Covid-19 cases drop to 9; newly arrived Filipina DH among them

By The SUN

 

The record drop in cases comes a day before the city begins universal testing for Covid-19

Nine new Covid-19 cases were reported today, Aug. 31, the second time the daily infection tally drop to single-digit since the third wave of infections hit Hong Kong in early July. Exactly a week ago, the city also recorded nine cases for the day.

The significant drop in new cases came on the eve of the start of the universal community testing, a voluntary scheme aimed at detecting asymptomatic carriers and put an end to the silent transmissions within the community.

As of noon today, more than two days after registration for the scheme started, around 510,000 people had signed up to be tested, according to the Secretary for the Civil Service Patrick Nip.

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Based on the figures, observers say about two million people will eventually take part in the scheme, which is barely a third of Hong Kong’s population of 7.5 million.

But Nip remains hopeful, saying it’s hard to give an estimate. He added it seemed like people are eager to join.

A day or two after the mass testing starts, he said the government will decide whether to extend the exercise. The mass testing is due to last for only a week, but could be extended for up to another week depending on the demand.

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Of today’s cases, two are imported, including a 40-year-old Filipina domestic worker who arrived in Hong Kong on Aug 29. The other is a 53-year-old male pilot who flew in from Ethiopia on the same day.

Five of the seven cases that were locally acquired were linked to previous infections, while two have unknown sources. The total tally in Hong Kong so far is 4,811.

Among the linked cases is a resident at the Hong Chi facility for the mentally disabled at Lei Muk Shue Estate in Kwai Chung. Another resident tested preliminary positive.

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A total of 12 residents and six staff have come down with the virus so far. All the remaining 40 or so personnel at the hostel are under quarantine, while the residents had all been moved out and transferred to the AsiaWorld-Expo community testing facility.

The AWE treatment facility is being readied in case a rash of new infections is detected during universal testing

The two unknown cases are a 31-year-old woman who is 36 weeks pregnant and is now confined at Tuen Mun Hospital, and 75-year-old man who is a casual worker in an office on Prince Edward Road West and lives in Tuen Wan.

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Among those who tested preliminary positive was 64-year-old man who was admitted to Pok Oi Hospital yesterday afternoon for shortness of breath. Two hospital staff who attended to him were identified as close contacts as they did not wear adequate PPE.

The patient has been transferred to Princess Margaret Hospital where his condition is critical.

Dr.Linda Yu of the Hospital Authority reported that no patient passed away in the past 24 hours, but an 83-year-old man succumbed to Covid-19 related illness at United Christian Hospital today, raising the death toll to 89.

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A total of 22 patients were discharged today from various hospitals, bringing the total number of recoveries to 4,341.

As of noon today, 343 confirmed patients were being treated in 18 public hospitals and at AWE facility. Among them, 26 are in critical condition, 29 are in serious condition, and 288 are in stable condition.

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Filipino seafarer and DH among 15 new Covid-19 cases

By The SUN

Many people were out and about today, including those in Victoria Park, despite 15 new Covid-19 cases being detected

Two newly arrived Filipinos, a 41-year-old male seafarer and a 25-year-old female domestic helper, were among 15 confirmed new novel coronavirus patients that Hong Kong health officials reported today, Aug 30.

The Filipinos were among five imported cases. The three others are all returnees from India. The 10 other cases are all locally transmitted, with five of them from unknown sources.

They brought Hong Kong’s total number of confirmed Covid-19 cases to 4,802. The death toll rose to 88 after an 83-year-old woman passed away in Tuen Mun Hospital this morning.

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Dr Chuang Shuk-kwan from the Centre for Health Protection said there were about 12 or so preliminarily positive cases.

Several Filipinos have tested positive on arrival here in recent days despite presenting certificates of negative infection before boarding their flights to Hong Kong from Manila.

Among the local cases was a 31-year-old pregnant woman who tested positive after being put in a general admission ward at Tuen Mun Hospital.  Dr Sara Ho from the Hospital Authority said the hospital has apologized for the oversight, and is now reviewing its workflow.

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It was found out during an investigation that the woman, who is 39 weeks pregnant, had declared she had a fever before she was admitted to the hospital, and put in the general ward along with 10 other patients. She was moved to an isolation ward after testing positive later that night.

Also among the local cases was a 29-year-old male officer who is stationed in the Police Headquarters in Wanchai. He tested preliminarily tested positive for Covid-19 after undergoing a test on Aug. 28, and was confirmed to have the virus yesterday.

The other confirmed cases today were a nurse at Dr Tse Kin-wah’s clinic where a nurse and a cleaner had been previously reported as infected. Three residents at the Hong Chi hostel for the mentally handicapped in Lei Muk Shue have also been confirmed, taking the total infections there to 11 residents and six staff.

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The cases of unknown source include a part-time taxi driver, a housewife suffering from chronic illness, a cleaner at the Pacific Place, and another cleaner at the Hong Kong Cricket Club.

 

HK says calls to boycott universal testing are misleading, while Beijing calls them 'vile'

Meanwhile, the governments of both Hong Kong and Beijing have slammed a call by critics for the public not to take part in the universal community testing which is slated to begin on Tuesday, Sept. 1.

The call came as up to 400,000 people reportedly signed up for the mass testing on the first two days of registration.

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A number of pro-democracy groups, district councilors and activists held a news conference earlier today to warn that the testing program could do more harm than good. They said people who may gather at the testing centres could lead to new clusters of infections breaking out.

They also claimed people who receive a negative-test result could acquire a false sense of security, and spread the virus unknowingly through increase social activities.

But a statement from the Hong Kong government said such false messages are deliberate attempts to scare or mislead people into opting out of being tested.

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The statement reiterated assurances from health officials that the universal testing is meant to identify asymptomatic carriers so the silent transmission of the virus can be stopped.

“These acts run counter to the spirit of the community to fight the disease together, and fall short of the expectations of the medical personnel and a large number of frontline staff members who have been working hard to fight the virus as well as enterprises and members of the public in support of the program. The acts are extremely disappointing and regretful and deserve the condemnation by the community," the statement said.

In a separate statement, the spokesperson of the central government’s Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office said the campaign against universal testing was a “vile” attempt to smear the mainland’s efforts to help the SAR to fight the spread of Covid-19.

It also said the call for the public to boycott the exercise was a “disregard” for people’s safety and health.

Beijing’s liaison office in Hong Kong on the other hand accused the critics of politicizing anti-pandemic issues, and said the attempt to cast doubt on the mainland’s help to combat the spread of the disease in the city was “despicable.”

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Kindness more important, says Pinay who accepts reduced long service pay

By Daisy CL Mandap

Joy decided not to file a claim against her employer for her entire long service pay

By her reckoning, she should be getting at least $66,000 in long service pay after working for her employer for the past 22 and a half years, says Joy C, a 49-year-old Ilongga who used to work as a teacher back home.

But after a heart-to-heart talk with her employer who became jobless in February, Joy settled for $50,000, saying the kindness she was shown by the family she had served for more than two decades was more important than the money she knew she should get.

“Alam mo nayakap ako ni amo nang sinabi ko na, (You know what, my employer hugged me when I said) ‘Don’t worry, sir, that’s only money. Your kindness with me for 22 years, that’s priceless,” Joy said in a chat message last Friday, Aug 28.

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Joy had consulted earlier, asking if she should accept her employer’s offer to halve her LSP because of his sacking. At 62 years old, the man was despairing about his prospects of being re-employed, and also about what the future held for him, his wife and two daughters who are in their 20s and are still living with them.

The Filipina, who is active in community events and is well aware of her rights, balked at first. She is not getting any younger, and knows that she should secure her own future because she may not be employable for long herself.

Besides, she says the onset of the pandemic made her realize the value of saving up for her own future. Although her only son is now well-employed as a seafarer and is able to send her an “allotment” from his earnings, Joy does not want to rely on him for support.

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As it was her employer who decided not to renew their contract when it expires on Sept 15, he should have paid Joy for long service, which should have been 2/3 of her current monthly pay of $4,410, times the number of years she has served.

“Alam ko naman ang law kasi siya ang umayaw sa akin, yon nga lang todo pakiusap siya na half lang ang makaya nyang ibigay dahil 62 years old na at hirap na makahanap ng work. Mabait sila sa akin at very supportive na makahanap ako ng new employer,” Joy wrote.

(I know the law since he was the one who decided not to renew our contract, but he has been imploring that he could only afford to pay me half of my entitlement since he’s already 62 years old and has a hard time looking for another job. They’re very kind and has supported my quest to find a new employer).

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“Sayang din kasi yung half na di ko makukuha sa kanya, (but) at the same time, naawa rin ako sa kanya kaya very stressed ako.”

(It’s hard to let go of the other half of what I should be getting from him, but at the same time, I pity him, so I’m very stressed out).

But the next day, concern for her long-time employers overcame her misgivings.

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“Sige na lang po, sinabi ko na lang na dagdagan na lang niya kahit kaunti, ok na sa akin. Mabait naman sila sa akin for 22 years, it so happened nawalan lang siya ng work. May amo na rin ako, so thankful na lang ako sa blessings at sinabi na rin nila kung magkaproblema ako sa new employer ko tawag lang ako sa kanya..”

(I decided to let it go, I just asked my employer to give me a bit more, I’ll be ok with it. They have been kind to me for 22 years, he just happened to have lost his job. I already have a new employer, so I’m still thankful for all the blessings. They also told me to call them in case I run into problems with my new employer).

Looking back, Joy says she has a lot to thank her employers for. She joined them when her first ever employment contract in Hong Kong was terminated after only eight months. She never left because the family gave her a lot of leeway, and never ordered her around. There were even times when she would eat ahead of them and never got a scolding.

Joy, who asked that her identity not be revealed.

“Naisip ko din na kung binitawan nila ako, baka napunta ako sa salbaheng amo,” she says.

(I also realized that if they let me go earlier, I could have ended up with a bad employer).

But what really tipped the scales in favor of giving in to her employer’s request was the realization that it was because of his help that she was able to build a more secure future for her son, whom she had to provide for on her own.

Joy revealed that from her earnings, she has built a house for her parents and her son, and invest in a farm. She has also kept up payments with SSS and an insurance policy, and paid for the medical expenses of her father who was bedridden for three years.

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But what she considers as her biggest reward for giving up her career as a teacher to work as a domestic helper abroad was being able to finance her son’s dream of taking up nautical engineering so he could work aboard a ship.

“Nasa barko na ang anak ko (My son is already on board a ship)….I’m so grateful,” she says.

Her son, who was only a year old when she left, remains a source of joy to Joy for he has always toughed it out, even now that he is unable to disembark as scheduled from the cargo ship he is on because of the coronavirus contagion.

With her son already carving his own destiny, Joy hopes to complete at least one more contract before heading back home to enjoy the fruits of her labor.

She says the coronavirus contagion has made her realize she should have saved up more, but with the separation pay she’s getting from her long-time employer, Joy is more confident about facing the challenges that still lie ahead.

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2 FDHs-1 Filipina and 1 Indonesian, among 18 new Covid-19 cases

By Daisy CL Mandap

The Indonesian lived in this building with her elderly employer until a neighbor was found infected

A newly arrived Filipina and an Indonesian whose source of infection is unknown, are among the 18 new Covid-19 cases recorded today, Aug 29.

According to the Centre for Health Protection’s Dr Chuang Shuk-kwan, the 37-year-old Filipina domestic worker tested positive on arrival from Manila yesterday.

This was despite the patient having presented a negative test result for the virus before boarding her flight to Hong Kong, in line with travel restrictions for those flying in from the Philippines.

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She was one of two imported cases today. The other one was a returnee from Pakistan who arrived on Aug 26 and tested positive while under quarantine.

The 45-year-old Indonesian DH, on the other hand, is among five local cases with untraceable source.

Dr Chuang said the maid lived with her elderly employer in Win Fong Heights in Kwai Chung, but after learning that a neighbor was found infected, they moved in with the employer’s daughter in Belvedere Gardens in Tsuen Wan.

After the maid tested positive, her employer as well as her daughter and granddaughter, were identified as her close contacts and will be put under medical observation while in quarantine.

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Also among the untraceable cases were a nurse at the private clinic of Dr Tse Kin-wah in Yuen Long, two retirees who live in Kwai Chung and Ngau Tau Kok Lower Estate, and a government engineer.

Of the 11 local cases linked to previous cases, two more emerged from the outbreak at the Hong Chi hostel for the mentally handicapped in Lei Muk Shue in Tsuen Wan. One is a 27-year-old staff member, while the other is a 43-year-old resident. More than a dozen people linked to the facility have tested positive for Covid-19.

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Today’s cases  brought the city’s total tally to 4,787, with 369 patients still receiving treatment in 18 public hospitals and at the community treatment facility at AsiaWorld-Expo.

Two more elderly patients with chronic condition passed away at Prince of Wales hospital in the past 24 hours, raising the death toll to 86. One was 63-year-old man who died at 8:15pm last night, and the other was a 98-year-old woman who passed away at 1:02pm earlier today.

Chuang says the 117,000 who registered for universal testing by noon today is 'a good number'

Asked for a reaction to reports that about 117,000 people signed up for universal testing within five hours of the online application being opened at 7am today, Dr Chuang said it was “a good number.”

She said people should take the chance to get themselves tested to break the chain of transmission within the community.

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The actual tests will start on Tuesday, Sept. 1, with 141 makeshift centres being opened across 18 districts to take samples from applicants. The taking of samples will last until Sept.7, and depending on demand, could be extended for another week.

The offer of a one-off test is open to all of Hong Kong’s 7.5 million residents on a voluntary basis. Foreign domestic workers are encouraged to go with their employers when taking the test.

To make an appointment for the test, register at www.communitytest.gov.hk.

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Signing up for universal testing to start at 7am tomorrow

By The SUN

 

Key government officials bare details of the universal testing, and urge all residents to take part

Government officials have again urged residents to sign up for the universal community testing for Covid-19 which starts on Sept 1, as they unveiled details of the scheme today, Aug 28.

All residents can sign up for the test starting at 7am tomorrow, Saturday, by logging in to a dedicated website: https://www.communitytest.gov.hk/. Foreign domestic workers are being encouraged to join their employers in taking part in the exercise.

The mass testing will last for seven days, but depending on demand, could be extended for another week.

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“For yourself, your loved ones, our hardworking medical staff and the wider community, you should join the testing,” Secretary for the Civil Service Patrick Nip said at the press conference this morning.

                                                                                  

A total of 141 makeshift testing sites have been set up across 18 districts, made up mostly of government-run schools, community halls and sports centres. They will be open from 8am to 8pm to take samples for the entire duration of the exercise

Other centres include the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre in Wan Chai,  International Trade and Exhibition Centre in Kowloon Bay, Science Park in Sha Tin, MacPherson Stadium in Mong Kok and Queen Elizabeth Stadium in Wan Chai.

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Among the government schools on the list are the North Point, Shau Kei Wan and Hennesy Road primary schools; Kwun Tong, Tin Shui Wai, Tuen Mun secondary schools; as well as Queen’s College.

Among the districts, Yuen Long has the most number of centres with 14, while Islands district is on the other end, with just one.

Nip again explained that those who test negative for Covid-19 would receive their results via text message within three days, while those whose result is positive would get a call from the Department of Health.

 

Promotional video shows social distancing protocols that will be followed during the mass testing

Secretary for Food and Health Sophia Chan also called on the public to join the testing exercise, saying “this is a very important prevention measure, the purpose (of which) is to identify those carrying the virus for early treatment, and to stop the spread of the virus in the community.”

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Chan said that in the early stage of the outbreak, between January and June, only 350 tests were carried out, but since the third wave began in mid-July until today, about 950,000 tests have been conducted.

About half, or 420,000 of these tests were administered to those in high-risk groups such as care home staff, taxi and bus drivers, as well as market vendors.

But she said universal testing is necessary to detect the silent carriers and break the invisible transmission in the community.

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To prepare for additional cases that might be detected from the mass testing, Chan said 1,250 isolation beds and 500 second-tier beds in isolation wards have been readied, as well as about 1,000 additional beds in the community treatment facility at AsiaWorld-Expo.

On top of these, she said 350 tier-2 isolation beds are on standby at the Lei Yue Mun treatment center to admit recovering patients and those in stable condition.

Both Nip and Chan thanked about 6,000 health personnel, including doctors, nurses, and even teachers and students at medical schools who have expressed their willingness to take part in the exercise.

Nip said flexible arrangements will be implemented to allow civil servants to go and take the test during office hours. Private businesses have also been asked to allow their employees to do the same.

Thomas Chan, permanent secretary for food and health, said up to 600 mainlanders would be involved in lab testing, while sample collection would be done by Hongkongers.

But Nip again said there was no reason to fear privacy as personal data collected for testing would be encrypted and stored in government servers. Testing agencies would be able to see only codes on the sample bottles.

All information from people who test negative would remain in Hong Kong and would be destroyed after a month.

Dr Constance Chan, director of health, said the community testing scheme was designed for asymptomatic carriers of the virus. Those with symptoms should not take the test and should consult a doctor instead.

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