Philippines bans unvaccinated from public transport as infections spike

A woman stands beside a car as vehicles line up for a booster shot of coronavirus disease vaccine, at a drive-through vaccination site, in Manila, Philippines. - Reuters

MANILA, Jan 15 (Reuters): The Philippines will push through with its plan next week to ban from public transportation people who are not vaccinated against Covid-19, officials said on Friday, as the country grapples to quell a surge in infections.

The ban applies to the notoriously congested capital region of about 13 million people, where most new cases have emerged, but has faced stiff opposition from the country's human rights commission, which called it restrictive and discriminatory.