Gathering rules extended as 80 new Covid-19 cases reported

By The SUN

The rule that not more than 2 people can gather in public has been extended for another week

The Hong Kong government has extended for a week gathering restrictions which include a ban on gatherings of more than two people, and the mandatory wearing of face masks in public places.

The restrictions, which are due to expire tomorrow, were imposed amid a record surge in coronavirus infections.

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But for the first time in nearly two weeks, the total Covid-19 tally in Hong Kong dropped to below 100 today, Aug 3. A total of 80 cases were reported by health officials, all of them locally acquired.

The death toll also climbed to 37, with two more elderly patients succumbing to Covid-19 over the past 24 hours, while confirmatory tests on another patient who died on Saturday showed he did have Covid-19.

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The latest to pass away was an 83-year-old man confined at Tuen Mun Hospital. Another patient, an 84-year-old woman, died in Queen Elizabeth Hospital hospital earlier.

At the same time, tests taken on an 88-year-old man who died at United Christian Hospital on Saturday showed he was positive for the coronavirus disease.

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Dr Sara Ho of the Hospital Authority reported that 1,243 patients are currently hospitalized in 19 public hospitals and at the isolation facilities in Lei Yue Mun and AsiaWorld-Expo.

Among them, 43 are in critical condition, 49 are in serious condition, and 1,151 are in stable condition.

 

The AsiaWorld treatment facility can accommodate as many as 500 patients

As of noon today, 56 patients were in the AsiaWorld-Expo facility, and about 200 were in Lei Yue Mun. About 300 others had been moved to second-tier isolation beds to make room for new patients in the first-tier beds.

A total of 78 patients were discharged from hospital today, raising the total number of recoveries to 2,037.

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Two more patients were linked to the Caritas Medical Centre cluster, which included a doctor and a patient. Two other people were earlier diagnosed in the same ward.

A total of 50 staff and patients in the ward have been classified as close contracts and were isolated for observations.

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Dr Chuang Shuk-kwan of the Centre for Health Protection apologized for mistakes made in the cases of two patients who were mistakenly diagnosed as positive for Covid-19.

The two, a resident in Tsz Wan Shan and an employee at Caritas Evergreen Home, were later found to be negative of the disease, and have since been discharged. Their case numbers have since been transferred to two positive patients.

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Polo brings back direct hiring for Filipino workers

By Daisy CL Mandap

Labatt Dizon's directive says all work contracts will  have to be submitted to HK Immigration directly 

In a move that has sent ripples through the community, the Philippine Overseas Labor Office has effectively cut off all agency interventions in the hiring of Filipino workers in the city.

A memo issued by Labor Attache Melchor Dizon today, Aug 3, says that from Aug 10, all employment contracts for Filipinos will have to be submitted directly to Hong Kong Immigration for the issuance of the work visa.

Once the visa is issued, the contract, along with supporting documents, shall be submitted directly to Polo for verification, and then forwarded to the Consulate for authentication and release.

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The new rules apply to all work contracts for Filipinos, in particular domestic workers,  whether they be new hires, re-contract with the same employer, or those moving to a new employer, whether or not the previous contract had matured, or was prematurely terminated.

Currently, all employment contracts, except those where a Filipino domestic worker had signed up anew with the same employer, must be coursed through employment agencies accredited with Polo.

Labatt Dizon’s move came in the wake of his decision to shut down Polo’s offices, after receiving a report from Hong Kong’s health authorities that an employment agency’s liaison staff had visited them before testing positive for Covid-19.

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While the sudden policy change caught agencies off-guard and prompted warnings of less protection for OFWs, Filcom leaders were quick to applaud the move.

Dolores Balladares, chairperson of United Filipinos in Hong Kong, said in a statement:

“We welcome the new advisory. It has been a long-standing demand of OFWs in Hong Kong that there should be direct hiring, specially during this time of the Covid-19 pandemic.”

“Makakagaan na ito sa laki ng gastusin ng mga OFW dahil hindi lang mga pangangailangan nila ang kanilang ginagastusan, kundi pati na rin ng pamilya nila sa Pilipinas.”

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(This will help alleviate the heavy financial burden of OFWs who not only have to spend for themselves, but also for their families back in the Philippines).

Bayan Hong Kong and Macau chair Eman Villanueva echoed the sentiment. “We welcome the decision of Polo to direct all contract processing to the Immigration Department and Polo Hong Kong office without the need to go through an agency,” he said.

“This has been our long-standing demand - that direct-hiring should be allowed - and going through an employment agency should just be made optional.”

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Villanueva said he hopes that Labatt Dizon will continue the new measure even after the pandemic “and will not be pressured by groups of employment agencies to revert to its previous policy.”

Agencies, however, warn, that the move will have “very serious” implications not only for them, but also for the worker’s interest and protection.

Thomas Chan, head of the Hong Kong Union of Employment Agencies, said that without their intervention, “bad” employers could easily escape Polo’s monitoring.

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He also warned that agencies without accreditation could easily recruit workers and charge them illicit fees without fear of having their licenses revoked by Polo and the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration.

In addition, workers could start getting their relatives hired by employers even under unfavorable terms. “Once problems come, no accredited agencies will be responsible,” he said.

Direct hiring was, however, allowed up until the term of former Labor Attache Bernardino Julve in the early 2000s, with hardly any problem being reported.

The policy changed only after he left, when all contracts, except those where the worker had completed a previous one, were made to go through agencies.

Balladares said that Dizon’s move came just as she and other OFW leaders had started talking about protesting the continued intervention of agencies in the processing of work contracts, when they hardly do any work.

 

Both the PCG and Polo are trying to limit the number of people lining up for services as part of anti-virus measures

Most, if not all, foreign domestic workers, are now being allowed by Hong Kong Immigration to remain here instead of going back to the Philippines before starting on a new contract, whether or not they completed their previous one, or it was terminated prematurely.

That meant that agencies were only submitting and following up documents with Polo, the Consulate and HK Immigration, tasks that anyone, including the worker concerned, can do.

At the start of the pandemic, agencies were given an even bigger role, as even those who finished their previous contracts but were changing employers, were required to go through an agency. Previously, the workers themselves were allowed to do this work.

At that time, Polo said it was part of a bid to decongest its offices and promote social distancing among those queuing up for services.

It did not seem to occur to Polo officials then that the dreaded coronavirus would make its way into its offices through an agency personnel.

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ConGen tells Polo staff to get tested after visit by Covid-19 patient

By Vir B. Lumicao

POLO's advisory saying it will be closed from today, and will resume services on Aug 9

Consul General Raly Tejada has asked all personnel at the Philippine Overseas Labor Office and Overseas Workers Welfare Administration to undergo coronavirus testing after Polo shut down today on being informed that an employment agency who visited its offices has been confirmed to be Covid-19 positive.

According to inside sources, the infected agency liaison staff visited the Polo office on the 18^th floor of the YF Life Tower on an undetermined date and met with some officers or staff.

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Among those the agency staff likely to have met during the visit was Assistant Labor Attaché Angelica Sunga,  who attends to agency matters at Polo, or staff members manning the service counters.

But to be safe, ConGen Tejada has asked all the staff in Polo and Owwa to get tested.      

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“I’ve asked them to get tested for good measure and to follow CHP [the Hong Kong Health Department’s Centre for Health Protection] who, I believe, is advising Polo now,” ConGen Tejada said.

But, he added, “To be clear, walang Polo or taga-Owwa na maysakit.”

 

The infected agency staff is reported to have visited Polo's service counters on the 18th floor

ConGen Tejada also said he became aware of the problem only last night, after Labor Attache Melchor Dizon advised him that they would be closing down their offices because of the incident.

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An announcement posted on the Polo Facebook page said its offices will be closed from today, Aug 3 until Aug 6 “for disinfection and other emergency maintenance procedures.” Operations will resume this Sunday, Aug. 9.

A check with Department of Health and the Centre for Health Protection did not yield any information about the supposed link to Polo of an infected patient.

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A spokesman said he could not say for sure if contact tracing has been done on the patient, or whether a testing schedule has been made for Polo staff, saying there were too many cases in Hong Kong being investigated by CHP.

Records of supposed “infected buildings” showed only one entry for YF Life Tower, pertaining to a 27-year-old female “resident” of the building who was confirmed to have Covid-19 on Mar 22. She visited the building five days earlier.

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Polo and Owwa officers could not be contacted by phone as of this writing.  

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Pagkaraan ng 23 taon, nag-‘for good’ sa Pinas, kumusta na?

Ni Simeona G. Gregorio

(Ang may-akda ay isang guro na napilitang magtrabaho bilang isang domestic  helper sa Hong Kong ng apat na taon para matulungan ang mga magulang sa kanilang pangangailangan, at mapag-aral ang isang kapatid, na isa na ring guro ngayon. Sa loob ng maiksing pamamalagi sa Hong Kong ay nakapag-ipon ng sapat si Simeona para makapag-umpisang muli sa Pilipinas. Sa ngayon ay may asawa na siya at apat na anak, at nagtuturo sa Morente Elementary School sa kanilang bayan sa Bongabong, Oriental Mindoro. Bagamat nakaranas ng hirap sa pagtatrabaho sa Hong Kong, mas pinipili pa rin ni Simeona na balikan ang mga magagandang alaala at mga natutunan sa kanyang pamamalagi dito. - Ed)

Ang may-akda ay bumalik sa pagiging guro sa Pilipinas matapos mag OFW sa HK ng 4 na taon 

“Patience today, beautiful life tomorrow.” Ang mga katagang ito ang naging gabay ko sa maraming taon kong inilagi sa Hong Kong bilang isang domestic worker. 

Marami akong na-experience tulad ng hindi pagkain sa tamang oras, ang pagkakaroon ng sunud-sunod at walang pahingang trabaho at, higit sa lahat, ang pag-iyak tuwing naaalala ang pamilya. 

Isa ako sa dalawang milyong Overseas Filipino Workers, yung mga taong handang isakripisyo ang lahat para sa mga minamahal sa buhay. Ang tawag sa amin ay mga “Bagong Bayani”. 

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Ano nga ba ang nararamdaman ng isang OFW na uuwi na sa Pilipinas? Ito’y takot, kaba, pag-aalinlangan at iba’t ibang negatibong bagay. Lalo pa’t hindi tiyak ang magiging hanapbuhay sa pagbabalik sa Pilipinas.  

Sa Hong Kong, kapag mabait ang employer, masarap ang buhay. Tuwing katapusan, doble ang sahod kung ikukumpara sa suweldo ng pangkaraniwang empleyado sa Pilipinas. 

Napakasarap sa pakiramdam na malaman mong mabibili mo ang mga pangangailangan ng mga mahal mo sa buhay, tulad ng pagkain at damit, at makakabayad sa tubig, kuryente, matrikula ng mga anak at iba pa.

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Pero paano naman kapag ang naging amo mo ay hindi katulad ng nabanggit? 

Ang pakiramdam mo’y para kang nasa gitna ng nag-uumpugang bato. Hindi ka makakilos, di makaimik at, higit sa lahat, hindi ka makapagpaliwanag ng nararamdaman. 

Apat na taon din akong nakipagsapalaran sa Hong Kong. Marami akong natutuhan sa mga Intsik, tulad ng pagiging masinop sa pera, pagiging mahalaga ng bawat oras, at pagiging maingat sa kalusugan. 

Masaya rin ako sa pakikipag-usap sa kanila gamit ang kanilang wika, ang Cantonese. Sarap na sarap din ako sa mga pagkain nila na natutuhan kong ihanda sa loob ng apat na taon. 

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Ang pagiging close ng pamilya ay isang kaugalian ng mga Intsik na hinahangaan ko bagama’t ito ang dahilan upang sumuko ako agad sa pagiging helper sa Hong Kong. 

Labindalawang miyembro ng pamilya – at kung minsa’y kasama pa ang mga kaibigan – ang aking ipinaghahanda ng hapunan. Ganunpaman, sulit din ang pagod sa ganitong mga pagkakataon kapag Chinese New Year dahil marami akong lai see, o perang bigay nila.  

Noong 1997 ay nagpasiya akong umuwi na sa Pilipinas. Tulad din ng ibang uuwi nang OFW, ako’y kinabahan, nalungkot, nag-isip at nag-alala sa maraming bagay.

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Maikli lang ang panahon kong inilagi ko sa Hongkong kung ikukumpara sa iba na halos 10 taon o mahigit pa. Masaya rin naman akong bumalik sa Pinas bitbit ang Php150,000 na inipon ko. 

May babalikan naman akong trabaho dahil tapos din ako ng kursong sa pagtuturo sa elementarya at bago ako nag-abroad ay nakapasa ako sa Teachers Board. 

Ang sahod ng isang guro noon ay Php6,000 lamang. Ganunpaman ay nag-apply akong guro at nagkaroon naman agad ng item.

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Nakaranas din ako ng mga pagsubok sa aking bagong hanapbuhay, sadyang mahirap sa simula. 

Naranasan kong umiyak sa gabi sapagkat naririnig ko ang pag-iyak ng dalawang alaga ko sa Hong Kong. Hanggang sa tinawagan ako ng amo kong babae at nakikiusap na bumalik ako sapagkat iyak ng iyak ang mga alaga ko. 

Masakit sa akin ang sitwasyong iyon. Matagal bago ko nakalimutan ang magagandang pangyayari sa Hong Kong. Hanggang ngayon ay naiiyak pa rin ako kapag naaalala ko ang mga alaga ko. 

Bagama't hinihikayat ng dating amo na bumalik sa HK ay mas pinili ni Simeona ang sariling pamilya sa Pilipinas

Pangunahin pa rin sa akin ang tunay kong pamilya dito sa Pinas. Masaya akong napaglingkuran ko ang mga magulang ko bago sila kinuha ng Panginoon. 

Napalaki ko nang maayos ang bunso kong kapatid at napagtapos ng kurso sa pagtuturo. 

Matagumpay ko ring napalago ang salaping bunga ng aking paghihirap. Inspirasyon ko sa aking buhay may-asawa ang aking apat na anak at mabait na asawa, at ang magagandang bagay na natutuhan ko sa pagtatrabaho sa Hong Kong.

Isang magandang hamon ang aking pagiging OFW dahil dito nabuo ang tunay kong pagkatao sa mga aspetong pisikal, emosyonal, sosyal at, higit sa lahat, ispiritwal. 

Sa aking mga kababayan sa abroad, may magandang buhay na naghihintay dito sa Pinas. Naniniwala ako na pinatatag tayo ng mga pagsubok na naranasan sa malayo. 

Pag-uwi dito ay hindi na tayo tulad ng dati na mahina, walang alam sa gawain kundi malakas at marunong na sa buhay. Normal lang ang takot at pangamba sa ating pag-uwi, subalit tagumpay ang kahihinatnan ng lahat. 

Kung may magandang opurtunidad pa sa abroad at walang mahal sa buhay na mapapahamak, let’s grab the opportunity! 

Subalit kung may mga mahal sa buhay tayong mapapabayaan at nangangailangan ng ating paglilingkod sa huling sandali ng kanilang buhay, unahin natin sila. Isipin natin na kaya tayo nag-abroad ay para sa kanila. Mabuhay ang mga OFW!

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Social distancing rules set aside amid rain

By The SUN

Today's heavy rain forced many Filipino helpers to seek refuge under a footbridge on Chater Road

Today was like any other Sunday in Central, when Filipino domestic workers found themselves seated close to each other despite the new, more stringent rule that allows only a maximum of two people to gather together in public.

But it was not due to any attempt to flout the law. The rain, and the lack of a place for them to spend their only rest day in the week outside of their employers’ homes, made the helpers squat shoulder-to-shoulder underneath bridges and flyovers that shielded them from the elements.

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But most, if not all of the helpers wore face masks, even the now ubiquitous face shields, in compliance with another new regulation that mandates the wearing of masks in all public places, indoor and outdoor. Rain, or no rain.

No one could be seen sharing meals – this time, not because of the fear of incurring penalties for violating a law, but as anybody who has been listening closely to advice from Hong Kong health experts knows, this is one of the fastest ways to spread the virus.

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Now, if only their employers who keep inviting families and friends over to their houses would bear this in mind, said the helpers, there would be less risk of them getting infected, and in turn, passing on the disease to more people.

 

WorldWide Plaza drew fewer people than usual on a Sunday, but was still crowded

This was uppermost in the minds of the many who shrugged off today’s intermittent rain so they could have a brief respite from the drudgery of working six days a week, now made even more difficult by their employers working mostly from home.

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With a ban on dine-ins in all restaurants after 6pm, many domestic workers are also complaining of having to serve meals non-stop to extended family members, and wait until late into the night so they could clean up after the guests had left.

So, even at the risk of catching the dreaded virus, or being slapped with a fixed penalty of $2,000 for violating social distancing rules, the helpers choose to go out.

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But that’s only if their employers are reasonable or law-abiding enough to let them take a day off. The complaint often heard nowadays is that domestic helpers are no longer being allowed to take a rest day, with their employers using the spread of the virus as a convenient excuse.

Never mind if the domestic helper is made to go out for errands on all other days, or the employer wantonly disregards the safety of everyone in the household by inviting friends and family over to eat, and be merry.

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HK reports 115 new Covid-19 cases, all local

By The SUN

It's busy as usual in Causeway Bay today, despite the rains and the continuing surge in infections

Hong Kong reported 115 confirmed coronavirus cases Sunday, including a doctor whose source of infection is unknown. It was the 12th day in a row of three-digit rises which took the city’s total tally to 3,511.

Three more elderly patients were reported to have died in the past 24 hours, bringing the total death toll to to 34.

The latest fatality was a 94-year-old man who died at 12:45 pm today at Queen Mary Hospital in Pokfulam.

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Late yesterday, a 90-year-old woman died in Tuen Mun Hospital, while another woman, aged 92, succumbed to complications from Covid-19 at Queen Elizabeth Hospital.

All the patients had chronic illnesses, and were admitted to hospital with symptoms, before their condition deteriorated over time.

Health officials said in today’s press briefing that all the new cases were locally acquired.

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Dr Chuang Shuk-kwan of the Centre for Health Protection said 79 of the new cases were related to previous cases, 36 were of unknown source. Of the linked cases, 58 were infected during gatherings of families and friends.

For the second day in a row, Dr Chuang declined to comment on reports that a team of medical experts from the mainland are in Hong Kong to help prepare for a temporary laboratory that will expand the city’s testing capability.

Chuang said she was not in a position to speak about the team’s work in Hong Kong.

Dr Chuang (left) with Dr Ho says she can't speak about a mainland team's work to help HK test more people 

Reports from Beijing said the experts will help test all of Hong Kong’s 7.5 million population amid the recent surge in Covid-19 cases. But local officials say they will still have to study this prospect carefully.

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Among today’s cases is a doctor at Union Hospital in Taiwai, Shatin, who reportedly did not go to work three days before the onset of symptoms. Chuang said she believes the doctor got the virus from the community as none in his family was infected.

Another doctor who was confirmed as a positive case today worked at the general ward of the Caritas Medical Centre in Shamshuipo. An 87-year-old male patient in the ward tested preliminarily positive, while two other patients there were found infected on Jul 25 and 26.

Dr Sara Ho, chief manager at the Hospital Authority, said the infected doctor ate with three other doctors at the hospital’s canteen, so the close contacts were put under quarantine. Tracing of their contacts is under way, Ho said.

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Among other notable cases were seven linked to the outbreak at the multi-level marketing firm Star Global, which has offices on Argyle Street in Kowloon. One of the patients was found to have been infected on a trip to Cheung Chau with friends from the company.

Chuang said the CHP got more clues from the police who helped investigate the outbreak. Their report indicated scores of sales agents and staff underwent training in the company’s office without wearing masks.

The CHP will be reaching out to the company and quarantine all its personnel.

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Also among the new cases were four workers at a construction site in Sheung Shui, but may not have been from two different contractors. There were four other cases earlier. She said the companies had been asked to cease work and arrange tests for their workers.

There were also new cases linked to the Fulum Restaurant in Tuen Mun and another at the Tao Heung restaurant in Mong Kok.

Two more cases were also reported from homes for the elderly, one of them from the virus-plagued Kong Tai Care for Aged Centre in Tuen Mun, where at least two residents have already died from Covid-19.

At Millennium City in Kwun Tong, an office worker on the 11^th floor of the building was confirmed infected a day after a janitor tested positive for Covid-19 on the same floor, said Chuang.

Dr Ho said that for the past 24 hours, 101 patients had recovered and discharged from hospital, bringing the total recovery to 1,959.

There are currently 1,107 patients still confined in 17 public hospitals and at the community treatment facilities at Lei Yue Mun and AsisaWorld-Expo. Of these, 34 are in critical condition, 71 are in serious condition, and 1,032 are in stable condition.

Meanwhile, Ho urged the public to cooperate with hospital staff not just to protect themselves but others as well.

She made the appeal in relation to an incident in Tseung Kwan O Hospital on Saturday where a man who tested positive refused to check in and left against the instructions of hospital staff. Police were informed and a search for him launched. He returned an hour later. 

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