Total lockdown being considered if people to continue going outside – Palace

April 16, 2020

Malacanang said on Thursday that a "total lockdown" is being considered if more people would continue defy the order to remain at home while the enhanced community quarantine is being enforced in Luzon, including Metro Manila, and in other parts of the country to contain the coronavirus disease.

In a virtual press briefing, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said it is "fake news" that there will be a total lockdown in the next two weeks.

"However, it's not fake news that the total lockdown is being considered, especially if there will be (people) who will continue to be stubborn on the streets. So, let us not prolong this ECQ," he said.

"Of course, if we cannot flatten the curve, we can't reduce the COVID cases, that's one of the options being considered," he stressed.

He reiterated the call to the public to just follow the order.

The Philippines, if not the highest, but has one of the highest number of confirmed COVID-19 cases among the 10-member ASEAN countries despite the implementation of the Luzon-wide lockdown.

"Well, we're not denying the data. But what we're doing is first, we're calling on, requesting all the Filipinos...there are so many stubborn (persons). And because of that, we're again number one in ASEAN with the highest number of COVID-19, it's very embarrassing," he said.

Roque reiterated Duterte's call for the people to be "homeliners."

He even urged the mothers to lead in enforcing the ECQ at home.

"It's better if you (mothers) can enforce it, your husband could no longer visit his paramour," Roque said.

Meanwhile, Inter-Agency Task Force on the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases Spokesperson and Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles said Duterte has tasked a small group to look on the COVID-19 data and to plan what will happen by April 30, the last day of the Luzon-wide ECQ.

"They (small group) are the ones that are currently gathering all of the data and data analytics, so we discussed this a bit during the IATF meeting yesterday. And the promise of the groups is by Monday, meaning next Monday - this coming Monday next week - they will have something to present to the IATF. So let's wait," he said.

Nograles said the flattening of the curve is just one of the five aspects in deciding what would happen after April 30.

He reiterated the parameters in coming out with a decision, such as the epidemiological curve; the health aspects; social aspect; economic aspect; and security aspect.

"So...after April 30, we will try to set up new guidelines for the new normal. All things being considered if we can see good things withing the next week...so, each of us really need to cooperate, to make the decision easier for us," he said.

"The more that you're becoming stubborn, the more it becomes difficult to make the decision...of course all of us want to go back to new normal," he added. Celerina Monte/DMS