Over 60,000 residents have been evacuated from areas around Mount Mayon as of today.
This is up from the 40,000 who have already evacuated earlier this week.
According to the Philippine Daily Inquirer, the danger zone is now at an 8-kilometer radius around the volcano. Towns on the ninth kilometer around Mayon have also been preemptively evacuated.
The Philippine Institute of Seismology and Volcanology (PHIVOLCS) maintains the alert level at 4, one step away from the highest alert level.
According to a Reuters report, schools were shut in 17 cities and municipalities in Albay and nearby Camarines Sur province, where they have also seen some ashfall.
Over 60 flights to Legazpi and nearby areas have also been canceled.
According to PHIVOLCS volcanologist Eduardo Laguerta, Mayon has ejected 6.2 million cubic meters of molten lava.
The Philippine Red Cross (PRC) plans to distribute 10,000 face masks to residents living near the volcano.
According to a report in CNN Philippines, over 602 cases of coughs and colds, and 597 cases of acute respiratory infections have been reported from Jan. 15 to 23.
Phreatic eruptions started on Mount Mayon on Jan. 13.
PRC also plans to set up stations where residents can get clean drinking water and use restrooms.
PRC chairman and Senator Richard Gordon said they’ll be looking for doctors and nurses to look into respiratory illnesses of those in evacuation centers.
