The SUN HK

HK records 125 new cases, all except 1 local

Posted on 01 August 2020 No comments

By The SUN

Health officials say many of the new cases involved family members gathering together for meals

For the first time in more than three weeks, no Filipino was among the 125 new Covid-19 cases reported in Hong Kong today, Aug. 1.

It was also the first time that only one imported case was recorded since the third wave of infections was noted earlier this month, a new arrival from Britain.

The last time no Filipino was included in the daily tally was on Jul 6. The biggest number of newly arrived travelers from Manila found to be infected on arrival at Hong Kong airport was on Jul 19, involving 10 domestic helpers and five seafarers.

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But health officials remain concerned as local infections have continued to surge, hitting more than 100 cases for the 11^th straight day.

Five deaths, again involving elderly patients, were reported over the past 24 hours, raising the fatality toll to 31.

Of the new local cases, 62 involved family members and their friends, prompting an appeal from Dr Chuang Shuk-kwan of the Centre for Health Protection for residents to stop their usual weekend gatherings.

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“We observed that there a number of household clusters…many of them get the whole family infected,” she said. “We do not have, any of us, do not have immunity, that’s why once introduced into the family, the whole family may get infected.”

Family gatherings, especially at dinnertime, appear to have become more frequent since the government stopped dine-ins at restaurants from 6pm.

With many people on work-from-home arrangements, dinner gatherings among family members and friends have become the trend, often to the detriment of foreign domestic workers who have taken to venting on social media about having to serve as many as 30 people during a meal.

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Chuang said this must stop, as there have been cases of children falling ill along with grandparents because of the weekend dinner gatherings among extended family members belonging to different households.

“I think we may have to stop this practice for one or two weeks to maintain the social distancing because once any one (in the family) gets infected, it is very likely…other members will get infected,” she said.

The CHP says the elderly are most vulnerable, so they should not be included in big family gatherings

Among the new family infections reported was that involving a doctor at the Caritas Medical Centre who tested preliminary positive this morning, hours after a family member was found infected with the virus.

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Dr Sara Ho of the Hospital Authority said the doctor went to work at the general ward of the hospital yesterday, but he wore a surgical mask and observed proper hygiene, like frequent washing of hands.

But the biggest number of related cases reported today were the eight linked to an outbreak at a multi-level marketing office called Global Star on Argyle Street, Kowloon.

Chuang said there are altogether 10 cases linked to this cluster, and involved several young people taking part in training seminars, meeting and eating together.

She said the police have been asked for help in contact tracing, since as many as 100 people had taken part in some of the gatherings in the basement-level office which was into the direct selling of cosmetics and wine.

There were also three new cases linked to the Sheung Shui abattoir, which was first detected last week among workers tasked with transporting pigs to the slaughterhouse.

Ho said there are 1,182 patients confined in 17 public hospitals and in Lei Yue Mun community facility. Of these, 37 are critical, 44 are serious, and the 1,101 others are in stable condition.

She also announced that the new community treatment centre at AsiaWorld-Expo began operating at noon today, and took in between 20-30 younger patients with little or no symptoms.

The AWE centre, which she said was inspired by similar facilities in the mainland, Singapore and Britain, can hold as many as 500 patients.

The most recent deaths included an 86-year-old man with long-term illness who died at Queen Mary Hospital at about 9am. The patient was a resident of Kong Tai Care for the Aged Centre, where dozens of residents and staff had been taken ill.

Another patient, a 79-year-old woman, died at 2:31pm today at Pamela Youde Nethersole Eastern Hospital. She was admitted to the hospital on Jul 29 due to fever and asthma.

Earlier, two patients at Queen Elizabeth Hospital and Tuen Mun Hospital also died. The QEH patient was a 79-year-old male patient who was admitted on Jul 27 due to cough. The THM patient was an 89-year-old woman who was admitted on Jul 26 due to fever.

Another patient, an 88-year-old male, also passed away at United Christian Hospital at 5:30am after testing preliminary positive for Covid-19. He will be given a patient number later, making him officially among Hong Kong’s fatalities due to the disease.

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Search on for 2 Covid-19 positive Filipino sailors, but arrest not likely

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By Daisy CL Mandap

The 2 missing seafarers flew separately to HK from Manila on Jul 24

Hong Kong health officials say they have enlisted the help of the police and Immigration Department in locating two Filipino sailors who could not be contacted after testing positive for Covid-19 on arrival at the airport on Jul 24.

Dr Chuang Shuk-kwan said at the press briefing today, Jul 31, that the sailors may have already left Hong Kong.

She identified them as cases no 2336 and 2251, and their vessel as Gulf Fanatic.

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CHP records show that Case 2336 is a 46-year-old male who arrived in Hong Kong from Manila on Jul 24 via Hongkong Airlines Flight HX 782.

Case No 2251, on the other hand, is a 37-year-old male who arrived from Manila on the same day via Cathay Pacific Flight CX 906.

“We have not located the seafarers yet, maybe they have left Hong Kong,” Chuang said. “But we will check with Immigration Department.”

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Despite the effort to track them down, it is not likely that the missing sailors will be arrested as the law only punishes people who violate quarantine rules, and no

t for disappearing prior to being transferred to an isolation facility.

This apparent loophole was shown in the case of a 37-year-old local woman who reportedly left her house in Homantin to go shopping, while waiting to be transferred to a hospital after testing positive for Covid-19.

Her case also highlighted the long wait for hospital faced by those who test positive, amid record rises in infections.

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For the past few days, more than 100 confirmed or preliminary positive cases have been told to stay at home while waiting for isolation beds to be cleared for them.

A reporter at the press briefing said the police did not arrest the errant patient, but merely booked the incident under “miscellaneous cases.”

Chuang said they needed to find out more about the case, but the information they got was the woman had gone out to buy stuff to prepare for her hospital stay.

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“We advise confirmed cases that while waiting to be admitted they should not go out,” said Chuang.

But she said the laws only prohibit those under quarantine from going out. “Before they are admitted we don’t have any laws that will bind them.”

That’s because ideally, patients who are confirmed to have the coronavirus must be admitted to hospital as soon as possible, she said.

Still, she said confirmed patients must not go out so as not to endanger the safety of the public.

Dr Chuang says all infected patients must be isolated to protect public health safety

As for the Filipino sailors, the samples they left at the AsiaWorld-Expo testing site on arrival tested positive the next day, but they could no longer be located.

Another sailor from India who tested positive on the same day was tracked and transferred to Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Yau Ma Tei.

Hong Kong health protocols used to exempt all air and sea crew from the mandatory testing at the airport, and from the 14-day quarantine, as they often are in the city for only a short period of time.

But since the restrictions were tightened on Jul 8 amid a surge in infections, they have all been required to leave saliva samples at the airport, before heading off to their quarantine facilities or ships.

This has led to a small number of seafarers disappearing from Hong Kong’s radar after the samples they left at the airport tested positive for Covid-19.

Rules were tightened further starting Jul 29, when air and sea crew who get tested at the airport are prohibited from taking public transportation, or mingling with the public until they return a negative result.

Non-Hong Kong based air crew members are also made to wait for their test result at AsiaWorld-Expo, and could only proceed to their isolation facilities if they test negative.

121 more Covid-19 cases reported today, including 1 Filipino DH

Posted on 31 July 2020 No comments

By The SUN

The Filipina DH tested positive, despite submitting a negative result for Covid-19 prior to boarding her flight from Manila (File photo)

Another 121 new Covid-19 cases were reported in Hong Kong today, Jul 31, the 10^th straight day that the number of infections reported in a day exceeded 100. The city’s total tally now stands at 3,272.

Citing the recent surge in cases as reason, Chief Executive Carrie Lam announced tonight that the legislative council slated for Sept 6 will be postponed for a year. She said the “epidemic is at its worst," making it difficult to hold the elections without endangering public safety.

Of the new cases reported today, all except three, were local transmissions. The imported cases include a Filipina domestic worker who tested positive on arrival, despite the pro-boarding requirement in Manila that she should show a negative test result for Covid-19.

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The two others were a seafarer from India and a businessman from Mexico.

Dr Chuang Shuk-kwan of the Centre for Health Protection said that about half, or 62 of the new local cases, have links to previous infections, while the sources for the 61 others are unknown. The linked cases included 48 that spread among family members and friends.

Hospital Authority’s Sara Ho reported two more deaths, again involving elderly patients, that raised the death toll to 27.

The latest fatality from Covid-19 was declared dead this morning at Queen Mary Hospital

One was a 91-year-old man who passed away at 11:34 am at Queen Mary Hospital in Pokfulam. The patient, who was a resident at the virus-plagued Kong Tai Care for the Aged Centre in Tsz Wan Shan, had long-term illnesses and was admitted on Jul 10.

Earlier, at 12:18 am, an 82-year-old woman who also had chronic diseases, passed on at Tuen Mun Hospital. She was admitted on Jul 26 due to fever, and her condition deteriorated after testing positive for the coronavirus disease.

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Dr Chuang listed among today’s notable cases an emerging cluster in a direct marketing company called Star Global, with offices at Kin-on Mansion on Argyle Street in Kowloon. Four more infections were recorded today, on top of two previously confirmed. Five other people have tested preliminary positive.

She said the basement office is engaged in the direct selling of cosmetics and wine, and has enough room for training 100 in direct selling. The police are helping health authorities in tracking down close contacts of the infected people.

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Two cases were also included in the cluster involving staff of Metro Radio which has offices in Whampoa. There are now a total of eight people linked to the office.

At Cornwall elderly home in Tuen Mun which has already about 20 confirmed cases, three more patients tested positive today.

There was another case linked to the Tao Heung restaurant at Grand Plaza in Mong Kok, and another to the Kin Shing contractors in Kwun Tong.

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Among the preliminary positive cases is a resident at an elderly home in Fanling, and an employee at Caritas Evergreen Home in Sai Ying Pun.

A couple of patients testing positive after being put in general wards were also reported today, including one at Queen Elizabeth, another at Princess Margaret, and at Tuen Mun Hospital. The patients’ close contacts have been put under quarantine while under observation.

Dr Ho said the community isolation facility at AsiaWorld-Expo near the airport will start accepting patients from tomorrow to free up isolation beds in hospitals that have reached capacity.

She said a few patients who are younger and have mild to no symptoms will be sent there initially, with the transfer being ramped up gradually. Up to 500 patients could be accommodated in the new facility.

She has said that the surge in cases has left up to 200 confirmed or preliminary positive patients waiting to be admitted to hospitals.

This was even after around 300 patients were moved from isolation rooms to tier-2 beds in isolation wards, and a further 100 recovering patients to the isolation facility in Lei Yue Mun.

Today, 91 patients were discharged from hospitals, raising the total number of recoveries to 1,751.

A total of 1,187 patients are still in 15 public hospitals, 43 of them critical, 39 serious, and 1,105 in stable condition.

Strong Wind Signal No 3 hoisted

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By The SUN

Overcast sky over Shing Mun River in Shatin

Strong Wind Signal No. 3 was hoisted by the Hong Kong Observatory at 8:40pm tonight, Jul 31, as a tropical cyclone appears to be developing over the South China Sea.

Winds with mean speeds of 41 to 62 kilometers per hour are expected, prompting the Observatory to advise residents to make sure objects that are likely to be blown away are securely fastened or taken indoors.

The weather bureau also advised people to stay away from the shoreline and not to engage in water sports.

The cloudy weather is expected to continue throughout the weekend.

There will be a few squally thunderstorms tomorrow, with showers that could become heavy at times. Temperatures will range between 26 and 29 degrees Celsius.

For Sunday, more occasional heavy showers and squally thunderstorms are forecast, to be followed by showers in the next couple of days.

‘Unhappy’ Filipina falls to death in Yau Ma Tei, police say

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By The SUN

The building where the Filipina lived with her employers.

A Filipina domestic worker was found dead on Wednesday morning, Jul 29, on a street in Yaumatei after a fatal fall, police have confirmed.

A passerby found the body of the 46-year-old on the pavement below No.3 Nanking St and notified the police at 6:27am, a police spokeswoman told The SUN.

She said the Filipina was unconscious when she was taken by an ambulance to nearby Queen Elizabeth Hospital where she was certified dead.

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No suicide note was found and there were no suspicious circumstances, the officer said.

But she added, “So far, the police have gathered that the victim was unhappy about some life matters.”

The victim, H.P., was a native of Aklan province, and had worked for her employer for close to 12 years. She apparently fell off the employer's flat in Hong Kiu Mansion at the corner of Nathan Road and Nanking St.

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This was according to her niece who contacted The SUN yesterday, to ask for more information about the case.

The niece confirmed that the victim had been worried about “something” for about two weeks, and had arranged to meet with a cousin who is also working in Hong Kong to discuss the problem.

“Hindi lang po namin alam bakit nauwi sa ganun. Dahil makikipagkita pa po dapat sa Linggo ang tita ko sa pinsan niya diyan sa Hong Kong,” the niece said.
(We don't know why it led to this. My aunt was supposed to meet with her cousin who is there in Hong Kong).

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She also said the deceased had complained about her employer allegedly tracking her on Facebook so she deactivated her account.

One time, she reportedly sent a message to a friend with the word “tabang” (help in the Visayan language). Alarmed, the friend went to the police to report the incident but when the deceased was contacted, she reportedly said “Ok lang ako”, although she sounded troubled.

The niece said it was impossible for her aunt to be unhappy after being in Hong Kong for more than 11 years. In fact, the victim was reportedly planning to go home for good this coming December when she would have completed 12 years working with her employer.

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She said her family learned about the incident when a friend called the victim on Wednesday morning and it was a police officer who answered the call. The officer reportedly said the victim was in a hospital, then hung up.

“At around 7am din, tumawag ang tita ko na nasa Cavite sa phone ng tita ko sa Hong Kong. Police ang sumagot. Ang sabi nasa hospital daw po,” the niece added.

“Nalaman lang namin ang tungkol sa pagtalon nung tinawagan namin ang employer ng tita ko sa Hong Kong around 3pm.”

(At around 7am, my aunt who lives in Cavite also called my other aunt (the victim). A police officer answered and said she was in the hospital. We just learned that she apparently jumped when we called my aunt’s employer in Hong Kong around 3pm)

The niece was alarmed about reports that some of people are alleging foul play in the incident, saying their family just wants to know more information about what happened.

She said they had already contacted the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration in Hong Kong, which relayed the same information given by police.

The SUN advised her to coordinate with the assistance to nationals section of the Consulate for repatriation and any other information they want to get from the police.

OWWA's welfare officer Virsie Tamayao confirmed receiving an appeal for assistance from the family of the dead OFW.

"Upon the request of the family through OWWA home office we have issued a report regarding the death of (victim). This case was immediately endorsed to ATN as it is being handled by the Yaumatei police station for investigation," said Tamayao.

She said OWWA's usual assistance and intervention will be provided to the victim's family.

Philippines posts record number of nearly 4,000 new Covid-19 cases

Posted on 30 July 2020 No comments

By The SUN

A total of 3,954 new cases were recorded today, taking the country's total tally past China's official record (CNN Phl graphic)

The Philippines has reported its biggest number of single-day coronavirus cases, with 3,954 new infections recorded today, Jul 30.

The new cases brought the country’s overall tally to 89,374, with 1,983 deaths.

The surge in cases came hours before President Rodrigo Duterte is expected to announce the new quarantine status for virus hotspots Metro Manila and Cebu City, as well as for other areas across the country.

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The Philippines now has more Covid-19 cases than the 84,165 cases reported by China, where the first novel coronavirus outbreak was detected. The Philippines’ 108 million population is barely 1% of China’s population of 1.34 billion.

The Department of Health has attributed the surge in cases to its enhanced testing capability and data reconciliation effort.

Its latest published data show that a total of 1.36 million individuals, or about 1.2% of the population, has so far been tested. These tests yielded a total of 126,484 positive cases, for a positivity rate of 9.3%.

Separate data from DoH show that the total positive cases in the country is now 126,484

However, DoH has always maintained that this other figure of positive infections have yet to be validated because of duplications.

Also according to DoH, a record 38,075 patients were discharged from hospitals today, for a total recovery figure of 65,064.

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With this, the total number of active cases, or those still ill from the coronavirus disease, is now at 22,327.

The DoH said that patients who are asymptomatic or have mild symptoms, and whose onset of illness or specimen collection was more than 14 days ago, shall be tagged as recovered.

This is reportedly the protocol followed by the United States’ and European Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as well as by India.

“Current recovery policies now show that at the 10th day of the illness, the risk of transmitting the virus to other people is significantly reduced,” the department said in a statement.

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This deviates from the practice in Hong Kong, however, where a patient is listed as recovered after testing negative for the virus after repeated tests.

Positive cases, whether asymptomatic or not, are immediately taken in for isolation and treated until they return a negative test result.

This is because local studies have shown that some asymptomatic patients have a high viral load, meaning they are highly contagious, even if they have never shown signs of being sick themselves.

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