Albay guv cancels Magayon festival

LEGAZPI CITY --- Albay's famed Magayon Festival has joined the list of the country's tourist-magnet events scrapped because of health fears caused by the 2019 Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV).

Albay Gov. Al Francis Bichara announced the cancellation of the month-long Magayon Festival Wednesday, Feb. 5 during a meeting with all department heads of the provincial government at the Governor's Guest House.

The Magayon Festival is held every April in honor of the Bicol region's iconic Mount Mayon.

"We need to avoid events that will draw in crowds," said Dorothy Colle, provincial tourism officer.

As of this writing, there are still no recorded incidents of nCoV infections in the Bicol region.

In the same meeting, Bichara approved Albay's purchase of four thermal scanners to identify people with fever and other flu-like symptoms.

These thermal scanners will be placed at the Legazpi City Domestic Airport, Legazpi City Grand Bus terminal, malls and a still unspecified public place.