MANILA - Metro Manila is now at "moderate risk" for the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) from a high-risk case classification, a health official said on Friday.

In a Palace briefing, Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said the National Capital Region (NCR) saw a 67-percent decrease in cases compared to the previous week.

"Bumaba na po nang husto ang mga kaso at dumating na tayo sa moderate risk classification (The cases have declined significantly and we have now reached a moderate risk classification)," Vergeire said.

She said the NCR recorded an average of 4,398 daily Covid-19 cases in a seven-day moving average, compared to an average of 13,298 new cases recorded last week.

Vergeire also noted that the case rate in the NCR Plus (Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna, and Rizal) has also decreased, with Bulacan and Rizal downgraded to moderate risk classification.

She said the Department of Health (DOH) is monitoring the situation in the Visayas and Mindanao, particularly in regions with the highest cases - Western Visayas, Central Visayas, and the Davao region.

Acting Presidential Spokesperson, Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles, said the government would make an announcement on the new alert level status of Metro Manila and other areas this weekend.

The NCR is under Alert Level 3 until January 31.

Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said the decision on the change of alert level status in Metro Manila would be based on the parameters of the Covid-19 situation.

"Aalamin po natin iyan kung magde-de-escalate tayo from Alert Level 3 to Alert Level 2. 'Yung tinatawag nating two-week growth rate sa ngayon ay negative na. So ibig sabihin talagang bumagal na yung pagkalat ng virus (We will monitor if we are going to de-escalate from Alert Level 3 to Alert Level 2, with the two-week growth rate now down to negative, which means the spread of the virus has slowed down), the Omicron variant in particular," Duque said in an interview at the ceremonial turnover of Australian aid in Paranaque City on Friday.

Among the factors are health care utilization rate, total hospital Covid-19 bed capacity, and intensive care unit capacity, all currently at low risk, according to Duque.

"All of these will signal that perhaps, the time has come for the de-escalation," he added.(PNA)