NOTE: THIS STORY WAS FIRST PUBLISHED IN THE BOHOL CHRONICLE’S SUNDAY PRINT EDITION.
Reports that a city-wide lockdown will be imposed starting December 21 up to 24 is fake news circulated by some unscrupulous persons who want to create chaos among residents.
Instead, Mayor Baba Yap told the Chronicle during an interview yesterday that the curfew in the city will be moved to 12 midnight, instead of 10 p.m. in time for the holidays.
The shortened curfew from 12 midnight to 4 a.m. will be in effect on Dec. 22 to Jan 2.
“This is aimed to decongest places where people converge in the city like malls, restaurants, including churches,” the mayor explained.
The mayor said the shortening of the curfew was well thought of in order to decongest these places where social distancing might no longer be observed.
The Tagbilaran City mayor assured the public that a city-wide lockdown will not be implemented.
The mayor countered information being peddled through a local radio station which claims that he will order the supposed implementation of a city-wide lockdown from December 21 to 24 to restrict entry into the city.
“Thankfully, as of today, the number of COVID-19 positive and active cases in Tagbilaran City is zero. Hopefully we can maintain that. And it is not true we will have a lockdown. Even the provincial government have already lifted granular lockdowns as the number of COVID-19 cases has gone down,” the city mayor said.
Yap warned the public to be wary of information that have not been announced through his official social media page, and that of the city government, as well as those that have been reported and verified by media outlets.
He also cautioned the public to be vigilant against disinformation in some paid radio programs out to create confusion among city residents.
While there will be no lockdowns, the city mayor however appealed to city residents to refrain from having mass gatherings and to always observe health protocols.
As of yesterday, Tagbilaran City has not registered any new COVID cases as the number of recoveries remained at 92.
Meanwhile, churches in the province are being closely monitored as to its implementation of social distancing among church goers.
This started last Wednesday on the first day of Misa de Gallo.
Church authorities designed the holding of an anticipated Simbang Gabi in order to decongest the churches. However, despite the holding of an evening anticipated mass, Misa de Gallo still gathers a huge crowd of parishioners enough to maximize the allowable 60% of the Church. In most churches, people are seen at the church grounds since the maximum allowed inside the churches are already full.