Sulu Governor Abdusakur Tan said on Wednesday that the island province will be placed under a lockdown for two weeks starting January 4 amid the new strain of coronavirus disease in nearby Sabah.

In the televised "Laging Handa" press briefing, Tan said the lockdown will be until January 17 and "extendable depending on the situation."

He said locally stranded individuals, overseas Filipino workers, and returning residents, if they are not frontliners, would not be allowed to enter Sulu.

"This lockdown is only for the incoming and outgoing (individuals) who are not authorized. Only authorized (to enter Sulu) are the uniformed personnel and health workers," he said.

But Tan said goods and other basic commodities, such as food, coming from Zamboanga are allowed entry.

He assured that the provincial down to municipal government would provide assistance to those in need during the lockdown. Celerina Monte/DMS