Strict lockdown over Christmas and New Year: Fake news, according to the government
No, there won't be a strict lockdown over Christmas and New Year due to the coronavirus pandemic, says the government.
Rumors have been circulating that another strict quarantine measure will be imposed from Dec. 23 to Jan. 3 of next year in anticipation of the holiday gatherings. Malacañang Palace denied this and reported it as "fake news."
The National Task Force against COVID-19 retired Gen. Restituto Padilla warned the public to stay vigilant to fake news. “Everyone is strongly advised not to believe news or information coming from unverified sources. Please ensure you verify or ask authorities or trusted organizations about the veracity of such information before believing and passing it around. Let us not be instruments of fake news distribution and help our fellow kababayans,” Padilla said.
Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles also said something similar and asked the public to be careful with what they share online. “Alamin ang totoo. Huwag maniwala at huwag po magkalat ng fake news lalo na ngayong panahon. Patuloy lang po tayo maging responsable sa sarili at sa pamilya (Know the truth. Don’t believe and don’t spread fake news especially during this time. Let’s continue being responsible for ourselves and our family),” he said.
President Rodrigo Duterte announced early this month that Metro Manila, the provinces of Batangas and Lanao del Sur, Davao del Norte and cities of Iloilo, Tacloban, Iligan, and Davao will remain under general community quarantine (GCQ) until end of December, while the rest of the country will be under the least stringent modified general community quarantine (MGCQ).
As we near Christmastime, the Department of Health (DOH) is constantly reminding the public to follow quarantine guidelines and observe proper health standards. They have also adviced people "to consider modifying their Christmas activities or resorting to virtual activities," to help minimize the spread of the virus.