Authorities have given early indications they may downgrade the alert level currently in place across the Philippines’ National Capital Region until 15 October, paving the way for Manila’s casinos to welcome back customers for the first time since early August.
Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said this week that the government was considering dropping the current Alert Level 4 status of the NCR to Alert Level 3 under the Philippines’ new lockdown system following a notable fall in COVID-19 cases in recent weeks.
“I would say, it’s a high chance of a lowering of alert level,” Roque said, as reported by Philippine News Agency.
“For the first time in many, many months, Metro Manila is under moderate risk and that is also a factor to consider in lowering quarantine classification.”
A final decision on whether the NCR will revert to Alert Level 3 this Saturday will be made by the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID).
Under Alert Level 4, casinos, horse racing and cockfighting, plus indoor tourist attractions, MICE venues, bars, cinemas, amusement parks, social gatherings, internet cafes and many more businesses are prohibited from opening.