Presidential spokesman Harry Roque belied reports of another series of hard lockdown this holiday season until on the first week of January next year.
In his statement, Roque, who was then the subject of criticisms from the public, several personalities and by netizens in social media sites over his series of violations in health protocols, even called such report as fake news, adding that the social media posts claiming the return of enhanced community quarantine in time for the holiday has already been denied by the Inter-Agency Task Force on the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF).
The Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) on the other hand echoed Roque’s statement adding that the government has not even prepared a draft as to the quarantine status during the Yuletide season.
One of the social media posts which went trending reads: “Nagannounce dito. Lockdown Dec. 22 – Jan. 2”
Another reads: “Oy strict lockdown na naman daw ng December”
Another post said: “Badtrip yung lockdown ng Dec. 22,” another account also tweeted.
President Rodrigo Duterte placed Metro Manila, Batangas, Iloilo City, Tacloban City, Lanao del Sur, Iligan, and Davao City under general community quarantine (GCQ) until the end of December.
The rest of the country is under modified general community quarantine until the end of the year.