The road toward population protection just got wider with the arrival of 1.5 million doses of government-procured Sinovac Covid-19 vaccine on Saturday. Department of Health’s Dr. Ariel Valencia, the Director for Supply Chain Management Service, said the new supply will be distributed nationwide for second-dose rollout. One million doses of Sinovac also arrived three days earlier as the country upped to 14.5 million the total doses of Sinovac, including those donated by the Chinese government and procured by the private sector and local government units. Vaccine czar Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. earlier said 16,790,240 doses will be delivered this month

Active surveillance of coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) cases by the Department of Health in Region 10 (DOH-10) has enabled it to detect the Delta variant in two Northern Mindanao cities. The DOH Central Office announced on Friday that of the 16 recent Delta variant cases, six are in Misamis Oriental — five from this city, and one from Gingoog City. They have already recovered, according to DOH Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire on Saturday. Dr. David Mendoza, DOH-10 chief epidemiologist, said in an online briefing on Saturday that they were looking into the Cycle Threshold (CT) value. “When the CT value

More than 150 people were killed and over 650 injured in flooding in western Germany, officials said on Sunday. At least 110 people lost their lives in the hard-hit Ahrweiler district of the Rhineland-Palatinate state, the Koblenz Police Department said in a statement. It also reported 670 injuries due to floods. In neighboring North Rhine-Westphalia, officials confirmed 45 deaths. Germany’s worst floods in more than 200 years triggered by midweek heavy rains caused widespread devastation in various towns and villages in the western regions bordering Belgium and France. On Saturday, heavy rains hit the eastern state of Saxony and the

The Bicol Regional Task Force Covid-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) and the Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (RDRRMC) are on alert status for the arrival of a tugboat and barge from Butuan City reportedly with crew members infected with the virus, the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) said on Sunday. In an interview, Gremil Naz, OCD spokesperson, said the agency raised the alert on Saturday after receiving a report that M/V Tug Clyde and Barge Claudia would arrive at a private port in Sto. Domingo, Albay around 5 p.m. on Tuesday, with 20 crew members, 12 of whom are Covid-19

The Army’s 4th Infantry Division (4ID) on Saturday handed the Order of Lapu-Lapu to the bereaved family of Pvt. Jesfel Maquiabas who initially survived the C-130 plane crash in Patikul, Sulu but died of complications nearly two weeks after. The merit medal was handed to the 26-year-old’s relatives at the 4ID headquarters here, according to Col. Michele Anayron Jr., Assistant Division Commander for Retirees Reservist Affairs. Cash assistance was also provided by the Presidential Management Staff. The remains of Maquiabas arrived here from Zamboanga City on Saturday morning. A mass was held at the 4ID gymnasium before the body was

The Covid-19 Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and ward tents donated by the Department of Health (DOH)–Calabarzon at the Quezon Medical Center in Lucena City are now ready for utilization. Among the logistics, medical supplies, and equipment delivered were ambulatory blood pressure monitor, pulse oximeter, non-rebreather oxygen face mask, nasal cannula adult, nasal cannula pedia, non-contact thermal thermometer, pulse oximeter, beds with mechanical cranks with side rails and mattress, emergency cart/crash cart, electric ICU beds, oxygen therapy set, oxygen tank, pulse oximeter, and high flow nasal cannula with machine. “The regional office also provided manpower by deploying human resource for health