Only fully-vaccinated commuters will be allowed to ride public transportation in Metro Manila, the Department of Transportation said Wednesday, as it moved to help cap a COVID surge that's driven by the Omicron variant.
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, the DOTr said in a statement.
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.
A person is considered fully vaccinated two weeks after their second dose in a two-dose series, or two weeks after their single-dose Janssen vaccine.
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.
On Thursday, President Rodrigo Duterte said people who have not taken COVID-19 shots will be arrested if they disobeyed stay-at-home orders.
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