No lockdown for visitors in Baguio City amid coronavirus threat
MANILA, Philippines — Baguio City has not imposed a lockdown for tourists and visitors, the city government said Wednesday.
“Mayor Benjamin Magalong reiterates his pronouncement that Baguio City is not on lockdown,” Baguio Public Information Office said on a Facebook post.
“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,” it added.
The Baguio City government made the statement after Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana suggested to move the Philippine Military Academy homecoming to a “more auspicious date” amid growing concerns over the deadly coronavirus.
He also said the decision of PMA to close its campus in Baguio City to visitors is in line with the decision of Magalong, who “imposed a mandatory city-wide lockdown for tourists and visitors.”
Magalong on January 31 announced the cancelation of the opening parade of Panagbenga festival.
The city also canceled Sunday art activities along Session Road, Cordillera Athletic Meet, International Jazz Festival and all other crowd-drawing activities from February 1 to 23.
The confirmed death toll in China rose to 490 on Wednesday as millions of people in the country were ordered to stay indoors.
The virus has spread to more than 20 nations, prompting several governments, including the Philippines, to implement travel restrictions and airlines to suspend flights to and from China.
The Philippines reported Sunday the first death outside China—a man from virus epicenter Wuhan. The number of individuals being monitored for possible nCoV stood at 105, latest DOH data showed.
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