CAGAYAN – Residents of Tuguegarao City have reportedly started to resort to panic-buying in anticipation of an official announcement, placing the city under enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) or modified ECQ (MECQ) due to the worsening coronavirus disease (COVID-19) situation in the city.
This was confirmed by Cagayan Information Officer Roger Sending, who told The Manila Bulletin that local residents have started to flock to supermarkets and public markets to stock up on food and other basic necessities.
“Nagsimula na ang mga tao na magdagsaan sa supermarkets at nagmamadaling bumili ng kanilang mga stocks ng pagkain sa takot na paglockdown sila ay mawalan ng pagkain,” Sending said.
Tuguegarao Mayor Jefferson Soriano had earlier said he would be seeking more stringent quarantine restrictions after a spike in the number of COVID-19 cases was noted in the city.
Soriano reportedly had a meeting with the regional Inter-Agency Task Force on COVID-19 on Tuesday, January 19, and is expected to make a formal announcement on Wednesday, January 20, on the new quarantine level for the city.
As reports of panic-buying started to circulate in the province, the provincial director of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) called on Cagayanons to refrain from going on a shopping binge to avoid a temporary shortage of supply of food and basic commodities.
Ma. Salvacion A. Castillejos, DTI provincial director, said in a statement that there was no need for the public to go on panic buying as there was enough supply of basic necessities and prime commodities in the groceries and supermarkets in the City.
"Thus, we would like to advise the buying public to refrain from panic buying to avoid a temporary shortage of supply. Regular deliveries of basic necessities and prime commodities are not hampered during the proposed quarantine period.’ she said.