A person suspected of having been infected with the novel coronavirus (nCOV) has tested negative, the provincial government of Camiguin said Monday.

“The person under investigation tested negative, he is stable and is scheduled to be discharged today (Monday) from Camiguin General Hospital,” said Dr. Gretchen Cabalang, the provincial health officer, in a health bulletin.

“We would like to assure the public that we will continue to monitor the person, his traveling companions as well as any tourist arriving in the province,” Cabalang added.

A report by the Philippine Information Agency quoted Governor Jurdin Jesus Romualdo as saying Monday that the island has around 106 Chinese tourists.

Romualdo said each Chinese tourist is being checked, especially those who are from mainland China.

“The province has instituted mandatory protocols in monitoring and safeguarding the possible introduction [of novel coronavirus] in our territory,” Romualdo was quoted as saying.

Camiguin is considered as one of the country’s prime tourist destinations, with thousands of local and foreign tourists visiting the province’s attractions and sites all year round.

The provincial government has recorded more than half a million visitors last year, with peaks during major activities such as the Lanzones Festival held in October and the “Panaad” during the Lenten Season.

The 2019 novel coronavirus, also known as 2019-nCoV, is a virus identified as the cause of an outbreak of respiratory illness first detected in Wuhan, China. (PNA)