Malacañang announced Thursday that six areas will be placed under Alert Level 3 classification starting January 28.

Acting presidential spokesperson and Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles said the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) has approved the escalation of alert level status in the provinces of Palawan, Camiguin, Davao Occidental, Dinagat Islands, Tawi-Tawi and Sulu.

“The said escalation shall take effect on Friday, January 28, 2022 until February 15, 2022,” Nograles noted in a statement.

The IATF, meanwhile, is set to announce the new alert level status in Metro Manila and other areas this weekend.

On Wednesday, Nograles said the government is monitoring the growth rate of Covid-19 cases in 22 areas outside Metro Manila.

These are: Calabarzon, Central Luzon, Ilocos Region, Dagupan City, Cordillera Administrative Region, Baguio City, Cebu Province, Cebu City, Lapu-lapu City, Mandaue City, Iloilo Province, Iloilo City, Bacolod City, Cagayan de Oro City, Davao City, General Santos City, Ormoc City, Naga City, Western Samar, Tacloban City, Biliran, and Zamboanga del Sur.

Nograles said these areas of concern must further increase hospital bed capacities for Covid-19 patients to prevent their respective health care utilization rate (HCUR) from exceeding 70 percent.

On January 21, Kalinga, Ifugao, Mountain Province, and Northern Samar were also placed under more stringent Alert Level 4.

An escalation to Alert Level 4 means that an area has reached more than 70 percent in healthcare utilization rate, and alarmingly high two-week growth and average daily attack rates (ADAR).

Many areas in the country, including the so-called NCR Plus (composed of Metro Manila, Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna and Rizal) are under Alert Level 3 until Jan. 31. (PNA)