

MANILA, Philippines — The initial enforcement of the COVID-19 Alert Level 4 in Metro Manila has been a “success,” Metropolitan Manila Chairman Authority (MMDA) Chairman Benhur Abalos said yesterday.

The experiment, which has been going on for one week, is running “beautifully,” he said in Filipino during the online Kapihan sa Manila Bay forum.

He reported that figures related to COVID-19 transmission in the metropolis started to decline since Alert Level 4 was imposed on Sept. 16.

Abalos also credited what he believed was the success of the Alert Level 4 enforcement to the implementation of granular or area-based lockdowns.

He said “pinpointing with precision” which areas should be sealed off allowed the “healthy population” or uninfected persons to go out for work and help revive the economy.

As of Monday, 3,093 families were affected by granular lockdowns in Metro Manila, according to the MMDA.

Under Alert Level 4, while granular lockdowns are enforced, certain businesses and activities – particularly religious services, restaurants and personal care services like salons and barber shops – can accept customers but should maintain a 10-percent indoor capacity for fully vaccinated persons and 30-percent outdoor capacity.