Borongan: A strong typhoon slammed into the eastern Philippines on Thursday after authorities evacuated tens of thousands of people while trying to avoid the virus risks of overcrowding emergency shelters.
The first typhoon to hit the country this year rapidly gained force as it blew from the Pacific then barged ashore in San Policarpio town in Eastern Samar province around noon, a weather official said.
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Videos have shown fierce rain and the wind swaying coconut trees, rattling tin roofs and obscuring visibility in Eastern Samar, where some towns lost power.
Typhoon Vongfong, which was packing maximum sustained winds of 150 kilometers per hour (93 miles per hour) and gusts of up to 185 kph (115 mph), was forecast to blow northwestward and barrel across densely populated eastern provinces and cities before exiting in the north on Sunday.
Overcrowding in emergency shelters is a common scene in the archipelago hit by about 20 typhoons and storms annually and regularly experiencing volcanic eruptions and earthquakes.
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The typhoon came as the Philippines is trying to fight COVID-19 outbreaks, the illness caused by the virus, largely by locking Filipinos in their homes and prohibiting gatherings that can set off infections.
More than 11,600 infections, including 772 deaths, have been reported in the country.
For most people, the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks.
But the virus is highly contagious and can be spread by those with mild or no visible symptoms.
For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia, and could lead to death.
AP
