Thousands evacuated as storm approaches
AUTHORITIES evacuated tens of thousands of people in the south of the country as tropical storm Dujuan approaches.
About 51,400 people have been moved to 331 evacuation centres in the provinces of Surigao del Norte, Surigao del Sur, Agusan del Norte, Dinagat Islands, and Butuan City, the disaster risk reduction and management agency said.
The first storm to hit the Philippines this year maintained its maximum sustained winds of 65kph and gusts of up to 80kph, the state weather bureau said in its 2pm report.
Dujuan, locally known as Auring, is forecast to make landfall on the Dinagat Islands-Eastern SamarLeyte area, about 600km to 700km south of Manila, between yesterday evening and today morning.
The storm was 320km east of Hinatuan, Surigao del Sur and has started moving northwestward at 15kph. It is expected to bring heavy rains and trigger landslides, although it may weaken into a tropical depression before it makes landfall.
An average of 20 typhoons pass through the Philippines every year, in most cases forcing the evacuation of thousands of people. — Bloomberg
MEXICO CITY: The first shipment of Covid-19 vaccines from Chinese company Sinovac arrived in Mexico City, authorities reported.
The drugs came about a week after authorities said that Mexico’s Federal Commission for Protection Against Health Risks had authorised emergency use for the Sinovac and CanSino Biologics vaccines.
The arrival marked new advances and important triumphs in cooperation between the two countries, Chinese Ambassador to Mexico Zhu Qingqiao said at the airport.
“The completion of the delivery of the vaccines shows, once again, that the people of China and Mexico are close sisters and brothers, and it reflects the great importance given by China to the Sino-Mexican relations,” he said. — Xinhua