More displaced workers queue up for help at OWWA

By Vir B. Lumicao

 

Displaced workers line up to get financial help or a slot in confirmed flights arranged by the Consulate

About three dozen dismissed Filipino domestic workers lined up this morning, Jul 20, at the Philippine Overseas Labor Office to apply for emergency cash assistance or seek a slot on the next flight home arranged by the Consulate.

Most of the workers who were gathered in the Polo conference room said their contracts had been terminated by their employers more than a month ago. Some are still looking for prospective employers, while the others are resigned to go home.

At least one helper said she initiated the termination of her contract because she could not withstand her working conditions. Luckily, she has found a new employer and is flying home to see her family before starting her new job.

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By noon, more than 30 workers had already approached the Polo and the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration for the DOLE Akap cash aid and the flight registration.

At about the same time, displaced OFWs continued to trickle into the premises enquiring about the $300 financial help that Owwa gives to those who don’t have money for food or transportation.

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But it’s not clear who is entitled to the so-called “ayuda” as there are no published guidelines, although a team within Owwa reportedly decides on who should get it.

 

Many are stuck in HK because of repeated cancellations of their flights to Manila

The others in the queue were enquiring about the group flights arranged by the Consulate and Owwa to ensure that those who want to fly home don’t get stuck in Hong Kong indefinitely because of frequent flight cancellations.

Among those at Owwa’s offices on the 16th floor this morning were two elderly women who said they had worked in Hong Kong for more than three decades.

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Rita, a 62-year-old helper with driving duties, was terminated by her employer after she was booked by the police for careless driving. She booked a flight home on Aug 3 but it was cancelled.

She said she should have been on the flight that left this morning but she failed to pick up the phone when Owwa called to inform her of her booking. She is now hoping to get onto the next flight tentatively set for Jul 23.

Her voyage home on the next special flight home would end her 31 years of working in Hong Kong.

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Another long-timer in the city is 65-year-old Manang, who was terminated on Jun 15 when she shouted back at her British male employer who berated her. Manang said he was the worst employer she ever had since arriving here in 1984.

“Dito na ako nagdalaga at tumanda,” the Ilocana from Tarlac, who would not give her name, said in jest.

This morning, Manang was at Polo to accompany three other Ilocana helpers who were also dismissed by their employers and were seeking the US$200 Akap financial assistance for OFWs displaced because of the coronavirus pandemic.

“Nabigyan na ako ng DOLE Akap,” she said, adding that she had also received food allowance from Owwa.

Manang and her three companions are staying for free in a Christian shelter in Jordan where they cook their own food while they await a new employer to sign them up, or when they, too, will have to fly home. 

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HK’s highest daily tally of 108 new Covid-19 cases include 15 Filipinos

By The SUN

Today's record cases came from various districts across Hong Kong

Hong Kong recorded its highest daily tally of 108 confirmed Covid-19 cases, today, Jul 19, bringing the city’s total infections to 1,886.

The new cases include an unprecedented 15 Filipinos who recently arrived from Manila. Ten of them are domestic workers, and three are seafarers. The visa status of the two others was not mentioned.

Another record was the 83 local infections among today’s cases.

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The all-time high was reached in just eight hours, after the Health Department adjusted its cut-off reporting time to midnight, instead of 4pm the next day, to cope with the sudden spike in cases.

This means that the 108 cases were confirmed only between 4pm and 12 midnight on Saturday. Today's total tally will be reported at midnight tonight.

Dr Chuang Shuk-kwan of the Centre for Health Protection warned at today’s press briefing that the local medical system could collapse if the situation did not improve.

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She also said that the number of confirmed cases could go up sharply within today, as she was aware of about 60 more confirmed or preliminary cases detected since after midnight Saturday.

Another concern is the apparently “stronger” or more infectious strain of the coronavirus that is going around, compared to the one that caused a spike in infections last March.

Chuang said that’s because she has seen cases in which the virus managed to infect another during short contacts of about a few minutes, involving someone without a mask on.

 

Chuang warns a more infectious coronavirus strain appears to be causing the surge in cases

Of today’s cases, 48 are of unknown source, further igniting the worry that many asymptomatic super spreaders are passing the virus around.

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The number of imported cases was also up sharply at 25. Apart from the 15 Filipinos who flew in from Manila, the other infected travelers came from Japan, Pakistan, India, Bahrain and the United States.

Chuang said information on two other travelers were still pending although one appears to be an airline crew from Japan who might have just transited in Hong Kong.

The CHP official said 35 of the local cases were linked to previous or today’s cases, and that most of them are family members, fellow diners or fellow mahjong players.

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Chuang said there were cluster cases among the new infections. Some were linked to the Windsor Restaurant or Green River Restaurant in the epidemic hotspot Tsz Wan Shan, and family members who had eaten or played mahjong together.

One more case was linked to three previously confirmed patients who had played at a tennis centre in San Po Kong.

Of the untraceable cases, three involved taxi drivers and an employee of a frozen meat shop in a market in Hung Hom.

She reminded people who go to wet markets to wash their hands regularly, especially after they touch produce or pay with cash, because the virus may remain in the environment.

“Paper money is something that you cannot cleanse with alcohol, so after touching it, try not to touch your eyes or noses or mouths, and wash your hands quickly,” she said.

Chuang said that the new patients live in different districts, from the epicenter Tsz Wan Shan, to Siu Sai Wan and Yuen Long.

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Filcom leader says migrants warned by police to follow gathering restrictions

By The SUN

Chater Road today was relatively empty, but not the adjacent Edinburgh Place where the police issued warnings

 A longtime Filipino community leader has called on his fellow migrant workers to strictly observe the four-to-a-group rule on public gathering in Hong Kong, or risk prosecution.

Eman Villanueva, chair of Bayan Hong Kong and Macau, said he received reports shortly after 3pm today, Jul 19,  that police had rounded up a number of Filipinos near the General Post Office in Central, after taking pictures and videos of them violating the social distancing rule.

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He said the police took down the names and HK ID numbers of the violators as a warning, but did not make any arrests. Police confirmed this separately to The SUN in response to a query.

Villanueva said that had they been arrested, violators would have been asked to pay an outright fine of $2,000 if they did not wish to contest the charge, or brought to court where they will have the chance to defend themselves, but if found guilty, could face a fine of up to $25,000 and imprisonment of up to six months.

 

At nearby WorldWide Plaza, shops were again packed with Filipino shoppers

But he said that migrant workers face an even tougher sanction.

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“Sa mga migrant donestic workers, malamang magiging dahilan din ito para ma-deport o hindi maka renew ng kontrata,” he warned in a Facebook post.

(For migrant workers, this could mean them being deported or denied a renewal of their contracts).

Villanueva added: “Kaya muli, paalala sa lahat na mag observe ng social distancing lalo na sa mga pampublikong lugar, palaging magsuot ng face mask at magbaon ng alcohol spray o hand sanitizer.”

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(So again, a reminder to all to observe social distancing especially in public places, (and) to always wear a face mask and bring along alocohol spray or hand sanitizers)

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CE says Covid-19 spread ‘really critical’ as she orders govt staff to work from home

By The SUN

CE Lam ramps up public health measures amid a 'really critical' Covid-19 situation in HK

Civil servants providing non-emergency services will go back to working from home starting on Monday, as the number of Covid-19 cases surged to 108 in just eight hours yesterday, a single-day record.

The work from home arrangement was part of tough new measures announced by Chief Executive Carrie Lam earlier today, Jul 19, in response to what she called as the “really critical” situation in Hong Kong right now.

“I think the situation is really critical and there is no sign the situation is being brought under control,” she said in an emergency briefing attended by her top officials.

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She said the local situation mirrors what is happening in other parts of the world where the outbreak shows no sign of easing.

But she rejected a suggestion that all of Hong Kong’s 7.5 million residents be tested, as what has been done in some countries.

“To us, at the moment, that is not very realistic because we do not have that testing capacity,” she said.

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Another new rule is to require the wearing of masks in all indoor public spaces like supermarkets and wet markets.

Students who took the DSE should not go back to their schools to pick up their results which are due out on Wednesday, and should just do so online.

She also said university applications should be done online as much as possible.

The CE also announced special infection-control measures, including the thorough cleansing and disinfection of 12 wet markets across Kowloon, identified as one of the high-risk factors in the latest outbreak.

 

Collection centres have been set up  to collect specimen samples from high risk individuals like taxi drivers

The new steps also include setting up specimen collection centres at different spots in the city to collect swab samples from high-risk individuals including taxi drivers, staff at restaurants, elderly care homes and property management firms.

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Lam announced a further one-week extension of new restrictions announced on Jul 15, including allowing only a maximum of four people to gather in public, banning dine-in at restaurants after 6pm, and closing down 12 types of venues, including bars and gyms.

That time, the CE ruled out directing civil servants to go back to working from home, saying the government was providing essential services.

Asked about the turnaround, Civil Service Secretary Patrick Nip said: “Of course, that will have an impact on people, on the provision of services, but I think that’s the price we have to pay at this juncture.”

The government first ordered the work-from-home arrangement for government personnel in mid-February, when the coronavirus outbreak started getting severe. But during that so-called second wave of the outbreak, the total number of cases in a day rarely went past 50.

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Churches stop public masses anew amid spike in Covid-19 cases

By The SUN

Restrictions on religious gatherings were relaxed further just last Jul 1

Most churches have again stopped holding public masses in the wake of record increases in the number of coronavirus infections in Hong Kong, most of them locally transmitted.

The move came as the government imposed the most stringent regulations on public gatherings since the start of the outbreak in Hong Kong in January. The new restrictions will last from Jul 15-28.

Among the first to announce the suspension of public masses was the head of the Catholic Church in Hong Kong, Cardinal John Tong.

A notice published in the Chancery’s website quotes the Cardinal as saying that: 

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1)  All public masses will be suspended in all parish churches and affiliated chapels as well as all other places (for example, the Catholic Centre in Central) where regular Sunday and weekday public services are held. Other religious group activities, except for weddings and funerals will likewise be suspended. For weddings, no more than 20 people will be allowed to gather, during which no food or drink will be served, while there is no restriction on the number of participants for funerals.

2)  Parish churches and chapels will remain open for personal prayers by individuals, and visits to the Blessed Sacrament. Individual visits to a church or chapel for prayers are not considered as group gatherings, so there is no restriction on their number.

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      3) Precautionary measures must, however, be taken during these individual visits: (a) a mask must be worn throughout the visit; (b) body temperature must be taken; (c) hands must be cleansed with sanitizer; (d) individuals must be at least 1.5 meter apart.

Public masses are again suspended for at least 2 weeks starting Jul 15

In place of attending public masses, worshippers are urged to take part in online masses and receive the Holy Communion spiritually, read the Sunday liturgy in the Bible, say the Rosary, or do other religious reflections.

Baptisms or confirmations scheduled over the next two weeks will be suspended, or reset to another date, depending on the public health situation.

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Several other churches have likewise announced the suspension of public masses or services.

The move comes just two weeks after restrictions on religious gatherings were relaxed to allow churches to fill up to 80% of their usual capacity. For the entire month of June, they could only fill up to 50% of their capacity.

But three months before this, or starting on Feb. 14, all public religious gatherings were stopped during what is now regarded as the first wave of coronavirus infections in Hong Kong.

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HK records 64 new and 60 preliminary positive Covid-19 cases, plus 1 death

By The SUN

People are again warned to avoid going out, as 124 confirmed and suspected Covid-19 cases were reported today

Hong Kong may have recorded the biggest number of coronavirus cases today, Jul 18, with 64 confirmed and 60 preliminary positive cases.

They brought Hong Kong’s total confirmed cases to 1,778. Of today’s new cases, 60 were locally acquired.

The figures nearly breached the record 67 new cases reported on Thursday, Jul 16, of which 63 were community transmissions. But on that day, there were only 10 preliminary positive cases.

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Also today, a 94-year-old male patient died at about 10am at Queen Elizabeth Hospital, becoming the 12^th recorded fatality from the disease, and the fourth in four days. The patient, who had underlying illnesses, had been critically ill since Jul 13.

Dr Chuang Shuk-kwan of the Centre for Health Protection said there appears to be no end in sight for the spread of the infection, as 35 of the new cases are of unknown origin.

“Judging from the number of cases recorded these past few days, the trend is still going up,” she said at today’s press briefing. “I appeal to members of the public to please stay at home as far as possible and avoid gathering activities.”

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Of the four imported cases, one was a Filipina domestic helper who flew in from Manila aboard a Cathay Pacific flight. The three others are a pilot from Kazakhstan, a returnee from Pakistan, and a seafarer from India.

There was also a foreign domestic helper who tested positive along with a family member, but the nationality of both was not disclosed.

Of around 400 cases recorded since the third wave of infection occurred starting in the first week of July, nearly half were reported in Tsz Wan Shan, where a cluster of cases were found in an elderly home, a wet market, and several restaurants.

According to Chuang, between 150 and 160 cases were recorded in the district up until yesterday.

A shuttered Bun Kee Congee & Noodle House: many of the first cases in Tsz Wan Shan were linked to it

Today, several more cases were linked to three restaurants in the area: Bun Kee Congee & Noodle House, Windsor and Green River restaurants.

The linked cases included two waitresses at Via Restaurant on Tung Choi street in Mong Kok, two friends who played ping-pong at the Victory Table Tennis Sports Centre in San Po Kong, along with another who tested positive earlier, and three more staff of the Tuen Mun Eye Centre.

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At least 123 employees of the eye centre will undergo virus tests, after several patients tested positive earlier. Of the 35 close contacts of the infected patients, 30 tested negative while two were found infected. Three more results are still pending.

A team of health experts visited the eye centre earlier today to investigate and try to find out the source of infection.

Another cluster of cases involve four people who tested positive after a gathering in the Pier Market at the Grand Tower in Mong Kok, where about 80 people seated at about a dozen table had dinner and sang karaoke together. One other guest at the gathering tested preliminary positive.

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The untraceable cases include a 16-year-old girl who studies at True Light Girls’ College in Yau Ma Tei, a 42-year-old hawker in the same district, a 61-year-old male singer in Tsim Sha Tsui, a 72-year-old male cleaner at the airport, a 50-year-old female shop attendant at the Island Resort Mall in Siu Sai Wan, and a customs officer working at the North Point Customs Headquarters, and his wife.

Dr Lau Ka-hin, chief manager of the Hospital Authority, said also among the new cases is a 76-year-old patient who tested positive while confined in the general ward of Queen Elizabeth Hospital, along with three other people.

He tested positive yesterday after a nasal swab, after testing negative during repeated tests in the past few days.

Lau said that 421 Covid-19 patients are confined in 14 hospitals. Of these, 13 are in critical condition, 11 are in serious condition, and the rest are stable.

Ten more patients were discharged today, for a total of 1,274 recoveries.

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