Commuters and motorists will be required to present vaccination cards at checkpoints in Metro Manila and Bulacan province before they are allowed entry, the Philippine National Police (PNP) said, as mobility curbs are tightened to cap a surging infections.
Those who can’t present vaccine cards at the border control points will be asked to turn back, said PNP chief Gen. Dionardo Carlos. The capital region, Bulacan, and several provinces and cities have been upgraded to Alert Level 3 until January 15 as daily infections, believed to be driven by the Omicron variant, approach record highs with the peak yet to be seen.
“The PNP is fully aware that movement must not be hampered, but non-essential travel can be controlled,” Carlos said in a statement.
Daily coronavirus infections in the Philippines hit 21,819 cases on January 7, bringing the total active cases to 77,369.
On January 6, President Rodrigo Duterte said people who have not taken COVID-19 shots will be arrested if they disobeyed stay-at-home orders.
At the end of last year, 49.8 million people had been fully vaccinated, or 45% of the country’s 110 million people. Under Alert Level 3, unvaccinated people can only step out of their homes for essential trips.
NOTE: This article first appeared on Reportr.world. Minor edits have been made.
