Bohol is still under General Community Quarantine (GCQ), Governor Art Yap said early Friday, refuting an earlier national media report which indicated that the entire Central Visayas including the province was placed under the stricter Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ).

Yap called the article “fake news.”

However, the news item, published online and in print by the Philippine Star, was based on a statement issued by Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire’s on Thursday.

“We have observed increase of COVID cases in Central Visayas so we have decided to place the region under enhanced community quarantine,” Vergeire was quoted as saying by the Philippine Star.

The national media outlet’s online version of the news has been deleted as of Friday morning.

According to Yap, he spoke with Vergeire early Friday and found out that Bohol is still under GCQ.

It was clarified that only Cebu City which now has a high infection rate is placed under the more stringent ECQ.

“Ang maayong balita natong tanan at least magpabilin tang General Community Quarantine karong mga panahuna,” the governor said.

The shift to ECQ would have once again shut down non-essential businesses in the province and led to the re-imposition of movement restrictions in the province.

Bohol has only recently allowed the offering of restaurant dine-services and conduct of religious gatherings, although both are limited to fill their establishments by 30 percent and 25 percent, respectively.

“Kung mo balik ta sa ECQ, daghan ang mausob…mga establishments na non-essential mo balik na ipasara nato, ang mga simbahan no Masses again,” said Yap.

Based on the DOH 7’s data, there are 5,566 COVID-19 cases in Central Visayas but most of these are recorded in Cebu City with 4,832 cases.

Bohol meanwhile has 18 confirmed cases, based on data from the Provincial Health Office.