MANILA, Philippines – Unvaccinated individuals in the country’s capital are now prohibited from going outside of their residences, Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) Chairman Benhur Abalos announced on Monday, January 3. 

During a briefing on Monday, Abalos said the Metro Manila Council, consisting of Metro Manila mayors, approved the resolution, which further restricted the movement of unvaccinated individuals in the National Capital Region (NCR). 

Under the guidelines, unvaccinated individuals should remain inside their homes except when buying necessities, going to work, or other essential activities. Outdoor exercises for such people are allowed within their vicinity. 

The complete list of prohibited activities for unvaccinated individuals is as follows:

• Should remain inside their homes except when buying essential goods, going to work, and other essential activities. 
• Banned from dining in. Other social and leisure travels such as going to malls is also prohibited. 
• Barred from domestic travels using public transportation – land, air, and sea – except when procuring essential goods. 

However, Abalos clarified that the new rules were subject to finalization since the local government units were encouraged to create local ordinances to enforce the guidelines. 

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The MMDA chairman added that the rules also apply to individuals who only have a single dose of COVID-19 vaccine. 

“Personally [yes], but binasa ko kanina, they approved it in principle… Sana’y maunawaan ninyo po. Ito po ay temporary measure lamang (I read it earlier, they approved it in principle. I hope you understand. This is just a temporary measure),” Abalos said. 

The guidelines were earlier mentioned by Acting Presidential Karlo Nograles during the announcement of the implementation of Alert Level 3 status in the NCR on December 31, 2021.

As of January 2, the Philippines recorded additional 4,600 COVID-19 cases, with 21,418 active cases. – Rappler.com