The Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) approved placing the National Capital Region under a COVID-19 Alert Level 1 from March 1, 2022 until March 15, 2022, GMA News Ivan Mayrina reported on Sunday.

Last Thursday, Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said that the National Capital Region (NCR) was ready to deescalate to an Alert Level 1 given its current metrics.

Duque noted that 83% of the NCR's senior citizens had been vaccinated, while over 100% of its target population were fully vaccinated against COVID-19.

OCTA Research on Tuesday also reported that the positivity rate in the NCR had decreased to 4.9%, lower than the recommended 5% of the World Health Organization.

According to OCTA, this is the first time the positivity rate in the NCR decreased to less than 5% since December 26, 2021 prior to the COVID-19 surge caused by the more transmissible Omicron variant.

NCR also remained at "low risk" classification for COVID-19 with an average daily attack rate (ADAR) of 2.85 and a reproduction number of 2.85, it added. -- DVM, GMA News