MANILA, Philippines — At least 19,000 individuals wanting to receive a COVID-19 vaccine crowded Manila City’s mall jab sites on Thursday morning.
The Manila City government had cut off the vaccination queue around 3 a.m. after allotting the 2,500 doses for each mall vaccination site.
Based on police estimates as of 2 a.m. to 3 a.m., around 7,000 to 10,000 individuals flocked SM San Lazaro, 5,000 in SM Manila, 3,000 in Lucky Chinatown, and 4,000 in Robinsons Manila.
The surge of vaccinees prompted SM San Lazaro to cancel the inoculation to ensure the public’s safety.
The police noted that the volume of people is “unusually high” as about 1,000 to 2,000 are the regular numbers of vaccinees per site.
Manila Police District (MPD) investigators learned that some individuals came from as far as Cavite, Bulacan, Laguna, and Rizal.
“They came in many groups, they came in many vans,” MPD investigators shared.
The people who gathered at the vaccination sites said that they feared not being able to go out after hearing reports that those unvaccinated cannot leave their residences during the enhanced community quarantine in Metro Manila that will start Friday, August 6.
The Manila Public Information Office noted that most of those who lined up did not know that online registration was required before walking into vaccination centers.
Despite telling individuals in the queue that there is a cutoff, they still insisted on lining up for a chance to get vaccinated.
Manila City allows walk-in vaccinations for the public; even for non-residents and non-workers in the capital city are accommodated. Vaccinees should first register and present their QR codes at the vaccination site.
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