MANILA — Drivers who do not belong to the Authorized Persons Outside Residence category will be allowed to fetch APORs during the 2-week lockdown of Metro Manila, the Philippine National Police said on Thursday, as it revised an earlier rule.

The PNP previously said non-APORs are banned from driving for APORs, which some criticized given limited public transport, ahead of the Aug. 6 to 20 enhanced community quarantine of the capital region.

Following "public clamor" against this rule, PNP chief chief Gen. Guillermo Eleazar said he consulted with Interior Secretary Eduardo Año.

"Siya po ay nagbigay ng guidance na ia-allow na po ang mga non-APOR driver para sa worker-APORs natin," he said in a Palace press briefing.

(He gave guidance that non-APOR drivers for worker-APORs would be allowed.)

The APORs’ certificates of employment should indicate the name of their non-APOR drivers, their vehicle’s plate number, and the employer’s contact details. They should also present a copy of the employer’s business permit, said the police chief.

Police will conduct "random checking" of these documents, falsification of which could lead to charges, he added.

Company shuttle services remain encouraged, Eleazar said.

Video courtesy of PTV

The Philippines has recorded more than 1.6 million coronavirus infections, the second highest in Delta-ravaged Southeast Asia, including nearly 28,000 deaths.

So far, it has confirmed more than 200 Delta infections, many of them local cases, and there are fears the more contagious strain could tear through the nation like it has in neighboring countries.

Independent research group OCTA had called for an immediate lockdown in the capital, warning daily cases there could triple to 3,000 by mid-August if action were not taken.

"It could overwhelm (the health care system) in a few days at that rate," Ranjit Rye of OCTA told AFP this week.

Previous lockdowns have already shattered the economy, thrown millions out of work and left many families hungry.

The national capital region and surrounding provinces were last locked down in March as record infections pushed hospitals to their limit.

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— With a report from Agence France-Presse