Water Consumption Prohibited in Las Tablas for Festival

The process is proceeding with optimal results; however, it will not be possible to drink tap water this weekend, when Las Tablas is crowded with thousands of visitors from all over the country. This weekend of the 1,000 pollera parade and the water coming from the taps still cannot be consumed, reported Health Minister Fernando Boyd Galindo. This procedure has just begun, so the water still cannot be consumed, the minister said. He added that after the cleaning of the distribution network in Las Tablas, the cleaning of Guararé will follow, then La Villa de Los Santos, and finally Chitré. Boyd Galindo stated that in the coming days, the results will be released so that the Ministry of Health can finally authorize the consumption of water. Similarly, the laboratories of IDAAN confirmed that the water in Las Tablas is suitable for drinking; however, regulations indicate that an external laboratory must be sought to certify it. The head of the ministry explained that the water treatment plants in Chitré and La Villa de Los Santos, as well as the distribution network in Las Tablas, have already been cleaned by IDAAN. The next major festival after the parade will be the carnivals, which will take place in four weeks, and the main point of convergence will be the Azuero Peninsula.