Thousands of people have jammed coronavirus vaccination centers in the Philippine capital, defying social distancing restrictions, after false news spread that unvaccinated residents would be deprived of cash aid or barred from leaving home during a two-week lockdown that started today (Friday).

Officials placed Metropolitan Manila back under lockdown until August 20 as a new spike in Covid-19 infections that health officials say could be due to the highly contagious delta variant threatens to overwhelm hospitals.

A day before the lockdown, false news spread on social media that unvaccinated residents would either be prohibited from leaving their homes to go to work or deprived of 1,000 pesos ($20) aid. It sent large crowds heading for vaccination centres in the cities of Manila, Las Pinas and Antipolo even without prior registrations.

Read the full AP story here.