Manila (VNA) - Vaccination centres across the Philippinecapital Manila are trying to speed up inoculation rates, including by stayingopen 24 hours, to help deal with a sharp rise in COVID-19 infections due to thespread of the highly contagious Delta variant.

Movement in metro Manila, an urban sprawl of 16 cities hometo 13 million people, has been restricted to contain the Delta variant. Somevaccination centers decide to operate at night to avoid crowds during the day aspeople scramble to get a jab.

Last week, thousands queued outside Manila vaccinationcentres after rumours spread that people would not be able to leave their homesif they did not get their shots.

With just over 10 percent of the country's 110 million people fullyvaccinated, millions remain vulnerable to infection amid efforts to fullyimmunise up to 70 million before the year ends.

Since the outbreak, the Philippines has recorded more than 1.67 million casesof COVID-19 and 29,000 deaths. More hospitals in the the country reported that their intensive care units, isolation beds, and treatment wardsare operating at almost full capacity. Some hospitals have to deny admission ofpatients due to lack of beds and ventilators./.