HK to quarantine all foreign arrivals, including migrant workers

By The SUN

The new quarantine measure raises question of where migrant workers will stay, and who will look after them

Foreign domestic workers who will arrive in Hong Kong from their home countries from Mar 19 could face a tough time, as they will be included in the city’s new move to put all foreign arrivals under home quarantine or surveillance for 14 days.

Chief Executive Carrie Lam announced the new measure today, Mar 17, amid recent data showing nearly all of Hong Kong’s new cases are imported, meaning they have been brought in by people arriving from various parts of the world.

As of today, the city’s confirmed cases rose to 162, with five more people testing positive, including a French student who studied in Switzerland.

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Lam said after an Executive Council meeting that the new measure does not apply to those arriving from Macau or Taiwan. She said arrivals from China had already been required to isolate at home since February.

She said the decision was taken after top officials met expert advisers, who said Hong Kong needed to shift to control of imported infections to curb the spread of the coronavirus, now that the epicenter of the contagion had shifted from China to overseas.

Most of the cases confirmed in the previous two weeks involved patients who had recently been abroad, Lam said.

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“If we do not impose tougher measures at this stage, our previous efforts to prevent the disease from spreading throughout these two months could be completely wasted,” Lam said before the Executive Council meeting.

“If all these imported cases lead to a community outbreak, the consequence will be unimaginable and increase the burden on the public health system.”

CE Lam says the imported cases could lead to a community outbreak

Home quarantine is a cause for concern for arriving migrant domestic workers as a problem could arise as to where they should stay, or who should be attending to them while they self-isolate.

Employers are not likely to agree to look after them, on top of taking them in, given Hong Kong’s problem with lack of space.

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For Filipino domestic workers who are scrambling to book tickets back to Hong Kong as a result of a recent community lockdown imposed by the Philippine government on its biggest island that includes Metro Manila, the quarantine would be an extra cause for distress.

One of them is M.L., who says she is stuck in the central province of Iloilo, and is still serving a 14-day self-quarantine mandated by the Philippine government on all Filipinos who fly in from Hong Kong.

Aside from mobility problems because of the lockdown and quarantine, M.L. faces a difficulty getting a flight back in Hong Kong, as all airports in Metro Manila and surrounding areas will close down, also on Mar 19.

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Other Filipino domestic workers who are similarly stranded in the Philippines also find themselves having to grapple with serving out two quarantines that will make them out of work, and out of pay, for at least a month.

As of this writing, 183,055 cases were reported globally with the death toll from nearly 150 countries rising to 7,415.  

China still has the most cases at 80,881 and the highest death toll at 3,226, but its new cases and deaths were reported to be declining.

The mainland tally has been exceeded by the total number of cases and deaths in Italy, Iran, Spain, Korea, France, Germany and the United States. 

Italy has 27,980 cases with 2,158 deaths, becoming the new epicenter of the contagion.

In its latest update, the Centre for Health Protection confirmed that an 18-year-old French Hong Kong student who returned from Switzerland on Mar 15 had tested positive for the virus, becoming the city’s 158^th case.

The CHP also said two university students who had just returned from Britain were among three who tested initially positive Covid-19 on Mar 17.

Among the eight confirmed or positive cases since last night, seven had travel history. At least four of them had just returned to the city and were among 21 patients who were diverted from Hong Kong airport to nine hospitals on Monday night.

The CHP also said the foreign domestic helper of a 73-year-old patient in Tuen Mun who tested positive of Covid-19 on Mar 13 will be put under quarantine after the wife of the patient was admitted into hospital but found preliminarily negative of the virus.

The maid’s nationality has not been disclosed.

Meanwhile, Lam announced that it was “quite impossible” to fully resume school classes on Apr 20 considering the second wave of imported infections. She added no large-scale events would be organized by the government due to the imported cases.

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Filipinos can fly out of PH until Mar 20

By The SUN

Thousands of people rushed to NAIA on Mar 15, as the lockdown of Metro Manila started

After a day of flip-flopping on new travel restrictions which resulted in dozens of Filipinos not being able to board their flights this morning, Mar 17, Philippine government officials announced this afternoon that those who want to fly out have until Mar 20 to do so.

This comes as the government started implementing price controls on medicines and food supplies in line with President Rodrigo Duterte’s declaration of a state of calamity in the entire country as part of efforts to contain the spread of the coronavirus disease.

As of today, the total confirmed Covid-19 cases in the country had risen to 187, with 45 new cases reported.

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Duterte signed Proclamation 929 on Monday, which placed the Philippines in a state of calamity for six months or “unless earlier lifted or extended as circumstances may warrant.”  

He also expanded the community quarantine of Metro Manila to include all of Luzon, which meant all residents staying at home, with just one member being allowed to buy food and other necessities.

Most offices have been closed, as well as malls, while the entire region hunkers down amid fears the spread of the deadly disease is just about to peak.

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All public transportation have been halted immediately, while flights in and out of the metropolis will continue only until the first hours of Thursday, Mar. 20. By then, all airports in Luzon, including NAIA and Clark International Airport, will be closed.

Despite a presidential directive that clearly spelled out a 72-hour window for all travelers wishing to depart the Philippines before the month-long lockdown fully takes effect, dozens of Filipinos were stopped from boarding their flights today.

They included several overseas Filipino workers and residents who were not allowed to take their Hong Kong Airlines flight at 6:50am, in the wake of confusion over the effective date of the travel ban.

 

Filipinos aboard Cathay Pacific's two flights to HK were able to leave 

The mess followed the issuance of an advisory by the Department of Transportation close to midnight last night, that said all Filipinos would not be allowed to fly out of the country starting today, instead of Thursday.

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Among those who were unable to take the HKA’s only daily flight from Manila was Joanne, who along with about 20 family members had rushed to the Ninoy Aquino International Airport’s terminal 1 before midnight last night, anxious to get back to HK.

She said she saw all Filipino passengers being turned away at the immigration counters, until airline staff halted the issuance of boarding passes to them altogether after consulting with immigration officers.

“Apparently the Facebook post of DOTr on Mar 16, 11:25pm was the basis of their directives which we didn’t know of until we learned it from the airline ground staff,” said Joanne.

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All the Filipino passengers left the airport, confused between what they heard from the President’s speech and what the DOTr had posted on Facebook. To compound the problem, they all faced a problem going back home because no public transportation was available.

What made the experience even more difficult to take for the HKA passengers was the realization that Filipinos who took flights to Hong Kong aboard other airlines were able to leave without a problem.

These included two direct Cathay Pacific flights, and one Eva Air flight that stopped over in Taipei, before heading to Hong Kong.

In Joanne’s case, the failure to take the flight also meant her daughter missing out on taking a crucial exam, while she and the rest of her family scramble to book seats on Hong Kong-bound flights that last time she checked, are already full until Mar 19.

And, even if they do get on a flight to Hong Kong on the 19^th, it would mean another problem, because that is when the city they call home will start enforcing a 14-day  home quarantine for all passengers arriving from overseas.

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Migrants say HK will suffer, too, if they are left behind in fight vs Covid-19

By Daisy CL Mandap

Migrant leaders say there should be no discrimination in the fight against Covid-19

 Migrant workers’ leaders say they want the Hong Kong government to include them in the campaign to combat the spread of the coronavirus disease, or Covid-19, because if they are not protected, then the entire society will be at risk, too.

This was what three of the biggest migrant workers’ groups said when they unveiled a study today, Mar 16, showing that up to 14% of all foreign domestic workers do not receive protective materials from their employers, such as face masks and sanitizers.

In actual numbers, says Eman Villanueva, spokesperson of the International Migrants Alliance, this means up to 55,000 MDWs do not get such protective materials from their employers.

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The study, jointly conducted by IMA, Asian Migrants Coordinating Body and the Mission for Migrant Workers, also showed 20% (or 81,3000)  MDWs are at risk of contracting Covid-19 because they are not given a mask each day.

A further 40% (125,383) MDWs get only one mask each day, also exposing them to the risk of catching the disease, given that masks are supposed to provide protection for only 8 hours at most.

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Speaking at a press conference held at KUC Space in Jordan to discuss the study, Villanueva said no one should be left behind in the fight to contain the spread of Covid-19.

“In order to effectively fight Covid-19 we should be thinking of protecting everyone, no one should be left out,” he said.

“The whole community should foster solidarity in confronting Covid-19. If we leave one sector behind, we are opening up our (entire) society to the problem of Covid-19 infection.”

40% of FDWs did not go out for an entire month, according to the survey

The study also showed that a staggering 40% (200,000) of the MDWs did not go out for an entire month due to the outbreak. However, these included those who decided on their own to stay put, out of fear of being infected.

Still, about 10% of them, or 40,000, were not given a choice, as they were expressly forbidden from leaving the house for the entire month. Nearly twice as many (78,000) were not allowed to take their weekly rest day.

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There were other contract violations reported to the Mission amid the outbreak, said its spokesperson, Johannie Tong.

These included a female migrant worker being forced to share a room with her male employer who had to undergo self-quarantine after coming in from the mainland.

The employer’s wife and daughter reportedly feared catching the virus, so they stayed together in another room.

In another case, a migrant worker who developed a fever was told to stay in a room where she was given food and water, but was not taken to a doctor at all. Luckily, she got well after a few days.

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The survey also showed another indirect abuse being committed against migrant workers by employers who have a deathly fear of the virus. 

About 80% of those surveyed said they do more cleaning, with at least a third saying they are told to clean the house at least twice a day.

Two out of 10 (around 80,000) are not provided protective equipment like gloves or masks when handling harmful cleaning agents such as bleach and disinfectants.

Tong said Hong Kong people should think of the “contribution and sacrifices” made by migrant workers in coming to Hong Kong to realize why they need to be protected amid the pandemic.

AMCB’s Sringatin, on the other hand, said migrant workers themselves do not want to get infected, so they do their own way of protecting themselves by buying their own masks or securing them from other sources.

She said the Indonesian consulate has already distributed 100,000 face masks in their community, but migrant organizations are still looking for private donors, considering that the contagion is likely to continue for at least another month.

Villanueva said the Philippine consulate had also promised to distribute the same number of masks to members of the Filipino community, but apparently ran into “procurement problems.”

Nevertheless, he said some private donors coursed their mask donations to the Consulate, and his own group managed to get 2,000 pieces, which it distributed to members.

But while the consulates and employers both have a responsibility to help ensure migrant workers are able to protect themselves from the virus, Villanueva said it is the Hong Kong government which should carry the biggest burden.

By telling the people in Hong Kong to buy masks and other protective gear, he said the government is telling them “to confront Covid-10 on their own.”

This is so unlike the governments in other affected areas which have made it their responsibility to ensure their citizens are well-equipped and protected against the diseases.

He also cited as an example the massive testing done by the South Korean government to know the extent of the infection within the country. He said that out of more than 22,000 people tested, more than 7,000 were found to be infected.

“Yes, they got a scary number…but it’s good to know what we are facing,” he said.

In contrast, he said the Hong Kong government is not doing enough testing so people are kept in the dark as to the real threat posed by the virus to the city.

 

Villanueva, Sringatin and Tong: 'Everybody loses if the migrants are not protected'

Apart from including MDWs in the city’s safety and protection programs, the groups also want the Hong Kong government to:

1. include migrant workers in the financial assistance scheme recently unveiled to address the fallout from the outbreak;

2. conduct information campaign among households employing MDWs on their responsibilities, including the provision of protective materials

3. ensure MDWs are given correct information about Covid-19

4. curb overpricing of masks and protective materials, and ensure adequate supply for all;

5. withdraw the Labour Department’s advise for MDWs to stay at their workplace during their rest day

6. abolish other discriminatory restrictions like the two-week rule and the live-in policy which make MDWs more susceptible to abuse.

The survey was conducted online between Mar 8 and 10. O the 1,127 respondents, 54% were Filipinos, 44 were Indonesians,, 0.18 were Thais, and 0.09 were Sri Lankans.

Villanueva said the original plan was to conduct a face-to-face survey, but this was aborted when the organizers realized they would leave out a significant number of MDWs, the ones who have not been going out on their rest days.

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Rest of Luzon placed under lockdown

President Duterte during his televised address.

President Rodrigo Duterte today declared the rest of Luzon under “enhanced community quarantine” to fight Covid-19 until midnight of April 13, after two days of Metro-Manila wide lockdown appeared to have failed to prevent crowds congregating in transportation chokepoints.

The problem became apparent as early as dawn today, the first Monday of the metrowide lockdown, when people entering Metro Manila to work crowded main arteries at boundaries such as the one dividing Valenzuela and Meycauayan, Bulacan. Traffic queue as long as two kilometers were reported as police and military personnel checked the temperature of people aboard all vehicles. They also imposed social distancing rules which require people to be at least a meter from each other, even inside vehicles.

A soldier tries his hand at crowd control as pedestrians line up for temperature and ID checks

Even within Metro Manila, social distancing was hardly observed as passengers crowded into MRT and LRT stations for their ride to work.

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Health officials have so far reported that 142 people have tested positive for Covid-19, 12 of whom died and three recovered.

In a televised address in front of his top officials in Malacanang, the President also said the government will implement stricter home quarantine, suspend mass transportation, regulate the provision for food and essential health services; and increase the number of police and soldiers enforcing the quarantine.

Public transportation will be suspended as part of the expanded lockdown (PDI photo)

But he was quick to explain: “Hindi ito martial law, wag kayong matatakot. Walang magdidisplay ng baril diyan except ‘yung mga member ng Armed Forces o Pulis. Ang kalaban natin pag martial law ay yung mga taong sumasalakay at naghihimagsik pero sa panahong ito ang kalaban natin ay tayo at ang sakit na COVID-19.”

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Duterte also assured that food supplies will be sufficient.

“I have been assured (by) Ramon Ang mismo of San Miguel and the other food conglomerates that there will be sufficient food. There will be no hunger in the coming weeks because we have enough supplies,” he said.

 The president told barangay captains to ensure that food reaches the poorest in their communities.

 “The barangay captains should call a number and at least food, rice and some, ano, ulam, puwede niyong ibigay para sa ating mga kababayan,” Duterte said. “If you violate this, you can be liable for dereliction of duty.”

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The president also paid tribute for the first time to the frontline medical staff who had been battling the disease.

"In due time,” he said, “we shall express to them our gratitude in a more tangible way, when this crisis is over. In the meantime, I have directed the DBM [Department of Budget and Management] and DOH [Department of Health] to find a way to best compensate our health workers."

Several concerned individuals and establishments, however, beat him to it by  showing their appreciation for healthcare workers by sending food packs to doctors and nurses in selected hospitals in Metro Manila. The food packs contained hot meals, cups of coffee, vitamins, and face masks.

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Vice President Leni Robredo also began her own project for the medical personnel.

“Gaya ng pangako natin, sinimulan na natin ngayong araw ang pag-distribute ng unang batch ng Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Daily Sets sa ating mga health workers at frontliners na nangunguna sa laban kontra COVID-19. Naglaan ang ating opisina ng P5.9 million para mabili ang mga ito, dagdag pa sa P8.9 million na nakalap natin sa ating online donation drive sa tulong ng ating Angat Buhay partner Kaya Natin!,” she said in a message. “Sa kabuoan, nakalikom na tayo ng higit P14.9 million para sa ating frontliners. Gagamitin natin ito para makabili ng 31,245 na PPE sets at 5,659 food and care packages para sa ating mga frontliners at kanilang mga pamilya.”

The vans that delivered VP Robredo's PPE donations to health workers and medical staff

President Duterte also urged businesses to pitch in, by paying in advance their employees’ 13-month pay, even on a pro-rate basis. “Yun sanang malalaking enterprises dito, maybe you can consider paying the 13th month pay or just paying them maski kalahati sa sweldo nila as a way of showing your solidarity with the Filipino at this critical time,” he said.

For its part, San Miguel Corp. saud in a statement it would operate 24/7 to ensure that the company’s supply chain is stable and enough to provide food for Filipinos nationwide for the next several months. “We have the capability to produce enough for everybody and deliver to supermarkets,” said 

SMC president Ramon Ang said. “This isn’t about making profits. We have a responsibility to make sure that food is made available to as many people as possible.” he added.

Ang added that other SMC businesses, such as Petron Corp. SMC Global Power Holdings Corp., and SMC Infrastructure will continue to operate. “We will provide essential services such as food, water, power, petrol products and beverages to everyone,” he said.

Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala, Chairman and CEO of Ayala Corporation, also assured the public that “all necessary measures are being implemented to ensure uninterrupted services in critical areas such as telecommunications, water distribution in our franchise areas, cash availability and access to our clinics and generics pharmacies.”

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