The National Capital Region (NCR) has not yet reached the threshold to trigger an Alert Level 4 escalation as it maintains a below 70 percent bed utilization rate, Malacañang said Wednesday.

Based on government parameters, Alert Level 4 is declared when an area’s Covid-19 average daily attack rate (ADAR) and two-week growth rate reach high levels, and its health care utilization rate hits the 70 percent mark.

“Kapag pumalo na po ang lahat into high. Ibig sabihin high ‘yong ADAR, high ‘yong two-week growth rate o critical at high din ang bed utilization rate, which is 71 percent total bed utilization up, then that is the time na i-elevate or escalate na natin to Alert Level 4 (If the three metrics reaches high, the ADAR, the two-week growth rate, and bed utilization rate, which is 71 percent and up, then that is the time we will escalate to Alert Level 4),” Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles, acting presidential spokesperson, said in a One Balita interview on Wednesday.

“Sa NCR nasa moderate pa po ang ating total bed utilization. So hindi pa siya angkop at tumatama sa high level of total bed utilization kaya nga po nasa Alert Level 3 pa po tayo (In NCR, our total bed utilization is still moderate. So it does not meet the high level yet that’s why we are still in Alert Level 3),” he added.

At present, at least 53 percent of Metro Manila’s intensive care unit beds are occupied, including 48 percent of its isolation beds and 60 percent of ward beds dedicated for Covid-19 patients.

Metro Manila remains under Alert Level 3 until the end of January 2022.

The government is also closely monitoring other areas outside Metro Manila, especially Calabarzon, Cordillera Administrative Region, Central Luzon, and Ilocos Region where the ADAR and two-week growth rates are high.

“Mataas ang kanilang two-week growth rate at mataas din ang kanilang ADAR but ‘yong hospital bed utilization hindi pa tumatama sa high kaya nananatili pa sa Alert Level 3. So many of the provinces na nasa Alert Level 3 ‘yon ang binabantayan natin dahil sa indicators na ‘yan (Their two-week growth rate and ADAR are high but the hospital bed utilization has not yet hit high level that’s why they are under Alert Level 3. We’re monitoring these indicators),” Nograles said. (PNA)