The National Capital Region (NCR) is to be placed under Alert Level 3 from January 3 to 15 following a recent sharp surge in COVID-19 cases.
Acting presidential spokesperson Karlo Nograles announced the decision at a press briefing in Davao City, citing that the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) projected a further increase in new cases over the coming days.
Under Alert Level 3, establishments or activities are only allowed to operate or be undertaken at a maximum of 30% indoor venue capacity for fully vaccinated individuals and 50% outdoor venue capacity.
After a month of relatively low daily infections reported, the Philippines logged 1,623 COVID-19 cases on Thursday, December 30, 2021 and 2,961 on Friday, December 31, 2021.