Metro Manila is now "ripe" for de-escalation to Alert Level 1, according to Francisco Duque III, noting that the region has met the necessary metrics for a downgrade in COVID-19 restrictions.

Duque said in a press briefing that Metro Manila's growth rate is already on the negative, while its reported average daily attack rate is at moderate risk.

"Kapag binaggan mo yung dalawa, ang katumbas is a low-risk classification," the secretary said.

(When you put them together, that is equivalent to a low-risk classification.)

In terms of vaccination, Metro Manila has an 83% coverage of its target population under the A2 priority group after fully vaccinating 1.025 million senior citizens.

Overall, its region has vaccinated over 100% of its target populations, with 101.66% to be exact, according to Duque.

"'Yan ang kanilang estado, which means they are truly and genuinely ripe for de-escalation," he said.

The health secretary previously unveiled a new additional standard for provinces that want to downgrade to Alert Level 1, where they need to vaccinate 80% of their senior citizens and 70% of their target population.

According to Duque, while he thinks that Metro Manila already passed the metrics to de-escalate to Alert Level 1, the collective position of the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) will still be followed.

"Mamaya aantayin lamang ng IATF ang pinakahuling ulat o datos patungkol dito para makapagpasya o makapag-desisyon na nang malinaw kung talagang pwede na ang Alert Level 1," Duque said.

Calls from the business sector to downgrade Metro Manila's restrictions to Alert Level 1 have been growing. The region's mayors also unanimously recommended to the IATF the de-escalation to Alert Level 1.