MANILA — Sulu will go on lockdown in early January to prevent the spread of a new, more contagious coronavirus variant, the province's governor said on Wednesday.

Sulu Governor Abdusakur Tan said he signed on Tuesday night an executive order that would lock down the country's southernmost province from Jan. 4 to 17, 2021.

"Extendable po iyan, depende po sa sitwasyon. At alam iyan ng ating mga kababayan dito na ito ay para sa kanila," he said in a public briefing.

(That may be extended, depending on the situation. And our compatriots here know that it is for their own good.)

The lockdown will ban the entry of returning migrant workers and residents who are not frontliners, said Tan. Goods from other areas will still be allowed entry into the province, said its governor.

Tan earlier said the lockdown was necessary after nearby Sabah detected the new coronavirus variant from the UK.

He also requested from the national government assistance in patrolling Sulu's coastlines, machines for coronavirus testing, and additional food supply.

President Rodrigo Duterte has suspended flights from the UK and banned the entry of foreign travelers from 19 other territories to prevent the entry of the new variant.

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