HK reports 112 new Covid-19 cases, 2 deaths

By Vir B. Lumicao

Covid-19 testing tents set up outside Prince of Wales Hospital: surge far from over

Hong Kong health officials have warned that the worst is far from over in the city’s fourth wave of the coronavirus outbreak, as the day’s tally surged past the hundredth mark again today, Dec 4.

Dr Chuang Shuk-kwan from the Centre for Health Protection said there were 112 new Covid-19 cases, 100 of them locally acquired.

There were also two deaths over the past 24 hours. The first was an 82-year-old woman who passed away at Queen Elizabeth Hospital, and the second was a 38-year-old man who succumbed to the disease at Queen Mary Hospital, the city’s youngest casualty of the virus.

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They were the 110^th and 111^th deaths out of 6,702 cases confirmed so far in Hong Kong.

Chuang said that of the new cases, 36 had unknown sources, while 64 cases had links to previous infections.

More than 80 preliminary positive cases were also recorded today.

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Chuang said nine more employees and a family member were linked to the Fong Shu Chuen Day Activity Centre & Hostel cluster, bringing the total to 43 residents, 11 staff and one family member.

Among these cases, two were students at Pentecostal Holiness Church Wing Kwong College and Hong Kong Chinese Women’s Club College.

“We will invite the teachers and students of the two schools to take the test and face-to-face teaching will also be suspended,” Chuang said.

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Five more workers and two family members were linked to the construction site at Lohas Park in Tseung Kwan O, Chuang said. This brought the total cases linked to that cluster to 27 workers and five family members.

Several cases are added to the dance cluster on a daily basis

She also said 17 additional cases were added to the dance cluster, while at Ho Yuk Ching Willow Lodge in Tai Kok Tsui, two staff and two residents tested positive. Two more preliminary cases were also recorded, she said.

Another taxi driver, with vehicle license plate VF 4177, has also tested positive, she said.

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Twelve imported cases were also reported, including an Indonesian domestic helper who tested positive while in quarantine. She arrived on Nov 20 and was found infected after a second test, 12 days after her arrival.

The other imported cases were a woman from Russia, two men from India, and a woman from Pakistan who all arrived Dec 2; a man and woman from the United States and another woman from Pakistan who flew in Dec 3; and two men who arrived from the US on Dec 1.

Two men who arrived separately from India and Turkey on Nov 20 tested positive yesterday a day before they were set to end their 14-day hotel quarantine.

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Dr. Lau Ka-hin, chief manager of the Hospital Authority, said that as of 9am today, 42 confirmed patients had been discharged from hospitals, bringing the total number of recoveries to 5,465.

He said 978 patients were still being treated in 21 public hospitals and at the community facility at AsiaWorld-Expo. Among them, 23 are in critical condition, 21 in serious condition, and 934 in stable condition.

Lau said a 53-year-old woman tested preliminarily positive at The Hong Kong Buddhist Hospital, where a nurse tested positive earlier. CHP is tracing the patient’s close contacts.

In Tuen Mun, a 76-year-old man was admitted to the Emergency Room at Pok Oi Hospital, where he tested preliminarily positive yesterday. Five patients and a nurse in the same ward were listed as close contacts.

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Penalties raised to $5k-$10k for violators of social distancing rules

 By Daisy CL Mandap

The government warns of strict enforcement of the new rules

Penalties for those found to have violated social distancing rules have been raised from between $5,000 to $10,000, from the present $2,000. The new law takes effect a week from now, or on Dec 11.

The lesser amount of $5,000 (level 2 fine) is a fixed penalty that will be imposed on the following:

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1) Those who take part in prohibited gatherings, which under the latest regulations, is set at no more than two people together in public, including inside restaurants.

2) Those who do not wear a mask in all public places, including in all forms of public transportation and the paid area of the MTR, save for outdoor areas of country parks; and

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3) Those who fail to comply with the government’s order for compulsory Covid-19 testing. These include those who visited dance clubs where hundreds of cases have been traced.

If the offender does not pay the fixed penalty and is charged in court, the maximum penalty upon conviction would go up to level 3, or $10,000.

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A statement issued today announcing the harsher penalties also warned of stricter enforcement of the social gathering restrictions.

“If compliance is not satisfactory, the Government does not rule out the possibility of further raising the penalties,” said the statement.

Not wearing a mask in any public place could cost you $5k

The possibility of jacking up penalties was brought up on Dec 1 by Chief Executive Carrie Lam, who raised concern about the rapid surge in the number of coronavirus infections in the city, particularly those related to the so-called dance cluster.

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The number of infected people from this cluster has now climbed to around 500, after the government issued a compulsory testing order for those who had visited several dancing venues across the city.

Also of concern is the growing number of cases whose sources cannot be traced. Yesterday, out of 90 new infections, 31 were of unknown sources.

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Certain groups,  are however, exempted from the gathering ban, including those on board public transportation, those gathered for work, funeral, or a wedding ceremony where up to 20 people can attend, but with no food being served.

Those living in the same household are also exempted, meaning they can go out together, but are still subject to gathering restrictions in some venues, like restaurants, where the two-to-a-table rule is strictly enforced.

A statement from the Food and Health Bureau said today, "Anti-epidemic work requires the cooperation and self-discipline of all citizens by strictly complying with various anti-epidemic measures, including avoiding crowds, keeping social distance and maintaining personal hygiene.”

“Faced with the epidemic surge, apart from tightening various infection control measures, it is imperative to increase the relevant penalties in order to create the necessary deterrence effect and ensure strict compliance with relevant requirements."

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‘Akap’ fund applications re-open for OFWs hit by pandemic

By Daisy CL Mandap 

Labatt Dizon at the Polo website launch where he announced the resumption of Akap fund processing

Applications for cash assistance through the “Akap” (Abot Kamay ang Pagtulong) program of the Department of Labor and Employment for overseas Filipino workers whose employment have been affected by the coronavirus pandemic, are now being accepted again.

This was according to Labor Attache Mel Dizon, who announced during the launch of the Philippine Overseas Labor Office website on Sunday, Nov 29, that funds for the program have been replenished after the passage of the “Bayanihan to Recover As One Act 2.”

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The law, officially designated as Republic Act No 11494 and enacted last September, granted President Rodrigo Duterte additional authority and funds to combat the Covid-19 pandemic in the Philippines.

“In the recent law that was passed they already approved again (funding) for Dole Akap,” said Labatt Dizon.

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“So now we can now process again the applications for one-time financial assistance to those who are qualified.”

Three conditions must be met before the USD200 (HK$1,556) cash aid can be granted to an OFW applicant, said Dizon.

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First, the OFW must either be a 1) documented worker; 2) undocumented but qualified; 3) stranded in the Philippines because of travel restrictions imposed by the host country.

Second, the worker must have been terminated or temporarily lost income because of Covid-related reasons. This could include getting sick with Covid-19, or if the worker is released by an employer who likewise became jobless due to the pandemic.

OFWs stranded at Manila airport by flight restrictions received cash aid from OWWA

In a follow-up talk with Dizon afterwards, he said it was important that an applicant presents proof that he or she became unemployed due to the pandemic, as government auditors are strict in ensuring that the fund is disbursed according to the rules.

The third requirement is that the applicant must not have availed of a cash assistance due to the pandemic from either Dole-Akap or the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration.

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When the contagion was at its early stage, the Philippines stopped many OFWs from leaving for their jobs abroad, particularly those bound for China, Hong Kong, Macau, and even Taiwan, leaving scores of them stranded in Manila.

OWWA provided the stranded OFWs with cash aid, and even transportation fare for their return flights back to their home provinces.

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The Akap cash disbursement in Hong Kong had previously been suspended twice after funds sent by Dole in Manila had run out.

Those who wish to apply for the cash aid and are qualified must log on to ww.dole-akap.owwa.gov.ph, fill up the online application and attach the required documents. They should then obtain the one-time pin (OTP) that will serve as reference in monitoring the status of the application.

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The required documents are:

(1) passport or travel document;

(2) proof of overseas employment, including OEC copy, Balik Manggagawa Online (BMO) certificate, visa, etc;

(3) proof of loss of employment due to Covid-19, such as notice or certificate of termination by employer or recruitment agency, or the worker’s own “salaysay” or statement

(4) proof of return to the Philippines (for those who are back home during the time of application; and

(5) in case of stranded OFWs, requirements 1-3 and return ticket and valid employment visa

For more information, check out Polo Hong Kong's Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/POLOHONGKONGSAR/photos/pcb.3215365828580746/3215360865247909

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Work-from-home and 2-to-group back as 76 new Covid-19 cases reported

By The SUN 

Employees will work from home again while only 2 people can gather under new rules

Civil servants will have to start working from home again, while the rule allowing no more than two people to gather in public will be brought back starting Dec 2, under strict new anti-epidemic measures announced today by Chief Executive Carrie Lam.

At a news conference attended by her health officials, Mrs Lam said only government staff providing emergency services will be reporting for work under the new measures that will take effect for two weeks from Wednesday.

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She said she hopes the private sector will follow suit.

Within the same two-week period, only two people will be allowed to gather instead of the current four. Restaurants will also be able to sit only a maximum of two people per table, and provide dine-in services until only 10pm instead of 12am. The number of customers should not exceed 50% of the venue’s capacity.

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A number of entertainment venues will again be closed, including theme parks, bars, karaokes, night clubs, party rooms, public bathhouses, swimming pools, game centers and mahjong parlours. Government performance venues can only be used for rehearsals.

“We are now closing almost everything,” said the CE, as she warned that the penalties for violating the anti-epidemic measures will be increased by multiples – either double or triple – as the previous amount did not seem to serve as enough deterrent.

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The stringent measures are to be taken as the city registered 115 new Covid-19 cases yesterday, the highest since the peak of the third wave of infection last August.

Today the cases were lower at 76, but they continue to cause concern as most came from the ever-widening dance cluster, which now counts a total of 520 cases.

 

CE Lam (middle) announces tough new rules along with key health officials

Health officials said that in the past week, between Nov 23 and 29, an average of 87 cases were recorded each day. More than 90% of these cases were local transmissions, and more than 100 of them were of unknown sources.

Lam noted that the cases have spread over several districts, indicating an invisible transmission chain in the community.

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At least 30 schools had to be closed due to a cluster outbreak among teachers and students, while nine civil servants have also been infected.

Of today’s new cases, 59 were linked to previous infections, including 40 from the dance cluster. Nine are untraceable.

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A further eight were imported cases, including a newly arrived domestic helper from Indonesia, three returnees from the United States, one from Brazil, another from Pakistan, one from Russia, and the last from Poland.

They brought the city’s total tally to 6,315, with 109 deaths.

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Among the new cases that concern authorities is the one pertaining to an employee and diners at Sky Cuisine on Des Voeux Road in Central who all tested positive. Everyone who had been to the restaurant from Nov 15 onwards will now have to undergo compulsory testing.

Sky Cuisine in Sheung Wan is the 4th restaurant to be put under compulsory testing order

A patient suffering from pneumonia tested positive at Alice Ho Miu Lung Nethersole Hospital in Taipo after being treated in the emergency room with five other patients. All the fellow patients and about 25 hospital staff who were in contact with them have tested negative.

Among the preliminary cases is a resident of Pak Lok Nursing Home in San Po Kong. About 50 patients who stayed on the second floor of  the building with the patient will be quarantined while those on another floor will be tested.

Another preliminary case is a student who participated in an outdoor school activity with a teacher and some other students. Health officials say they were told that everybody wore masks during the activity, but they are still investigating.

In a further response to the fresh outbreak of cases which CE Lam described as “very severe,” sample bottles that are being distributed at 47 designated public health clinics will be increased from 4,000 to 8,000 per day.

All of the city’s 121 post offices will altogether also distribute 4,000 sample bottles per day, while the government says it is in talks to get major MTR stations to also distribute specimen kits.

In addition, five more community testing centers will be set up in addition to the nine that are already operating. The plan is to set them up in community halls in various districts.

To further expand its quarantine facilities for close contacts of infected patients, the government has designated two hotels for this purpose. Food and Health Secretary Thomas Chan identified the first hotel as Silka Tsuen Wan Hotel, the other will be named later.

Chan also said that the government is reviewing whether to require an additional virus test for new arrivals, on the 19th or 20th day after they land in Hong Kong. This is an additional safety precaution suggested by health experts who say the incubation of the virus could take longer than the 14-day compulsory quarantine period.

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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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