37,154 New COVID Cases Logged on Eve of 'No Vaccine, No Ride'

The Philippines on Sunday logged 37,154 new COVID-19 cases, a day before the "no vaccination, no ride" policy takes effect to help cap the surge in infections.

The day's tally brought active cases to 287,856, with a total of 30,037 new recoveries and 50 new deaths reported.

Overall, a total of 3,205,396 COVID-19 cases have been reported since the pandemic began in March 2020, of which 2,864,633 have recovered and 52,907 died.

The "no vaccination, no ride" policy is in effect under Alert Level 3 or higher in the capital region, covering travel by land, rail, sea, and air. It also covers individuals who live outside Metro Manila but who enter the region for work and travel.

Passengers will be required to present physical or digital copies of their vaccine cards, DOH-issued vaccine certification, or any government-prescribed document along with a valid government-issued ID with picture and address to public transport operators.

Exempted from the policy are:

• Persons with medical conditions preventing them from getting fully-inoculated as long as they present a duly-signed medical certificate with the doctor's name and contact details
• Persons who will buy essential goods and services, such as but not limited to food, water, medicines, medical services, public utilities, energy, work, and medical and dental necessities as long as they present a barangay health pass or other proof to justify travel.

The Department of Transportation defended the new policy, saying that it was meant to protect the public and avoid a shutdown of public transportation during the latest COVID-19 surge.

"We believe that it is more anti-poor and anti-life if we will not impose interventions that will prevent loss of life due to non-vaccinations," it said.

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