3 Indonesian DHs among 84 new Covid-19 cases

By The SUN 

Arriving passengers at HK Airport may be subjected to stricter rules

Hong Kong health officials reported 84 new Covid-19 cases today, Nov 28, as the Chief Executive announced stricter measures for newly arrived travelers, and warned of harsher penalties for those who withhold information about their infections.

Of today’s confirmed cases, three were imported, all involving Indonesian domestic workers who tested positive while in quarantine in separate hotels.

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Twenty seven were of unknown origin, while 54 were linked to previous infections, including 48 from the dance cluster, which is now the city’s biggest, with 415 patients. The city’s total tally is now 6,123 with 108 deaths.

CE Carrie Lam said on a radio program earlier today that the government will tighten its restrictions at the border by requiring all incoming travelers to only use designated transport and undergo quarantine in selected hotels.

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At present, new arrivals who test negative for the virus at the airport are allowed to take public or private vehicles to go to a hotel to start their mandatory 14-day quarantine.

Medical experts and some officials have said this could increase the spread of the coronavirus, even if the CE had, at one point, said there was little chance of this happening as the traveler had already tested negative.

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CE Lam also said during the interview that her cabinet was reviewing whether to increase the penalty for businesses and individuals who violate anti-epidemic measures, such as failing to disclose their close contacts and places they had been to during the incubation period.

Lam said the plan is to minimize threat to public health.

At present, concealing or refusing to disclose information relevant to the investigation of coronavirus cases will incur a fine of up to $50,000 and a prison sentence of up to six months.

Chuang says the extent of the infection in the community is worrying

Meanwhile, Dr Chuang Shuk-kwan from the Centre for Health Protection expressed concern anew over the mounting number of cases with unknown sources.

“Although the number of daily cases at 80 or 90 is already a lot, the number of unlinked local cases is rapidly increasing … Although we might later find out that some of them might be linked to some other clusters, the extent of spread in the community is very worrying,” she said.

Chuang also disclosed that about 80 other people had tested preliminary positive.

Of the newly reported cases, 31 were detected at community testing centers.

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Among the new cases is a teacher at Canossa School in Quarry Bay, who is part of the dance cluster. All the teachers and students there will be tested, while the school will be closed for 14 days for disinfection.

A family member of the patient who is also a teacher at Tack Ching Girl’s Secondary School in Cheung Sha Wan has tested negative, but as a precaution, the school will also be closed for one or two days.

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One of the cases with unknown source is a cleaner at Red Swastika Society Tuen Mun primary school. All teachers and students at the school will have to be tested.

Another case that cannot be traced is a chef at the high-end 81/2 Otto E Mezzo Bombana restaurant at Alexandra House in Central. A waiter there has also tested preliminary positive. All staff will have to be quarantined and the restaurant closed temporarily.

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Health officials also disclosed that 1,500 units at Penny Bay quarantine center are now fully occupied, so the government has reopened the other facilities at Pat Heung and Lei Yue Mun Park and Holiday Village.

Dr. Linda Yu, chief manager of the Hospital Authority, said 567 confirmed patients are now being treated in 20 public hospitals and the community treatment facility at AsiaWorld-Expo. Among them, seven are in critical condition, four are serious, and 556 are in stable condition.

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Trekkers ease OFW depression with charity hikes and eco-cleanups

By Vir B. Lumicao 

Trekkers gather for their first anniversary to hike, do beach cleanup, and eat

It began with a call for help from a fellow overseas Filipino worker whose village in Mindanao was ravaged by two earthquakes in the closing days of October last year.

Veteran hiker Ligaya Francisco said she and a bunch of friends wanted to help but knew it was difficult to solicit donations since her fellow helpers were also hard-up. They eventually decided to raise funds by hiking.

“Naging successful naman ang fundraising. Noong nagkasunud-sunod na ang mga humingi ng tulong ay nagtatag na kami ng grupo,” Francisco said on Nov 22, as Bagong Bayani (The Trekkers) celebrated its first anniversary with hiking and a beach cleanup in Discovery Bay, Lantau.

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The 54-year-old unassuming woman, who is called “Nanay” or “Happy” by members of The Trekkers, said there had been several requests for help this year as natural calamities and pandemic safety protocols put communities back home in difficult situations.

As the hikes for a cause became frequent, more workers joined, Francisco said. From a bunch of just eight women who met on the trails, the group that initially called itself The Trekkers grew to more than 50 members as it attracted other workers.

The group expanded even as pro-democracy protests and the coronavirus pandemic affected their activities.

Francisco says the protests and pandemic drove them further afield

“Dinaanan namin ang mga rally, pero ang pinakamatindi ay ang Covid-19 dahil mahigpit sa social distancing. Kung saan-saang gubat at bundok kami nagtago para magkasama-sama. Naghanap kami ng mga tagong lugar at isla,” said Francisco.

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There was a time when social distancing measures limited group gatherings to just two persons, but the group managed to continue hiking without breaking the rules by trekking in twos. The strict protocols were a blessing nevertheless as they enhanced group growth. 

“Noong panahong iyon ay saka naman lalo kaming lumago, dumami ang sumama sa amin,” Francisco said. She said many of their friends brought along friends until the group grew and camaraderie improved.

Members brought food so they would have picnics when they went hiking to stay away from the city, she said.

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“Kasi yung time na iyon, ang hirap e, napaka-isolated natin. Yung depression, yung gusto mong umuwi, may mga namatay hindi ka makauwi, may mga problemang pampamilya, hindi rin maayos kasi na-stuck na tayo dito. At saka yung emotional need, kailangan namin ang isa’t isa,” Francisco said.

“Pumupunta kami sa mga ganitong lugar walang tao, malaya kaming magsalita, malaya kaming tumawa, malaya kaming ilabas yung kung ano ang nararamdaman namin,” she said.

She admitted there had been intrigues due to petty misunderstandings or pressure brought about by the times, but they stayed together as a family.

“Para kaming magkakapatid, minsan may away-away, minsan nagkakatampuhan. Normal lang po iyon dahil sa panahon. Maraming pressure. Pero eto pa rin kami, magkakasama, kailangan namin ang isa’t isa, parang isang pamilya yung community,” Franciso said.

The Trekkers try to maintain social distancing even in isolated areas

The members come from all regions of the Philippines. She said the priority is helping fellow OFWs, especially since they and their families don’t get dole-outs from their government even if they need help, too. The group reaches out to any OFW, even a non-member, who is in dire need to ease her worry, especially when a family member falls ill.

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Whatever amount the members give, these add up and mean a lot, said Francisco.

She said that’s one reason why almost every week The Trekkers hold charity hikes. At the same time, Francisco said, they would do cleanups on the trails and beaches to teach members to love and protect the environment.

“Gusto kong masanay sila at magkaroon ng mind-set na kailangang mahalin ang environment, na huwag itapon ang kalat kung saan-saan kundi ilagay sa tamang basurahan,” the group’s “nanay” said.

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At their anniversary celebration, about 40 people gathered before noon on an isolated beach at the northern fringes of Discovery Bay. Many others came in twos or threes in the early afternoon.

On the site they strove to be in fours in line with protocols, even in preparing the food they served to celebrate the anniversary and the birthdays of two or three members.

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However, not all their weekends are devoted to hiking and cleanups, Francisco said. Sometimes they also hold a hammock festival, where members hang layers of hammocks from trees and spend the day or night in those nylon cocoons suspended in mid-air.    

The group has no elected leaders. It is the organic core group, including Francisco, Annabeline Allera, sisters Mary Joy Rebucan and Ma. Ana R. Bautista, as well as Jessie Lopez that coordinates activities. Lopez, who figures in several OFW fundraising drives, takes charge of The Trekkers’ charity projects.

Last Sunday, as they marked their special day, The Trekkers also superseded the group name with Bagong Bayani, or New Heroes, a name that best fits them.

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Legislator gets flak for complaining about 'exorbitant' cost of hiring FDWs

By Daisy CL Mandap 

Ip used the legislators' Q&A with the CE (below) to raise her concerns on FDW issues

Legislative Councillor  Regina Ip has come under fire for wading into the fractious issue of employment agencies squeezing money from their Filipino recruits by forcing them to undergo training, which she said would result in employers being made to pay more to hire domestic workers.

Ip used the legislators’ question and answer session with Chief Executive Carrie Lam on Thursday to complain that the training fee issue has become a “middle class concern” as it could burden many families that hire helpers from the Philippines.

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“Hiring domestic helpers is getting more costly,” said Ip, who was infamously targeted in a massive anti-racism rally in April 2015 after she suggested in an article that the Hong Kong government was allowing Filipina domestic workers to bed their expatriate bosses.

Ip suggested that Labour Secretary Law Chi-kwong step in to help ease the burden on employers, and that the government should “lobby to get the price reduced.”

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She asked what could happen if, after paying the “exorbitant fee” to get a Filipina to come over, the helper would quit after three months. In this case, she said the employer should be allowed to forgo paying for the domestic worker’s repatriation to the Philippines.

The Mission for Migrant Workers immediately took issue with Ip’s remarks, saying it suggested the workers were using the pandemic for their self-interest.

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“This is utterly unfair, prejudicial and bordering on malicious as the statement creates unwanted tension between employers and their domestic workers,” said the Mission in a press statement.

The non-government organization said there were many reasons why a worker would choose to resign within the first few months of employment, more so migrant workers who often face abuse from their employers, or need to attend to emergencies back home.

Ip with Filcom leaders in 2015, after apologizing for her remarks seen to denigrate Filipina DHs

In reality, said the Mission, scores of workers seek their help because they were being abused or unfairly treated by their employers but were reluctant to leave because they have to pay bills back home, as well as the exorbitant fees charged them by their employment agencies.

"And with the two-week rule of the HK government, only those domestic workers who resign due to grave violations of the employment contract (which they still have to prove) MAY have the chance to change to another employer without going back home first and undergoing another round of placement payments,” said the Mission.

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CE Lam responded to Ips' remarks by saying “We cannot allow too many FDHs to come here...,” suggesting that immigration’s decision to allow migrant workers to remain in Hong Kong even after being terminated was a matter of striking a balance during the time of the pandemic.

But she said Hong Kong “would certainly” take up Ip’s concern with Philippine authorities.

Asked to respond to Mrs Lam’s comment, Consul General Raly Tejada said, “We welcome this query and would reply accordingly.”

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The training fee issue that unsettled recruiters both in the Philippines and Hong Kong came up in June this year when the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration said in an opinion that the agencies should not require OFWs to undergo training.

 Filcom leader Marites Palma (kneeling) helped OFWs file claims vs their recruiters

POEA Administrator Bernard Olalia said in his letter-reply to agency leader Fred Palmiery that if the employer requires the worker to undergo training despite having a national certificate of skills proficiency (NCII), then the employer or the agency should pay for the cost.

Labour Attache Mel Dizon stoked the flames further when he said during a meeting with a group of Filipino community leaders last week that the recruiters should not charge training fees from the workers that they deploy.

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Dizon also replied in the affirmative when asked if the workers who were made to pay training fees could ask for a refund from their agencies.

This prompted a group of Hong Kong-based agencies to seek a dialogue with Dizon, during which the labor chief reportedly assured them it was not illegal for them to collect fees if the worker voluntarily agreed to undergo training.

Despite the apparent attempt to defuse the issue, around 30 OFWs trooped to the Philippine Overseas Labor Office on Sunday, to ask for a refund from their agencies, with claims ranging from Php30,000 to Php45,000. More OFWs are expected to file similar claims in the coming Sundays.

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Post offices to distribute free test packs for Covid-19 as 92 new infections reported

By Daisy CL Mandap 

A patient at the Sanatorium who never left the hospital, tested positive for Covid-19 and has since died

The Hong Kong government has announced new measures to kick-start mass testing, as the new Covid-19 cases rose to 92 today, the highest to be recorded in three months.

But what has alarmed health officials is the case of a patient at the Hong Kong Sanatorium & Hospital who was found preliminary positive for the coronavirus yesterday, then passed away.

Dr Chuang Shuk-kwan said the 77-year-old patient, who had been confined on the 33^rd floor of the private hospital in Happy Valley since August, developed a fever on Wednesday and had breathing difficulties  the next day.

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“The patient never left the hospital, so we still have to determine the source of infection,” said Dr Chuang.

She said health officials suspect the patient was infected by a relative, or a member of the medical staff who attended to her.

Two medical workers, including one who was involved in resuscitating the patient, have also tested preliminary positive for the virus. The the victim’s family member who visited her in hospital has also started feeling unwell.

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Thirteen patients who stayed on the same floor as the deceased, but who all had a private room each, will be put under quarantine, along with more than 30 staff members. The entire floor where the patients stayed had been sealed off.

Chuang said the current situation is worrying.

“The number today is the highest since early November. We’re of course worried about the trend. You can just imagine if one patient infected two relatives, the number will double. If they go out for some social activities, for example, if they have meals with 10 friends during the communicable period, one patient may infect 10 other people. So the number may escalate very fast,” she said.

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In a bid to contain the spread of the disease, the government introduced new measures that include distributing free specimen collection packs at all 121 post offices across Hong Kong from tomorrow, Nov 28.

Only one person may avail of the free test pack during office hours, while stocks last.

Those who get them will have to submit their deep throat saliva specimen to the 47 outpatient clinics of the Hospital Authority or the 13 clinics of the Department of Health.

People flocked to the Yuen Long testing centre on opening day (RTHK photo)

Also today, the government announced that the five additional community testing centers to be set up in Kowloon and the New Territories will start operations in the coming days.

They will supplement the work of the four CTCs that are already in operation in Quarry Bay Community Hall in the Eastern District, Henry G Leong Yaumatei Community Cetre, Lek Yung Community Hall in Shatin and Yuen Long Town East Community Hall.

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The five new CTS will be located at Lai King Community Hall, Wo Hing Community Hall in Fanling, Siu Lun Community Hall in Tuen Mun, Hang Hau Community Hall and Yau Tong Community Hall respectively.

The centers provide testing services at a fee capped at $240 for those who are not in the high-risk groups and are asymptomatic. But the government may also use the CTCs to conduct testing for target groups, such as the dance cluster, where 367 confirmed patients have so far been linked.

Meanwhile, the Department of Labour and Welfare also announced that the free coronavirus tests offered to foreign domestic workers waiting to move into their employers’ homes will continue to be provided from Dec 1 to 24.

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The free tests were originally offered from Aug 25 to Nov 21.

A government press release said eligible migrant workers may pick up and return  specimen collection packs at the temporary distribution and collection point located near Gate 1 of the Wan Chai Sports Ground at 20 Tonnochy Road, Wan Chai.

No prior appointment is necessary, but the FDW will be asked to provide her HKID card and passport, as well as proof of her visa status.

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FDWs who need to stay in a boarding house for an extended period while waiting for her new employment visa may retake the test as appropriate before joining the employer’s family.

Employers are also advised to ensure that their new helper has tested negative for the virus before being allowed to join their households.

Free nasal and throat swab tests were offered to FDWs earlier this year in Wan Chai

Meanwhile, health officials said that of the 92 new cases, 72 were linked to previous infections, including 58 from the dance cluster.

Seventeen had no known source, aged 14 to 70. As in the past few days, they are from various sectors, including retirees, homemakers and office workers who live all over Hong Kong. There was also a 14-year-old student who goes to SKH  All Saints' School in Mong Kok.

Three cases were imported, involving returnees from Nepal, Russia and Switzerland.

There were more than 60 preliminary cases as of 4pm today.

A total of 495 confirmed patients are in 20 public hospitals and the temporary community treatment facility at AsiaWorld-Expo. Of these, six are in critical condition, six are serious, and the rest are stable.

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