NEWS about Pampanga being put on total lockdown effective Wednesday, April 15, created panic and sent people out in supermarkets, banks, remittance centers and other essential establishments, disregarding quarantine rules and social distancing.
The Pampanga Police Provincial Office (PPPO) belied that the “province-wide total lockdown” will be implemented starting Wednesday and pointed out that it is fake news.
Several reports circulated in social media that all establishments, including groceries, public markets and drugstores, will be closed and nobody is allowed to go out.
According to PPPO director Colonel Jean Fajardo, all essential establishments approved by the Inter-Agency Task Force will not be closed for the rest of the enhanced community quarantine period.
“Stricter border control” on every cities and municipalities, however, are still implemented but only to limit the unnecessary movement of the people, she added.
Fajardo, meanwhile, called on the public anew to refrain from sharing unverified reports to the public, especially those that will create panic and fear.
She added that government agencies have official social media accounts where people can source legitimate news updates.