3rd new local case asymptomatic, could be carrier

By Daisy CL Mandap

The man runs a watch repair shop on Tsuen Wan Market Road, and could have been infected there (Flickr photo)

Hong Kong health officials have confirmed that the husband of the city’s first new local case in 23 days has also tested positive for Covid-19.

At their press conference today, May 14, the officials also said the 63-year-old man, who did not have symptoms, could have infected his 66-year-old wife and their 5-year-old granddaughter who both tested positive earlier.

Dr Chuang Shuk-kwan of the Centre for Health Protection said that although asymptomatic, the man’s viral load was high, meaning he was highly infectious. (As of today, 203 infected patients in Hong Kong were listed as asymptomatic).

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She also said there are many Covid-19 patients who show mild symptoms, so it is important that everyone who feels unwell should seek medical attention immediately.

“Some may think that it’s not serious so they don’t see a doctor…unfortunately if they contracted Covid-19 that could lead to something serious. If they don’t see a doctor immediately they could form a transmission chain in the community.”

The man, who had a watch repair shop at no 10 Tsuen Wan Road Market, was isolated and tested after his wife and granddaughter who both got sick, had earlier been found infected.

Chuang said, “we cannot rule out the possibility that he was the first case.”

 

Chuang says it's possible the man caught the virus first but did not know it because he had no symptoms 

This was because the man, identified as case no 1052, had more interactions with other people. He usually traveled by car from their flat in Lei Muk Shue estate in the same district, and brought his own lunch from home. However, even at the height of the contagion, he continued to run his shop.

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His wife, on the other hand, mostly went to market and then to their son’s house nearby, to look after their granddaughter.

Chuang said health officials will look for the man’s customers as part of contact-tracing, but the task may be difficult because he kept no records of his transactions.

Health authorities have also begun testing more than 1,000 people in 850 households in Tower 5 of Lei Muk Shue Estate where the couple lives, and Cheuk Ming Mansion on Tsuen Wan Road Market, where the girl lives with her parents.

Apart from the three, five other members of the two households remain isolated after reporting symptoms.

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After her grandmother fell ill, the girl visited her maternal grandmother in Charming Garden in Tai Kok Tsui and had meal with other relatives. All those who shared the meal are also being tested.

Market stall vendors are also being screened for any close interaction with the grandmother, who however, said she always wore a mask whenever she did her shopping. Containers for saliva samples were reportedly left with them so they could be tested.

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Also being checked is the tutorial school where the girl and her grandmother went during the incubation period, as well as the Modern China restaurant in Olympian City mall where the girl had a meal with her mother.

Of the 1052 confirmed patients, only 39 remain in 11 hospitals, with one in critical condition. The death toll remains at 4.

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PCG to start sending new passports by post to applicants

By The SUN

The passport-by-mail scheme will apply only to those who apply on or after May 25

Passport applicants need not go back to the Consulate to pick up their new travel document when they apply starting May 25, as this will be delivered to their homes by Hong Kong Post.

The start of the new scheme previously discussed by Consul General Raly Tejada in an interview with The SUN was announced in the Consulate’s Facebook page today, May 13.

Congen Tejada says the shift to mail delivery is part of the effort to decongest the Consulate to prevent the spread of the coronavirus disease.

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It is also meant to spare applicants the trouble of going back and queuing up anew at the Consulate just to pick up their passports.

As part of the new rule, passport applicants need to bring along a prepaid courier envelope which they can buy at any Hong Kong Post Office branch for $32 each.

This particular envelope is emerald green and has the label “Local Courier Post” printed on the top left-hand corner. This ensures that the envelope containing the passport is delivered right at the doorstep of the applicant, who must sign a receipt confirming the delivery.

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To resolve problems with securing the envelope on Sundays when post offices are closed, the Consulate is looking at asking Metrobank, which has its offices also in United Centre building, to supply it to applicants at cost (meaning $32) as a form of public service.

Passport application has been the principal cause of overcrowding at the Consulate, especially on Sundays, when up to 200 Filipinos line up for this service.

Previously, applicants needed to queue up thrice: first, to get an appointment; second, to complete the application process by filling up the data information sheet, have their passport photo taken, and pay the fee; and third, to pick up their passport.

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Congen Tejada has eliminated the first by introducing a no-contact appointment system. Applicants are now told to secure an appointment online (hk.passport.gov.ph), by telephone (2823 8508/ 5241 5464), or email (epass.app@gmailcom).

 

The drop-box was installed to stop people offering online appointments for a fee to OFWs

Later, after realizing that some unscrupulous groups were offering to make online appointments for overseas Filipino workers for a hefty fee, he clamped down on the practice by installing an application drop box at the Metrobank branch by the lifts leading up to the Consulate.

The drop-box, online and phone appointments have drastically reduced the number of Filipinos going to the PCG on Sundays for their application.

Postal delivery of the new passports is expected to decongest the Consulate further, especially on peak days. 

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Other measures the PCG introduced to reduce contagion risk include the rearrangement of the passport application processing system with the four biometrics desks moved to the public hall, and set about two meters apart.

For PCG staff and visitor protection, frontline desks and counters now have polypropylene panes to minimize the possibility of spreading the virus through droplets.

But with the Hong Kong government leading the way to restoring full service to the public, the Consulate has reverted to its usual work hours of 9am to 4pm Monday to Thursday, and 8am to 4pm every Sunday, starting on May 11.

Previously, the work hours were cut to 10am to 3pm Sunday to Thursday, as part of the Consulate’s anti-virus measures. Staff were also allowed to work from home on alternate days to promote social distancing.

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2 Pinoys ordered arrested for non-appearance in illegal gambling case

By Vir B. Lumicao

The 2 Pinoys and their local co-defendant did not show up in Eastern court today

Arrest warrants were issued today, May 13, against three accused - two Filipinos and a Hong Kong citizen - for their failure to appear in Eastern court for the hearing of their illegal gambling case.

Four of their co-defendants, including two other Filipinos, pleaded guilty and were fined between $500 and $1,000 by Magistrate Bina Chainrai.

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The hearing was delayed until close to 1pm while the court waited for the appearance of So Ping-cheung, 50, a local and alleged operator of the gambling den; Rhea Nerissa Maristela, 24, waitress, and Calveen Castrillo, 37, a recognizance holder.

When the three did not show up, Chainrai proceeded with the hearing.

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A charge of gambling in a gambling establishment was read to each their four co-defendants: Hongkongers Ngai Kim-fung, 47, warehouseman and Cheung Chi-hung, 31, jobless; and Filipinos RJ Raqueño, 31, bartender; and Cecilia Tejam, 51, waitress. 

All seven defendants were arrested on Mar 12 during a police raid on a flat on the second floor of Sze Lai Building at 241-243 Hennessy Road, Wanchai.

The building in Wanchai where the illegal gamling took place

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The prosecution said plainclothes officers from a special duty squad of the Wanchai Police District mounted the operation at the residential unit at 3:50pm.

The officers forced their way into the flat when those inside would not open the gate despite verbal warnings, the prosecutor said.

The raiders found Ngai, Cheung, Raqueño and Tejam inside the flat playing a fish-hitting or plane-shooting game, where game points were added or deducted from game cards. Points accumulated could be redeemed for cash.

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After the four pleaded guilty, Ngai, Cheung and Tejam were fined $500 each. Raqueño, who had previous convictions including gambling, was fined $1,000.  

After sentencing, Chainrai signed the arrest warrants for Maristela, Castrillo and So.

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HK to conduct mass testing as 3rd new local case confirmed

By Daisy CL Mandap

Health officials will screen shopkeepers in this Tsuen Wan market which the elderly patient often visited

Hong Kong health officials have said that they will step up testing for  Covid-19, after two new local cases were confirmed today, May 13. Preliminary results for a third member of their family also reportedly returned a positive result.

A 66-year-old woman and her 5-year-old granddaughter who both live in Tsuen Wan and had no recent travel history, were reported as infected by Hong Kong health authorities this afternoon. A few hours later, the woman's husband also tested positive for the virus.

The elderly woman fell ill on May 8, but only sought treatment at an outpatient clinic three days later, on May 11, when she was tested for the virus. The result came out positive yesterday, and a second test confirmed she had the virus.

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She told doctors she regularly went to Tsuen Wan market and to her son’s house nearby to look after her granddaughter.

After she was found infected, health staff checked on seven other members of the two households, and found all but one with mild symptoms of cough and fever. The ones with symptoms were put under isolation in hospitals, including her granddaughter and husband, while the sole asymptomatic member was taken to a quarantine centre.

Subsequent tests showed the granddaughter, who fell ill starting on May 11, also had the virus.

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Investigations showed the young girl had been to several places during the incubation period, including the market, a tuition center where another student and a tutor were present, and a restaurant in Olympic Plaza.

She also went for a meal at her maternal grandmother’s house in Charming Garden, Tai Kok Tsui.

Health officials admit they are concerned about the cases, as the city had been free of local infections for more than three weeks before this.

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But Undersecretary for Food and Health Dr Chui Tak-yi said the government thinks that at this point, there is no need to reintroduce stricter distancing measures eased just a few days ago. Schools are also still on track to reopen in phases starting on May 27.

“We will continue to monitor the development of the virus,” Chui said. “We will not hesitate to take new necessary measures (if necessary).”

Nevertheless, mass testing will be conducted as a result of the resurgence of local cases.

 

All residents of block 5 of Lei Muk Shue Estate will be tested (Wikipedia)

Centre for Health Protection’s Dr Chuang Shuk-kwan said that tests will be administered on a total of 860 households. These include residents of Block 5 of Lei Muk Shue Estate where the elderly woman lives, as well as Cheuk Ming Mansion where the granddaughter lives.

Shopkeepers at the market will also be screened, as well as staff and students who attended the tutorial center at the same time as the girl.

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Relatives on her mother’s side who shared a meal with the girl at her other grandmother’s house will also be tested.

A third case involving a 34-year-old man who flew in from Pakistan via Qatar Air yesterday, was also reported today, bringing Hong Kong’s tally to 1,051.

The patient, who was asymptomatic, was transferred to a hospital from mandatory quarantine at Chun Yeung estate.

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Pinay saleslady in WWide charged with boss for selling pirated goods

By Vir B. Lumicao

The shop with the alleged fake goods is located on the third floor of World-Wide Plaza

 A Filipina saleslady and her Pakistani employer were charged today, May 13, in Eastern Court with selling and possessing pirated electronic goods in a shop in World-Wide House last year.

No plea was taken from Zolaida Gogo, 34, and Muhammad Shuaib, 46, saleslady and owner, respectively, of the electronics shop located on the third floor of the building’s shopping arcade.

The defendants were charged by the Customs and Excise Department of one count each “selling goods to which a forged trademark was applied” and “possession for sale or for any purpose of trade or manufacture goods to which a false trademark was applied.”

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Magistrate Bina Chainrai adjourned the hearing until Jun 24 and extended the bail of the two defendants.

The first charge said Customs said Gogo and Muhammad sold one piece of a 32 gigabyte micro SD card bearing a forged “Sandisk” trademark on Jun 6 last year.

The prosecution said the buyer turned out to be a Customs undercover officer.

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Shortly after the purchase, Customs officers searched the shop and confiscated 44 pieces of 8GB micro SD cards, 17 pieces of 16GB micro cards , 25 pieces of 32GB micro SD cards, 7 pieces of 64 GB micro SD cards and 32 pieces of 128GB micro SD cards, all allegedly bearing a forged “Sandisk” trademark.

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The officers also seized 10 power banks bearing the forged trademark “Doraemon” and 69 power banks with the fake “Hello Kitty” brand.

The two defendants were arrested and released on Customs bail after initial investigation.

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New local infection feared as woman tests positive for Covid-19

By The SUN

Gathering restrictions might be reimposed if a new local outbreak takes place

Hong Kong media have reported that a 66-year-old housewife with no travel history has tested positive for Covid-19 today, May 12.

The news came shortly after the Centre for Health Protection announced that no new case of the coronavirus disease was reported, marking the 24^th day that no local infection had been detected. All of the recent cases involved newly arrived residents from overseas.

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The reports say health authorities are still awaiting the result of the second test on the woman before declaring her as a confirmed case.

However, she has already been admitted to Princess Margaret Hospital in Kwai Chung for isolation and treatment.

The woman is now in isolation at Princess Margaret Hospital

Four of her relatives have reportedly shown symptoms as well, and were also isolated in hospitals pending tests.

The woman was reported to have had no contact with Covid-19 patients, and has not traveled abroad.

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Her deep-throat saliva sample collected at a clinic in Kwai Chung earlier showed she had the disease.

Her case brings Hong Kong’s total to 1,048, with four deaths. Nearly all, save for about 50 patients, have been discharged from hospital after recovering.

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A new local infection with no known source could derail government’s plans to further ease distancing restrictions, as it could lead to a second wave of outbreaks.

Hong Kong has just scaled back its preventive measures, ordering all government offices to resume services and for staff to report back to work starting this week.

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The gathering ban was also relaxed to allow a maximum of eight people to get together in public, from the previous four. And several business establishments, including cinemas, bars and massage and beauty parlors, have just been allowed to reopen.

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Filipina pickpocket nabbed in World-Wide by her victim

By Vir B. Lumicao

The thief is caught in the act of picking the victim's wallet

A Filipina was arrested by police in World-Wide House in Central before noon on Sunday, May 10, after she was nabbed by another Filipina whose wallet the suspect allegedly tried to steal.

The incident happened on the third floor of World-Wide House, a mall that is crowded with Filipino workers on Sundays who go there to eat, shop for native products or send money to their families back home.

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A spokeswoman from the Police Public Relations Branch said a female security officer of the mall reported the incident to the Central Police Station at 11:30am.

Officers who responded reportedly saw that the 40-year-old suspect was already being held by security staff and watched by the 28-year-old victim.

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The PPRB officer said the victim was shopping on the third floor of the mall when she noticed that somebody was trying to pick her wallet.

At the same time, a Filipina shopper who noticed the incident took a video of the botched theft and alerted the victim.

Suspect is squeezed in by various Filipinas from all sides as the victim holds  onto her arm

The victim pounced on the suspect’s arm just as she had taken the wallet from her bag and called the mall security.

The PPRB spokeswoman said the suspect was taken to the Central Police station for interrogation, but could not tell if charges had been filed.

 

Police investigate the suspect at the scene

Many OFWs have long complained about pickpockets at World-Wide’s shopping arcade, who mostly proliferate on the first Sunday after the end of the month, when most foreign domestic workers had just received their salaries.

Before this incident, a Filipina helper warned against pickpockets in the shopping mall after she lost her wallet to a thief on May 1.

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The victim recovered the wallet shortly afterwards from the mall’s management office, where someone had returned it, but without the $600 cash inside. But the victim was just grateful her HKID and her bank ATM card were left untouched.

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