STARTING Tuesday (February 1), the “no vax, no ride” policy will no longer be in effect in the National Capital Region (NCR) for as long as the area is under an eased Alert Level (ALS) 2 restriction.

According to Undersecretary Jonathan Malaya of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), the policy restricting unvaccinated individuals will only be applicable during a heightened ALS 3.

The decision to suspend the health restriction has brought some sort of relief among the unvaxxed or the partially inoculated persons.

Malaya said that the policy is only applicable when the capital region is under Alert 3 or higher,..

“Ngayon na nasa Alert Level 2 tayo magmula bukas (Feb. 1) ay hindi na po ito puwedeng ipatupad,” he said in a televised public briefing Monday (Jan. 31)

Metro Manila with an estimated population of 13 million will be placed under a lowered level 2 from February 1 to 15.

The government’s task force for emerging infectious disease has also placed seven other provinces under the same restriction.

This time under this alert level, Malaya said that minors are allowed to go outdoors but are subject to local government guidelines.

However, Malaya pointed out that the police will continue to man checkpoints in areas under Alert 3 “as ordered by President Rodrigo Duterte.’’

“Ang payo po ng DILG sa ating mga kababayan, dalhin pa rin po natin iyong mga vaccination card natin dahil baka hihingin po ito sa mga checkpoints,” the DILG Spox said.

Meanwhile, with regards to the vaccination of minors, Malaya explained that this will be done on a phase by phase basis starting on Feb. 4 in Metro Manila for the 5 to 11 age category.

“Meron po tayong mga initial na lugar kung saan magkakaroon ng vaccination for the 5 to 11 age category. Ang mga napili pong mga lugar for the launch is mga ospital karamihan. Philippine Children’s Medical Center, Philippine Heart Center, National Children’s Hospital, kasama na rin po ang Manila Zoo, SM North at FilOil Gym,’’ he stated.

Aside from these venues, Malaya disclosed that the phase by phase vaccination for the 5 to 11 years old age category will be done in 30 more various locations including in the areas of Central Luzon and CALABARZON (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, Quezon).

According to Malaya, it will be the Department of Health that will make the formal announcement on how the phase to phase launching of the various vaccination sites will be made.