Lucena ‘hard lockdown’ is fake news, says authorities

LUCENA CITY – The Lucena City police force on Saturday strongly denied reports on social media that the local government is set to enforce a “hard lockdown” as a final measure before the transition after May 15 from an enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) to a general community quarantine (GCQ).

“There will be no implementation of hard lockdown in the city contrary to rumors,” the Lucena police said on its Facebook page.

The local police emphasized that what was being implemented by local law enforcers is the government ECQ order meant to stop the transmission of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

Arnel Avila, Lucena City public information officer, also refuted the disinformation being spread on social media.

“What we’re being presently studied by the local Inter-Agency Task Force are the guidelines once the city is placed under general community quarantine on May 16,” Avila stressed on his Facebook.

According to Interior Secretary Eduardo Año, Quezon province is one of the areas in the country that is expected to be placed under a GCQ status once the ECQ ends on May 15.

The supposed implementation of a hard lockdown in the city that has been spread in social media has caused many residents to panic buy food items in groceries and markets.

Under hard lockdown status, residents are strictly not allowed to go out of their houses. Only health workers, police and military personnel, and other workers in essential services are allowed to go out,

Commercial business operations including markets are also prohibited during a hard lockdown.

/MUF