HEADS UP: Alert Level 3 Starts Today in Metro Manila After Poblacion Girl Furor (Jan. 3)

Here’s a Heads Up from reportr on news you need to know today, Jan. 3:

ALERT LEVEL 3

• Metro Manila reverts to Alert Level 3 starting today until Jan. 15 as the government remains on guard against a further increase of COVID-19 cases.
• What’s the difference between Alert Level 3 and Alert Level 2? Here’s your guide.
• On Sunday, the Philippines reported 4,600 new COVID-19 cases, showing a consistent increase in the number of reported daily infections.
• Three local cases of the Omicron variant have been detected in the Philippines as the government warned of a "high possibility" of local transmission during the holidays.
• Two hospitals in Manila were forced to suspend admission of patients due to the increasing number of COVID infections among patients and health workers.

POBLACION GIRL

• A woman who broke quarantine to party in Makati’s hip Poblacion district days before she tested positive for COVID-19 is a subject of criticism on social media. How did she do it?
• The Department of Tourism said the Poblacion girl used her “connections” in order to get out of her quarantine hotel. She was even allegedly seen in TikTok videos and Instagram reels.
• Can Poblacion girl be punished for breaking quarantine protocols? Here’s what the Department of Health says.
• Before this viral incident, Filipinos were also angered by Sen. Koko Pimentel and PNP chief Debold Sinas breach of COVID-19 protocols. Here’s what happened before.

YEARENDER 2021

• Here at Reportr, our coverage is tied to the promise of a more equitable and just society. To cap off 2021, here's a rundown of everything we stood for and against this year.
• Also, here are the stars that made noise on social media for 2021.

CULTURE EXPLAINED

• Kris Aquino said she is not her brother, the late President Noynoy Aquino, whom she said was “too humble and proper for his own good”. Are these values a liability?

NEWS YOU NEED TO KNOW

• Philippine Airlines has completed its financial restructuring within four months after it filed a Chapter 11 bankruptcy in the U.S., promising more flights moving forward.
• Here are the updated guidelines for international travelers from Jan. 1 to 15.
• The death toll in the onslaught of Typhoon Odette has topped 400, with survivors begging for supplies as the new year came.
• Veteran American actress Betty White passed away at the age of 99.