NO LOCKDOWN. The Baguio City government on Wednesday clarified that it is not in lockdown for tourists and visitors due to the novel coronavirus (nCoV) scare that is plaguing various countries. The task force n-CoV of the city on January 31 announced the cancelation and postponement of crowd-drawing events of the Baguio Flower Festival for three weeks to prevent the possible spread of the virus. (PNA photo courtesy of Rosa Langsa Moresto/ PIO LGU)
BAGUIO CITY- Mayor Benjamin Magalong on Wednesday clarified that there is no lockdown of the city for tourists and visitors amid the spread of the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) which has infected thousands in some parts of the world.
"Only the postponement of government-sponsored events that would attract large crowds in the next three weeks was announced as a preventive measure against the 2019 novel coronavirus," the city's statement released to the media on Wednesday morning said.
On Tuesday, government-owned television station, PTV 4, released on its Facebook page the statement of Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana entitled "Statement of the SND on the PMA Homecoming".
"The Department of National Defense supports the decision of the Philippine Military Academy to temporarily close its grounds to visitors and outsiders in light of the 2019-nCov situation. This is in step with the decision of the City Mayor of Baguio, the Honorable Benjamin Magalong, who imposed a mandatory a city-wide lockdown for tourists and visitors," the statement said.
"Unless the City Mayor reverses his decision before February 14, then I suggest that the PMA Homecoming be moved to a more auspicious date in the future," it added.
The annual alumni homecoming of the country's premier military academy here that gathers hundreds of military men and their families is set on Feb. 14 to 16.
On Friday, city task force nCoV announced the suspension of crowd-drawing events of the 25th Baguio Flower Festival as a preventive measure for the possible spread of the virus.
This was followed by the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) statement that it is closing its gates to visitors to protect the cadets from possible contamination if there is. (PNA)
