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Secondary schools to suspend in-person classes from Monday

Posted on 21 January 2022 No comments

 By The SUN

 

A Covid-19 cross-infection among students prompted the move to suspend face-to-face classes

The Education Bureau (EDB) has ordered the suspension of on-campus classes and other activities at all secondary schools from Monday, Jan 24, until Feb. 7, after the Chinese New Year holidays. All face-to-face classes in kindergarten and primary schools were suspended earlier.

EDB followed this up with a statement requiring all teachers, staff and even visitors of kindergartens, primary and secondary as well as tutorial schools, to have at least the first dose of a Covid-19 vaccine before being allowed entry into school premises starting on Feb. 24.

The orders came in the wake of a number of coronavirus cross-infections among students and a teacher at Delia Memorial School (Broadway) in Mei Foo, which spilled over to other schools such as David Li Kwok-Po College, Lantau International School and Buddhist Fat Ho Memorial School.


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An unrelated case involves a student at St Joseph Anglo-Chinese College was also found to have Covid-19 with the Delta variant.

A statement issued Thursday by the EDB said: "The epidemic situation in Hong Kong is getting severe recently with a number of confirmed cases of unknown sources. There have been invisible chains of transmission in the community. There have also been confirmed cases or preliminary confirmed cases identified in schools, resulting in compulsory testing and even quarantine of teachers and students. The EDB, after taking various factors into consideration, has made the above decision.

However, secondary six students preparing for the all-important HK DSE (Diploma of Secondary Education Examination) will be allowed to continue going to school for essential activities but for no more than half a day.

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Such an arrangement will also be allowed for students due to sit for public examinations this year.

In either case, the schools must put in place stringent anti-virus restrictions.

According to the statement, schools will remain open to look after students who do not have anyone to take care of them at home.  Staff will also have to report for work to handle school affairs and answer parents' enquiries.

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With regards to the vaccination requirement, the EDB said all staff (including school bus operators, tuck shop operators) and visitors (parents, nannies and volunteers) in schools, except those exempted for medical reasons, will be required to have at least one vaccine dose.

Their vaccination records will be checked before they are allowed entry to school premises.

In addition, those who have received only one vaccine jab are required to get the second dose within eight weeks after February 24, that is, before Apr 21.


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Those who are exempted from vaccination will still be required to undergo testing for Covid-19 once every three days. Such tests will only econdbe through nasal and throat swabs, and not self-testing kits.

And while the vaccine bubble arrangement does not apply to students, those who are within the permitted age range are also urged to get vaccinated as soon as possible to protect themselves and others, and to have more opportunities to take part in extra-curricular activities.

Schools have been told to immediately set up QR codes for "LeaveHomeSafe" (www.leavehomesafe.gov.hk/en/registration) to speed up the checking of vaccination records of everyone entering school premises starting on Feb. 24, except students who are exempted.

The school letter has been uploaded onto the EDB website (www.edb.gov.hk/attachment/en/sch-admin/admin/about-sch/diseases-prevention/edb_20220120_eng_a.pdf).

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Local Covid-19 cases spike as more unknown transmissions found

Posted on 20 January 2022 No comments

By Daisy CL Mandap

 
At least 3 different clusters of infection have emerged in various districts

Fears that there are invisible transmissions of Covid-19 inside Hong Kong have intensified after 10 local or import-related local cases were reported by the Centre for Health Protection today, Jan 20, with nearly double this number testng preliminary positive.

A total of 14 confirmed cases were reported today, four of which were imported. It is the first time since the Omicron-fueled outbreak that started late last month that infections detected locally have outnumbered those brought in by travelers from overseas.

More than 20 preliminary positive cases were also detected, and according to CHP’s Dr Chuang Shuk-kwan at today’s press briefing, “quite a lot are local cases.”

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Today’s confirmed cases include a 17-year-old male student at St Joseph’s Anglo-English College who carried the Delta variant of the coronavirus, and whose source of infection remains unknown.

Chuang said genome sequencing conducted by City University disproved the theory that his case was related to that of a salesgirl at the Little Boss pet shop in Causeway Bay, who was also found to carry the Delta variant.

The tests also revealed that the salesgirl’s genome sequence was different from that of the shop’s female customer and her husband, who also both tested positive for Covid-19 with Delta.

“At this point, it is possible that she (staff) did not directly transmit the illness to the customer. It is possible that the customer stayed in the environment where there was animals, or she has a hamster at home. So we don’t know which is the exact source of infection, but it is possible that animal to human transmission did occur,” Chuang said.

The theory was reinforced by two more people who visited pet shops testing preliminary positive for Covid-19. One bought a hamster from Little Boss while another bought pets from I Love Rabbit pet shop  in Mong Kok, which also sells hamsters.

Following the discovery, experts from CHP and the Animal and Fisheries Conservation Department visited 11 pet shops yesterday, and a sample they collected from a hamster cage in the I Love Rabbit branch in Yuen Long came back positive.

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"This shows that there is a high risk of animal to human transmission,” said Chuang. “If there is transmission from animal to human the genome sequencing would be different.”

Genome sequencing also established a link between a kindergarten teacher who lives in Mei Foo and a Pakistani housewife who triggered off a large number of infections after leaving her quarantine hotel where studies showed she picked up the Omicron variant.

Chuang said contact tracing showed the teacher took the MTR at the same time as the Pakistani woman’s two sons. Close-circuit camera showed them taking the same MTR exit nine seconds apart, all with masks on.

However, the genetic identification of their infections was said to be the same.

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Seven other confirmed cases today were also linked to this cluster. These include:

1)     a 58-year-old female teacher at Delia Memorial School (Broadway) in Mei Foo who was in the same room as a student who tested positive earlier

2)     a 14-year-old brother of one of the students at Delia who shared a room with the Pakistani woman’s son. The latest patient studies at David Li Kwok-Po College and lives in Caribbean Coast

3)     three family members, all males aged 11,14 and 16. The youngest visited the home of the student who lives in Caribbean Coast for a meal on Jan 15. One child studies at Lantau International School and the other at Buddhist Fat Ho Memorial School. A classmate of the latter is now preliminary positive

4)     A friend of the kindergarten teacher who works at K11 Musea in Tsuen Wan. She tested positive in a quarantine centre where she was taken after being identified as a close contact

5)     A friend of a friend of the kindergarten teacher

Two preliminary positive cases involving the parents of the kindergarten teacher who lives in Mei Foo have also been reported.

Covid-19 cases have been found in 7 flats in this building in Kwai Chung

A separate cluster has also been linked to an outbreak at Yat Kwai House in Kwai Chung, where the first resident to test positive was a 79-year-old man who was found infected during routine screening at Yan Chai Hospital.

The two new cases linked to the housing block are a forklift operator at the Cathay cargo terminal and a year-old baby who visited her grandmother on the seventh floor of Yat Kwai House.

Chuang said a couple of residents in the building have tested positive. Seven units on different floors are involved, and they do not all face the same direction. The affected floors are 3rd, 5th, 7th, 8th, and 11th.

The test result on a person who lives on the 26th floor is inconclusive. Meanwhile, a resident on the 8th floor went to Shenzhen on Jan 18. CHP is looking into any possible connection.

A number of the preliminary positive cases have so far been classified as unlinked, including a 24-year-old assistant social worker who works in Kwai Chung and lives in Cheung Sha Wan, a 37-year-old saleslady in Kwun Tong and lives in Tsuen Wan, and an 82-year-old man who lives in Sham Shui Po and carried the L452R strain.

CHP has so far and found that he often had breakfast at Dragon Palace in Sham Shui Po where another infected patient often had lunch. Further studies are being carried out.

Chuang also said the Environmental Protection Department has tested sewage samples collected from different parts of Aberdeen and found positive results from some. As a result, a compulsory testing notice will be issued for residents living in 20 residential buildings in the area.

As of today, a total of 13,096 confirmed cases have been found in Hong Kong. Of these, 340 are still being treated in infection control centres run by the Health Department.

FDH visa approvals drop by about half amid pandemic

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By Daisy CL Mandap 

Immigration data show a drastic drop in the number of migrant workers applying for FDH visas

Hong Kong Immigration has approved only about half of all new visa applications for foreign domestic helpers in the past two years of the pandemic, compared with approvals made in 2019.

The figures were revealed by Labor Secretary Law Chi-kwong during questioning by legislator Judy Chan at the Legislative Council on Wednesday, Jan. 19.

For the year 2019, the total visa applications for FDH approved by Immigration was 101,710. This went down to 68,864 in 2020 for a 32.2% drop, and to 58,152 for 2021, or an overall reduction rate of 42.8% since the pandemic began.

However, Law said more than 5,000 of these visa approvals involved re-applications by those unable to enter Hong Kong, meaning those who actually stayed or came, numbered just over 53,000, or about 48% fewer than in 2019.

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Notably, despite the drastic drop in visa applications, Immigration increasingly rejected such applications over the three-year period, both in actual numbers and percentage-wise.

For 2019, for example, the number of applications made was 102,495, meaning the number of rejections was just 785, or 0.76 of the overall number.

In 2020, when 74,253 FDHs applied, the rejections numbered 5,389 or 7.2% overall.

The ratio dropped further in 2021 to 11.46% when 7,530 of the total 65,682 applications were rejected.

What this indicates is that the drop in interest among FDHs could also be due to Immigration stepping up its scrutiny of visa applications, largely as a result of its avowed desire to keep out so-called “job hoppers”.

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Law said the visa approval figures included those from terminated FDHs allowed to process new contracts in Hong Kong under the “exceptional circumstances of Covid-19.” They did not include those who renewed their contracts, or agreed to extend them for six months, the maximum period allowed by Immigration under its new flexibility arrangement.

For such “other applications,” Law said the figure was 200,000 for 2020 and 340,000 for 2021.

Inferring from these figures, it would appear that a majority of those currently working in Hong Kong have opted to just renew their contracts, or agreed to an extension, rather than terminate their contracts and risk being called  “job hoppers.”

Asked whether it was possible for the Department to allow FDHs to come in according to the dates of their visa approval, Law said this could result to further delay.

“The administrative arrangement involved therein (including arranging submission of documents as proof such as work visa and vaccination record, etc. as well as the registration from families employing FDHs, compiling of the waiting list, making announcement on the order of priority, accepting new registrations regularly and updating the waiting lists, etc. is complicated,” he said.

Law says entry by visa approval date could create more problems

“It may cause delay and affect more FDHs waiting to come to work in Hong Kong.”

Law said a total of 2,288 rooms for quarantine will be available to incoming FDHs starting on Feb 1, with the addition of 150 more rooms at Rambler Garden Hotel. The other designated quarantine facilities are Courtyard by Marriott in Shatin and Regala Skycity in Tung Chung.

He said the government understands the need of local families for FDHs and will consider adding more DQFs, “having regard to the global and local epidemic situation.”

As for the employment agency figures supplied by Law, it would appear that despite the big number of complaints made against them, prosecution had been rare.

In 2020, a total of 82 complaints were made, 53 of which were for overcharging, and 29 for breach of the agency Code of Practice. In 2021 this went down to 62 - 31 for each allegation.

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However, only 10 successful prosecutions were made in 2020, 3 each for illegal operation and overcharging, and 4 for other violations. In 2021, the number was down to 4, 2 for unlicensed operation, 1 for overcharging and 1 for “others.”

Seven licenses were revoked in each year following these prosecutions. Five were for overcharging and 2 for breach of CoP in 2020, while it was 2-4 and 1 for “others” for 2021.

Filipina overstayer escapes jail time

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By Leo A. Deocadiz 

The Shatin magistrate imposed a sentence more lenient than the one suggested by the defence

A Filipina escaped jail today, Jan. 20, despite pleading guilty to breach of condition of stay, which is punishable under the Immigration Ordinance by a fine of up to $50,000 and imprisonment of up to two years.

Acting Principal Magistrate of Shatin Court David Cheung Chi-wai convicted I.V. Macanta as charged and sentenced her to 16 days in prison, but suspended the punishment for 12 months.

This allowed Macanta to stay out of jail, but she was warned that if she commits a new crime in the next 12 months, she would have to serve her sentence, plus the punishment for the new crime.

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Macanta arrived in Hong Kong in April 2019 as a domestic helper. However, her contract was terminated by her employer in October 2020 after she became pregnant.

She initially got 14-day extensions of her visa, the last of which was on Feb. 5, 2021, until she was told on Feb. 23 that her application for visa extension was rejected and that she should report to Immigration to deportation proceedings.

From then on, she did not show up until Nov. 17, 2021.

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After the facts of the case were read to her, Macanta pleaded guilty.

Macanta’s lawyer explained that during the seven and a half months that she was missing, she gave birth and took care of her baby. He added that the baby’s father was a Hong Kong resident.

The lawyer also said she took care of her partner’s mother.

The lawyer sought leniency for her, citing her clean record, and recommended a suspended sentence of 24 days so that she could take care of her baby, who was just outside the court room, being looked after by the father.

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In his ruling, the judge shortened the recommended period to 16 days.

Asked how she felt about the proceedings afterwards, Macanta blurted out: “Salamat!”

Filipino-led church gives care packs to over 200 quarantined migrant workers

Posted on 19 January 2022 No comments

By Daisy CL Mandap 

Bishop Gerry Vallo with wife Edelyn after delivering goods at Regala Skycity Hotel

It began as a quiet operation to show a bit of care and compassion to Filipino migrant workers in distress, or were stuck in a quarantine hotel for 21 days, lonely and afraid of catching the virus, while barely subsisting on the food supplied to them.

It was also a time of sadness for many of the workers, as they were forced to spend Christmas and the New Year cooped inside a tiny room with only the faltering internet signal serving as their connection to the outside world.

Thus, when word got out that Bishop Gerry Vallo and his Jesus the Living God church was delivering care packs to newly arrived workers spending their compulsory quarantine in government-designated facilities, the requests came flooding in.

Bishop Gerry said he understood exactly how the quarantined workers felt, as he had to undergo mandatory quarantine himself when he returned to Hong Kong after a trip to the Philippines last year. While he spent only 14 days in a quarantine facility and the next 7 days in home quarantine, he still felt tremendous stress.

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Sadyang napakahirap ang lagay sa loob kahit anong sipag mong mag aral, magbasa, manalangin ay so stressful iyon, mentally and emotionally. Kaya nagsimula kami ng 5, 10, 15 na assorted packages. Subalit lalong umigting ang panawagan ng ating mga kababayan na maabot sila nang magka flash report sa The SUN tungkol sa pagbibigay namin ng ayuda. Mahigit 200 ang humingi ng tulong,” he recalled.

(It is really so difficult to be cooped up in a room, no matter how much effort you put into studying, reading and praying – that was really so stressful, mentally and emotionally. So we started giving 5, 10, 15 assorted packages. But the clamor for help intensified after The SUN published a flash report about our gift-giving. More than 200 reached out to us for help).

The long line of gift packs JLG gave to workers at Penny's Bay just before Christmas

Although strapped for resources, JLGC Worldwide could not turn a blind eye to the workers’ appeals for help, many of whom only asked for the most basic needs like fruits, biscuits, juice, 3-in-1 coffee mix, and with the onset of winter, ginger, lemon and salt.

Bishop Gerry said he began to pray, then explained to his congregation why there was a need to help the workers. Soon, the donations started coming in, with people giving $20, $30, $100 until some would hand in $1,000.

Narinig ng Diyos ang aming dalangin at nakita niya ang aming motibo kaya may mga pastor mula Amerika na sumuporta, at may isa ding local Chinese pastor na tumulong kaya’t mahigit 200 na assorted packs of goods and food ang naipamigay namin noong 2021,” he related.

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(God heard our prayers and saw our good intention so there were pastors in the United States who supported us, apart from a local Chinese pastor who also helped so we managed to give away more than 200 assorted packs of goods and food in 2021).

In addition, some of his Filipino pastor-friends would sometimes hand over goods for distribution or even money for transportation. Some of his church’s local partners also donated high-class toiletries to be included in the care packs.

But soliciting donations was just half of the effort. The hard work came with collecting the heavy goods, then taking them to the quarantine facilities which are located in far-off places like Tsing Yi, Shatin and Tung Chung.

Often, when nobody could lend a hand in transporting the goods to their intended recipients, Bishop Gerry would turn to his own family for help, particularly his wife, Pastora Edelyn.

A grateful worker sends a selfie with her gifts from JLG

Until early this month, their itinerary included Penny’s Bay, where one had to make a prior appointment with all the goods to be handed over listed individually. Alternatively, donors could walk in but must be prepared for a longer wait for the goods to be cleared.

But after a couple of trips to the government-run facility, the guards became less strict, even praising the bishop for his charity.

It was during this time that Bishop Gerry realized how hard it must be for some of those who did not know anyone in Hong Kong to reach out to, or whose friends are not inclined to go out of their way to travel far and be subject to strict scrutiny just to hand over some food.

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Kawawa iyong walang koneksyon o kaibigan dahil bago, kasi hindi nila alam kung paano makakakuha ng tulong samantalang yung iba ay tatlo-tatlo ang natatanggap mula sa iba-ibang grupo,” he said.

(I pitied those who did not have connections or friends because they’re new here and did not know how to get help while others got help from various groups).

One other thing that struck him was the unreasonable fear shown by some people in the community towards people who they thought were likely carriers of the coronavirus.

One time, a GoGo van they booked scampered away after learning they were going to a quarantine hotel. They were left scrambling to find a taxi that would take them, while their care packs were strewn all around them.

On Christmas day, more gift-giving by JLG members led by Bishop Gerry

But all these hurdles pale in comparison to the satisfaction Bishop Gerry gets from fulfilling a mission that perfectly aligns with JLGC’s motto, which is Minister to the needy, Evangelize the lost, Equip the saints, and Keep the faith (MEEK).

In fact, now that the arrival of Filipino migrants has slowed down because of the flight ban imposed by Hong Kong on the Philippines, he is thinking of extending help to those on the other side of the fence, or those who are stranded here because of frequent flight cancellations.

He is also looking out to help more of  those who are undergoing emotional and mental distress from the twin challenges of a long confinement and the fear of getting sick and losing the job they badly need.

“Some of our compatriots are so troubled that you cannot help them by merely giving stuff but through prayers and counseling which we are already doing now, even in the wee hours,” he said.

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Asked why he keeps doing what to many would seem like a huge undertaking, Bishop Gerry quoted Matthew 25:42-45:

“For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’

“They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’

“He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’”

(Those who wish to contact Bishop Gerry for counseling and other help may call or text him at 6051 7967)

CHP warns local spread of Covid-19 getting more serious

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By Daisy CL Mandap 

Dr Chuang warns more cases could emerge from the Omicron and Delta outbreaks

Health officials have warned that the coronavirus spread in Hong Kong is getting more severe, with seven local confirmed cases reported today, Jan 19, two of them untraceable.

Nine imported cases were also reported, taking Hong Kong’s total Covid-19 tally to 13,082.

“We have been seeing more untraceable cases so we think the pandemic situation is getting more severe,” said Dr Chuang Shuk-kwan of the Centre for Health Protection in the daily press briefing today.

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One of the untraceable cases pertains to a 26-year-old kindergarten teacher found to carry the Omicron variant. An overnight lockdown of her residential building in Mei Foo Sun Chuen did not yield any new case.

Another confirmed unlinked case is that of a 73-year-old man who lives in Yat Kwai House in Kwai Chung whose infection was detected when he underwent a medical procedure at Yan Chai Hospital.

The man often spent his time in a park near his home but on Jan 8 had his HKID card replaced at the Immigration Department.

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Today a few preliminary positive cases also raised concern as no links between them and previous infections could be established immediately.

One concerns a 17-year-old boy living in Kwun Tong and studies at St Joseph’s Anglo-Chinese College who was found to carry the L452R strain of the Delta variant.

Chuang said his case could be linked to the outbreak of the Delta variant that started in the Little Boss pet shop in Causeway Bay. A female sales staff and two customers have tested positive for the increasingly rare variant that was also found in 11 hamsters being sold at the shop.

The school boy found with the Delta variant has never been to this pet shop

However, the student found infected today has never been to the shop.

Another preliminary case with no apparent link to previous infections involves a 53-year-old male forklift driver at the airport who tested positive after developing a cough on Jan 18.

He lives in Yat Kwai House in Kwai Chung estate where the elderly man who was confirmed positive today also lives. However, officials have yet to find out if they had interactions with each other.

Even if they did, it is unclear how many other people around them have already been infected as well.

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Also listed as a preliminary case is a friend of the kindergarten teacher in Mei Foo, who works in K11 Musea in Tsuen Wan. The new patient started coughing on Jan 17, after she was sent to a quarantine centre.

Chuang said most of the confirmed and preliminary positive cases reported today had Ct values of no more than 20, indicating a heavy viral load.

The untraceable new cases prompted Chuang to call on people living in Mei Foo and Kwai Chung to get tested, as there appears to be a silent transmission of the virus in the two districts.

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Today’s confirmed cases also included the 10th and 11th patients linked to the Pakistani woman who tested positive for the Omicron variant 26 days after arriving in Hong Kong.

The mother and daughter live in a floor above that of the woman in Tung Moon House in Sham Shui Po, stoking fears of a vertical transmission in the building.

Another patient indirectly linked to what Chuang has called as “the 26th day case” is a 58-year-old teacher at Delia Memorial School (Broadway), also in Mei Foo, who acted as invigilator at an examination taken by two infected students at the school.

Another resident of Monterey Cove tests positive though no new case was found during a lockdown

One of the students is the son of the Pakistani woman while the other is his classmate who lives in Monterey Cove in Caribbean Coast, Tung Chung.

Today one of the preliminary positive cases is a 14-year-old boy who also lives in Monterey Cove, and studies at HKMA David Li Kwok-po College in Mong Kok.

CHP ordered both HKMA David Li College and St Joseph’s College to suspend face-to-face classes after the two teenagers tested positive for the virus.

Meantime, all students and teachers present during the examination at Delia School have been moved to quarantine.

Chuang warned more cases could come up from the two clusters of infections fueled by Omicron in one, and Delta in the other.

“There are signs that there are still cases coming up from the community testing centres, so we urge the public to be vigilant about hand hygiene and avoid social activities as much as possible.”


Filipina DH accused of theft settles labour claim for $20.5k

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The Tribunal officer urged both parties to settle to end their dispute once and for all

A Filipina domestic helper was today paid a total of $20,533 to settle a labour claim she filed against her former employer who terminated her and accused her of stealing some $400,000.

L.C. Lazaro still managed to say thank you to her employer after agreeing to the settlement amount which was about $11,000 less than what she had originally claimed.

“I want to be thankful to my employer,” L.C. Lazaro told Labour Tribunal presiding officer Timon Shum today, Jan. 19. “I agree to what he is willing to pay.”

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Lazaro had originally asked for $31,504, of which $17,166 was payment for one month’s salary in lieu of notice, outstanding salary, annual leave and holiday pay, air ticket and travel allowance; plus $14,338 for severance pay.

Lazaro filed her claims last November after her employer, Li Hoi Ho, called the police and accused her of stealing, before terminating her. The Filipina has denied the accusation.

Lazaro was originally hired by Li’s mother in 2016, but was terminated after seven months. After moving to Macau, she received a call from Li asking her to return to Hong Kong. Li took over signing Lazaro’s contract after his mother died. In all, the Filipina had worked for the family for four years.

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Shum clarified that both parties had agreed on the need to pay Lazaro most of her claims, with the employer offering to pay $13,194, but not for severance pay.

The tribunal officer suggested that the parties agree on the non-controversial offer of the employer of $13,184 and move on to the remaining claim that can be resolved in court.

When Lazaro questioned how the employer arrived at the offered amount, Shum said threshing out the details can be done in a court, but it will take time and it could go either way.

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“It’s up to you to argue over history,” he added.  “The possibility of the settlement is you get money first.”

Turning to Li, Shum explained that the law allows an employer to not pay the termination or severance pay if the employee does a serious misdeed, such as dishonesty, during employment.

Thus, the resolution of this issue depends on the police investigation of Li’s theft accusation, which Lazaro denies.

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But he suggested that the case can be settled fully. “I would say it’s like a fire. If it goes on, it makes you worry you may be burned,” Shum added.

Shum said Li can settle the whole case for his own peace of mind, suggesting a 50 per cent discount on what Lazaro was asking for termination or severance pay.

“Okay. I accept,” Li answered after a few minutes. This brought his total discount to $10,971.

11 new local cases reported, another vertical transmission feared

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By The SUN

 

The virus infected 8 residents in two flats in this Sham Shui Po building

Three lockdowns ordered Tuesday night by health officials did not result to any new case of Covid-19 being found, government press statements revealed this morning, Jan 19.

The buildings covered included Tower 1, Monterey Cove in Caribbean Coast in Tung Chung, Mei Foo Shun Chuen Phase 3, and Ka Sing House, Ka Lung Court, Aberdeen.

Monterey Cove is where a 16-year-old male student at Delia Memorial School (Broadway) in Mei Foo Sun Chuen, lives. He tested preliminary positive Wednesday, and is suspected to have been infected by a classmate who lived in the same flat in Tai Hang Tung Estate in Sham Shui Po as a 43-year-old Pakistani housewife who appears to have spread the virus directly to nine other people.

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The nine infections linked to the woman were among 11 new local cases reported Wednesday. A further seven imported cases were also reported, taking Hong Kong’s total confirmed Covid-19 tally to 13,066.

The two other local cases included a woman living in the Aberdeen building who was linked to the spread of the Delta variant in a pet shop in Causeway Bay, while the third is a female member of a Yau Tong household where a cluster of infections had been detected earlier.

Among the preliminary cases were two linked to the Sham Shui Po building. A 42-year-old housewife and her three-year-old child who live in a flat above that of the Pakistani woman tested positive, triggering fears of another vertical transmission. The mother and child tested negative during a lockdown on the building on Jan 15.

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As a result, everyone who lived or stayed in unit 14 on 1/F to 11/F of Tung Moon House during the incubation period will be transferred to a quarantine center.

Also testing preliminary positive is a female teacher in a North Point kindergarten whose source of infection is still unknown. She lives in the tower block in Mei Foo Sun Chuen which was also put on overnight lockdown.

No new case was found from the Mei Foo building where the kindergarten teacher lives 

The 26-year-old woman teaches at Learning Habitat Kindergarten (Novum East) in North Point. She last went to work on Jan 5 and had fever the following Sunday, Jan. 9, after shopping at a Don Don Donki shop in Tsim Sha Tsui and visiting the Harbour City and K11 malls.

She saw a private doctor on Monday where she was tested, and the result came back positive the next day.

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Another preliminary positive case is the 66-year-old husband of the woman who visited the  Little Boss pet shop, and was among those reported as a confirmed case on Wednesday. The couple live together in the Aberdeen block which was the third to be locked down

To step up testing in the affected areas, the government said it will set up mobile test stations in Sham Shui Po, Cheung Sha Wan and Mei Foo. An additional testing centre was also set up at Pak Tin community hall in Sham Shui Po.

Meanwhile, Yan Chai Hospital announced late on Tuesday that a 79-year-old man who was admitted for a colonoscopy examination has tested preliminary positive for Covid-19 during the standard screening procedure.

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The patient was moved to an isolation ward for treatment while two of his close contacts who were not wearing eye protection during the operation will be moved to a quarantine centre. These are the surgeon who performed the operation on him, as as well as a nurse who was collecting deep throat saliva nearby.

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