By The SUN
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| The Filipina is seen turning her face away from the officers as she puts on a mask |
Unconfirmed reports say two Filipina domestic workers were each issued fixed penalty tickets by police officers and staff of the Food and Health Bureau for not wearing face masks at two different locations on Sunday, Dec. 27.
The tickets each costs a whopping $5,000 – more than the minimum monthly wage of a FDW.
In the first incident, the Filipina was finger-pointed by patrolling officers at Statue Square in Central as she stood, mask-less, near the old Legislative Council building. As the officers got near, the woman, who was wearing a light blue shirt, quickly turned her back to put on a mask, then turned to face them.
But her ruse didn’t seem to work, as an officer said the Filipina would be issued a "ticket" and a warning.
In another incident, a Filipina who reportedly took off her mask for a few minutes while she powdered her face was also issued the $5k penalty ticket by roving officers in Tamar Park in Admiralty.
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| Officers talk to the mask-less Filipina in Tamar Park (still shot from video) |
A fellow Filipina related the story as she filmed a video of the incident, with a warning to others to follow the strict health protocols that are now in place as Hong Kong battles a fourth, and what is feared to be the most dangerous, wave of coronavirus infections.
Dozens of officers were seen patrolling hangouts of foreign domestic workers in Central, Causeway Bay and other areas around Hong Kong throughout the day, where they reminded the workers about social distancing and mask-wearing.
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| Police were seen patrolling areas around Chater Road throughout the day |
But according to some Filipina migrants who were on Chater Road early in the morning, the police only reminded those who were around not to gather together, and to keep a distance from each other.No one was seen being issued with a penalty ticket, or singled out for a warning.
The tighter police patrol came one day after a legislator from the pro-Beijing Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong, urged for a weekend ban on gathering by FDWs.
But Elizabeth Quat’s call was immediately condemned by Unifil-Migrante chairperson Dolores Balladares-Pelaez who called it “outrageous.”
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