Labour Sec calls for swift cash aid for workers and businesses

by The SUN

Secretary Law says the wage subsidy program should be launched immediately

The Secretary for Labour and Welfare Law Chi-kwong has called for the quick implementation of relief measures aimed at helping employers and workers cope with  the coronavirus crisis.

He made the call as health officials announced today, Apr 9, that there were 13 new confirmed cases of Covid-19, the lowest in recent days. Hong Kong’s total tally is now 974, with 236 recovered and discharged.

Speaking to reporters after attending a radio talk show this morning, Apr 9, Law said the Employment Support Scheme should be launched as soon as possible.

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Yesterday, Chief Executive Carrie Lam announced a series of relief measures, including setting aside $80 billion to help pay half of workers’ salaries in private companies up to a maximum of $9k a month, provided the employers agree not to lay them off.

"If we examine the conditions of a particular company or employer before we provide the subsidy, it will take a lot of administrative work - we would have to employ a lot of people to look at each individual transaction history of each employer and that will take a very long time and incur a very heavy administrative cost,” said Law.

“Looking at the epidemic right now, it has impacted almost all industries with some exceptions. It is very important for us to launch the program as soon as possible.”

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In announcing a new $137.5 billion relief fund for businesses and individuals hard-hit by the epidemic, the Chief Executive herself said the distribution of the financial aid will be easy, but there will be an audit afterwards to make sure the money was spent on wages.

“We will put in place a very robust audit (mechanism) after the event because I do not want to have detailed vetting before paying out. The employees and employers are now very short of cash, they need money. But we reserve the power to do auditing in order to ensure that the money is spent on wages.”

About 1.5 million workers, including those from temporarily closed businesses, will benefit from the wage subsidy

Meanwhile, nearly all, or 10 of the 13 new Covid-19 cases involve people with recent travel history.

Among the locally acquired cases is the 37-year-old father of the 40-day-old baby infected earlier. The mother was also infected.

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The baby was held by an infected family friend linked to an outbreak of the disease in four bars in Wan Chai, Central and Tsim Sha Tsui.

Also included among the new cases is a man who visited one of the bars, Centre Stage, on Jaffe Road in Wan Chai.

More than 90 infected patients have been linked to the bar outbreak.

Dr Chuang Shuk-wan of the Centre for Health Protection made special mention of a 43-year-old man whose source of infection is unknown.

The man, who lives in Sheung Wan and works in Lee Garden in Causeway Bay, did not go out much, apart from jogging in his neighborhood, and buying lunch at fast food outlets.

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Appeal court eyes changing conviction of Bayr’s killer to manslaughter

By Vir B. Lumicao

The Appeal Court may reduce the charge and sentence on Andrea Bay's killer on the ground of insanity

The Court of Appeal is looking to downgrade the murder conviction of a Pakistani guard to manslaughter for killing his 25-year-old Austrian-Filipina girlfriend nearly four years ago in Tuen Mun, on the ground of insanity.

Justice Andrew Macrae said at the continuation of the appeal hearing on Apr 9 of convicted killer Safdar Husnain, that he and fellow Justices Ian McWalters and Derek Pang are eyeing a reduction of the appellant’s life sentence to 10 years.

“We want an updated psychiatric report from [government psychiatrist] Dr Chow about the diminished responsibility of the applicant by reason of insanity” before finalizing the verdict, Justice Macrae said.

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The justices want to have by Apr 30 the updated psychiatric report from Chow addressing his current mental state and the damage he could do to the public if he was released.

Justice Macrae also asked the prosecutor to submit on May 4 a new medical report on the 30-year-old convict, who has been held in jail since the gruesome killing of Andrea Bayr in the early hours of Mar 29, 2016 at a bridge construction site.

The judge adjourned the hearing until May 7. 

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Husnain was sentenced to life in jail by Judge Kevin Zervos on Jan 31, 2018 after he was convicted of murder by a jury voting 6-1.

At the appeal hearing, Justice Macrae asked the prosecutor if he had any court in mind in case the justices allowed an appeal.

The prosecutor said none, adding that a retrial would not be necessary, citing a provision in Section 83 of the High Court rules.

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Barrister David Boyton, counsel of the appellant, agreed. He had asserted that the appropriate verdict was manslaughter due to Husnain’s brain damage arising from drug use.

During the murder trial in late 2017, the defense claimed that Husnain had been suffering from a drug-induced psychosis in which he had been hearing voices telling him Bayr, a bartender, was a witch who wanted to kill him.

The defense based its appeal on the ground that Judge Zervos did not due consideration to the ground of insanity in his direction to the jury.

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HK govt to pay half of worker’s salaries in new $138b relief package

By The SUN

CE Lam flanked by her key ministers, announces the unprecedented relief package

Chief Executive Carrie Lam has unveiled a massive HK $137.5 billion relief fund to help businesses struggling from the fallout of the coronavirus pandemic.

Part of the fund, or $80 billion, will be used to pay half the monthly salary of an estimated 1.5 million affected workers, up to a maximum of $9,000, for six months starting in June.

But all private businesses that will benefit must make a pledge not to lay off workers.

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Lam also announced that she and her 16 ministers have voluntarily offered to take a 10 percent pay cut for a year. For the chief executive, this will result in her monthly salary falling to $390,000 from the current $434,000.

Lam announced the latest measures to help businesses and residents cope with the Covid-19 crisis at a press conference held at 6pm tonight, Apr 8.

She said the aid package, together with earlier fund relief measures, would cost $287.5 billion, resulting in this year’s budget deficit to surge from $139.1 billion to $276.6 billion, equivalent to 9.5 per cent of gross domestic product.

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But she said these are necessary steps, as the city today reported 25 new Covid-19 cases, raising the total tally to 960.

“In these unprecedented circumstances, the government must have some unprecedented responses – to help businesses to survive, safeguard employment, and minimise the burden on businesses and citizens.”

Apart from the wage support measure, an extra $21 billion will be used to support 16 industries severely affected by the pandemic, including aviation and education-related business like tutorial centers and school bus services.

Lam cited in particular the massive losses suffered by the aviation industry, saying that on Tuesday, only 367 passengers arrived at the Hong Kong International Airport.

 

Lam noted in particular the heavy losses suffered by the aviation industry

Also part of the relief measures is a 20% discount on MTR fares from July until the end of the year.

The government will also provide help to self-employed people with MPF contributions, but it is mainly one-off support, involving about 215,000 people.

She also said that Hong Kong’s salary subsidy is more generous than in most other states, like Singapore and Britain, because it will be given over six months, and is intended more on helping workers keep their jobs.

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The British government said last month that it will cover up to 80 per cent of salaries if companies kept workers on the payroll.

In Singapore, the government has offered to pay 75 per cent of workers’ wages, but only for the month of April, capped at S$4,600 (HK$25,000) per person.

In Japan, the government has announced its largest-ever economic relief package, which includes grants of up to 2 million yen (US$18,350), for small and medium-sized businesses whose revenues had more than halved.

In February, the Hong Kong government unveiled a $30 billion fund from which financial relief was extended to those in the food and retail businesses.

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Beauty and massage parlors to be shut from Friday to stop Covid spread

By Daisy CL Mandap

Massage and beauty parlors are the latest types of businesses that will close as part of anti-virus measures

For the past 25 years, Christine Cometa has run her beauty salon in one of Central’s alleys, a veritable hub of small Filipino businesses, from beauty and massage parlors, to food joints, computer centers and karaoke bars.

This Friday, Apr 10, Christine Hair and Beauty Salon will be shut for the first time, in line with new government measures to prevent the further spread of the novel coronavirus.

It’a tough time for Cometa, as she, like all of the proprietors in the alleys favored by Filipino migrant workers out for a bit of fun and relaxation, are already struggling with the fallout from six months of rowdy anti-government protests last year.

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“Naubos ang ipon ko,” she says of that time when her customers shunned going to that part of Central where many of the trouble-plagued protests were staged on an almost daily basis in the last half of 2019.

Before the twin whammy, Christine’s salon would always be filled with customers. On Sundays, when most migrant workers are off work, her shop would be so jampacked that it was almost impossible for her and several assistants to take a meal break.

Nowadays, she says she’s lucky to have 15 customers walking in each day. And even then, most would just pop in for basic services like a haircut and manicure. Only a few still find time for a bit of pampering, like getting their hair colored, crimped, or straightened.

Cometa will be closing her parlor for the first time in 25 years

After learning that there are only two days left before she is forced to close down her shop, she tried asking her landlord for a discount on her rent, but was turned down, the excuse being that everybody is feeling the pinch from the contagion.

“Paano na kami ngayon?,” Christine asks, a question that is uppermost in the minds of many business owners in Hong Kong nowadays.

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Beauty centers, along with massage parlors, are just the latest businesses to be shut to curb the local transmission of the virus.

Earlier, other establishments that attract large crowds like cinemas, party halls, amusement centers, gyms, pubs and bars and karaoke lounges, were also closed.

Most of the recent cases of Covid-19 infections involve residents arriving from abroad, but there has also been a number of local infections traced to pubs, a party hall, a wedding banquet, and most recently, karaoke bars.

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Included in today’s list of new cases in Hong Kong are three more linked to the group that gathered at Neway karaoke lounge in Causeway Bay, most of them staff of Marks & Spencer’s Food chain. A total of 10 infections have been traced to that group.

Also included is a staff of Dusk Till Dawn bar in Wanchai. This so-called bar cluster, which involves musicians, staff and patrons of this and three other bars across Wanchai, Central and Tsim Sha Tsui, have resulted in more than 90 infections.

Beauty parlors have not been spared, as three recent cases were traced to two different salons in Causeway Bay and Tsim Sha Tsui.

The only businesses that have so far been kept open are restaurants, although they have been subjected to strict restrictions on social distancing. Those with a bar where only alcoholic drinks are served, should also close that part of their premises.

Inside the restaurants, no more than four customers could sit at each table, which should be at least 1.5 meters apart. Everyone who enters the restaurants should wear a mask, and have their body temperature taken. Hand sanitizers should also be made available to customers.

Violators face a maximum fine of $50,000 and six months’ imprisonment.

The mandatory closure of beauty and massage parlors is due to last for 14 days, or until Apr 23. All the other businesses ordered shut will likewise reopen on that date, after the government decided to close them down a little bit longer.

But there’s a bit of relief on sight, after Chief Executive Carrie Lam unveiled a massive $138 billion relief program today. The scheme will allow an estimated 1.5 million workers in the affected businesses to get half, or up to $9,000 of their salary, from government coffers.

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Covid-19 interrupts migrant workers’ leisure pursuits

By Vir B. Lumicao

 

Group hikes such as this are no longer allowed under government restrictions on social distancing

Leisure activities of Filipino migrants in Hong Kong on their rest days have been thrown off-track by the coronavirus epidemic, reflecting the havoc that the contagion has played on individual and group pursuits and pastimes in the city.

The stoppage became official on Mar 28 when the Leisure and Cultural Services Department announced the closure of all its free outdoor leisure facilities in view of social distancing measures adopted by the government to help contain the infection.

Outdoor facilities that the LCSD closed down include soccer pitches, basketball courts, volleyball courts, handball courts, badminton courts, barbecue sites, cycling facilities except for cycle paths, and the Pui O campsite in Lantau.

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The department had earlier closed beaches and indoor venues that the public frequent on weekends and public holidays as part of the government’s bid to stop Covid-19 from spreading.

Hit by the closures were migrant worker sports groups including SCC Divas, the first all-Filipino domestic worker cricket team globally and Fate, a powerhouse softball team also made up of OFWs.

Divas, which has been the champion in the Hong Kong cricket women’s development league for the past two seasons, has seen its campaign this season in the premier league cancelled due to the Covid-19 emergency measures.

Divas' Arimas  hiking with a friend in Tai Lam: It may take awhile before they go this way again

“Abandoned na ang mga laro sa Hong Kong. Di natapos ang league, next season na lang daw sa September,” Divas founder and captain Josie Arimas said on Apr 8.

The only completed fixture this season was the T10 women’s tournament that was won by KCC Maidens, and in which Divas placed sixth, Arimas said.

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But the women’s premier league and the women’s development league, two tournaments in which Divas plays, have been abandoned for this season, Cricket Hong Kong said in an advisory to all clubs on Apr 2.

The women’s T20 league has been suspended, and Cricket Hong Kong said “an elimination match and the final may be played if grounds are opened by May. If this is not possible, the league will be abandoned.”

Softball pitches are also closed.

 

Gaborno (leftmost) misses these warm-ups and playing softball games with fellow Fate players 

Fate, last season’s champion in the Hong Kong Softball Association women’s Bracket B league, has had no matches since anti-Covid measures were adopted in early February, said founder and team captain Don Gaborno.

Playing in Bracket A last year, Fate managed to win just one match against top Hong Kong teams whose players included members of the city’s national team.

“Hoping this season makabawi sana kami. May mga game schedule na sana kami, na-cancel lang dahil sa Covid,” Gaborno said.

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“May 3 may schedule kami. Sana OK na at ma-stop na itong virus. Mag-3 weeks na kaming di maka-training dahil closed,” said Gaborno, who is also the team’s pitcher.

Athletes like Gaborno and Arimas as well as their players used to go to the pitches to practice whenever they get a break from their daily work, but they admit the “stay at home” measure of the government has also grounded most of them.

“Nasanay kaming nasa field every Sunday. Kaya parang naging hobby namin for now ay home exercise muna para di ma-stock ang mga kaugatan namin,” the captain said.

Arimas said most of her players are unable to go hiking, for now the only outdoor activity that migrant workers can engage in, given the social distancing protocol of allowing only up to four people to gather in public places.

However, the players cannot go out without their employers’ consent.

 

Gaborno and the team usually go out hiking when the softball season is over or during holiday breaks. She said the last time they hit the trails was in January, when they trekked the Tung Chung-Ngong Ping trail in Lantau.

Some dedicated hiking groups still manage to climb Hong Kong’s hills and mountains but in smaller packs. Even then, this activity was curtailed by recent rains and, worse, job losses related to Covid-19 and “stay at home” restrictions.  

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