Metropark Mong Kok under scrutiny as 2 guests get Covid-19

By The SUN

 

Two guests at the hotel were found infected, one of them 4 days after he died in hospital

Two elderly men who didn’t know each other but stayed on the same floor of Metropark Hotel in Mong Kok were among the eight confirmed Covid-19 cases reported today, Sept 2. All cases were locally acquired.

One of the men, an 87-year-old waiting to be allowed back to the Mainland, was found to have the virus only after he died on Aug 27. The pathologist who did a post mortem on the remains on Aug. 31 took a sample, and it came out positive for the virus yesterday.

The other man, a 70-year-old retiree who arrived from Taiwan on Jul 17, was tested after developing a cough on Aug 30. He was found to have the virus also yesterday.

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The two patients were among four cases with no known source, according to Dr Chuang Shuk-kwan, head of the communicable disease branch of the Centre for Health Protection, at today’s press briefing.

She said results from the universal community testing which began yesterday have yet to be reported to CHP.

The two other untraceable cases today were a 61-year-old man from Ka Tin Estate in Tai Wai, who works as a car mechanic in the area; and a 45-year-old construction worker at Hong Kong Disneyland who lives in Causeway Bay.

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The other cases were linked to previous infections.

Two were residents of the Hong Chi hostel for the mentally handicapped in Lei Muk Shue estate in Tsuen Wan, where there are now 20 confirmed cases among both the staff and residents.

The two others were two men who are related to each other, but live in separate houses in Tsuen Wan.

 

No positive test results from yesterday's start of universal testing have yet been released 

Dr Chuang said relatives of the two patients who lived in Metropark Hotel said the men did not interact each other although they were the only ones on the floor where they stayed.

All 10 other guests at the hotel, as well as the staff, will be tested for Covid-19 to make sure the virus was not spread by an unknown carrier.

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Chuang also said the police and ambulance workers who tried to resuscitate the patient who died will be tested, while mortuary staff who did not wear protective gear when they handled the remains will be quarantined.

But she ruled out any connection between the two infected guests and previous cases linked to a restaurant in the hotel, saying the two men never ate there.

She also said there was nothing unusual about the activities of the two men, as both spent most of the time inside the hotel, and only went out to eat. The younger man also went occasionally to Mong Kok market, and to Choi Hung estate where his mother lives.
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Including the hotel guest, three patients passed away from Covid-related illnesses within the past 24 hours, raising the death toll to 93.

The two other patients was a 66-year-old man who died in Yan Chai Hospital at 7:55am today, while the other was a 79-year-old man who succumbed to the illness in United Christian Hospital at 8:05am today.

Dr Linda Yu of the Hospital Authority said that of the 4,831 total confirmed cases, only 302 remain in hospital. Among them, 25 are in critical condition, 26 are in serious condition, and 251 are stable.

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Is the swab test painful? Not for me!

By Vir B. Lumicao

The long sticks used to swab one's nostrils and throat with to get specimen samples (photo by Baby Jean de Leon)  

Is swabbing painful? This is what many in the community are asking as Hong Kong launched today, Sept 1, its voluntary mass testing program for the novel coronavirus among the city’s 7.5 million population.

Many in the Filipino community fear the nucleic acid test, or simply “swab test”, is painful, especially if they rely only on the social media chatter of those who merely exchange second-hand information.

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I had no idea what the sensation was like until I submitted to the test this morning at North Point Government Primary School in Quarry Bay, where I went after a futile search of the testing site at Tseung Kwan O Sports Ground in Saikung District.

Volunteers waited to usher in swab test participants at the North Point  Primary School

The test is meant to find the “silent carriers” of Covid-19, isolate and treat them before they can spread the virus.

There was no queue at all when I arrived in Quarry Bay at about 10:30am, despite reports that said the number of those who registered for the government’s Universal Community Testing Program had reached more than 500,000.

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The testing site is near Exit A of the Quarry Bay MTR Station, so it was easy to find.

 

Three volunteers at the entrance eagerly met me as I approached them and introduced myself. I asked them if many people had come for the test, but they said just a few and offered to have me swabbed.

But at a nearby community centre, people had to line up to get tested (RTHK photo)

I was scheduled for the Sept 5, 1pm slot, but they said no problem and escorted me to the ground-floor public hall of the school where there were about 8 desks, each manned by two volunteers in full protective gear who eagerly awaited clients.

First, my identity was checked and my reservation verified at a protected counter. Then I was given a test tube to hand to the medical volunteers who would swab me.

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A female medic asked me to take off my mask. Then she took out a 3-inch cotton bud and inserted it in my nasal passages, twirling it for about 10 seconds each time, as she gathered specimen that she put in the test tube.

Next, she told me to open my mouth and say “ahhh,” then she spun a 6-inch cotton bud in my throat. After that, she transferred the bud to the tube then dumped the stick in a bin. The test was over in less than 5 minutes.

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Was it painful? Honestly, I didn’t feel any pain at all, just a slight tickle that almost triggered a sneeze. But then, not all people have the same level of pain threshold and not everyone who carries out the test would probably do it as gently.

After the test, the volunteer said I would get the result on my phone in a day.

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Filipina DH, family clusters among 12 new Covid-19 cases

By The SUN

Drs Chuang and Yu at today's press briefing on Covid-19

A Filipina domestic helper who tested positive while in quarantine was among 12 new Covid-19 cases reported today, Sept 1.

Dr Chuang Shuk-kwan of the Centre for Health Protection said at the daily press briefing that the 41-year-old Filipina was found infected after her second test. She had been in isolation at the Ramada Grand View Hotel in North Point.

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Another 41-year-old female from Bangladesh also tested positive while quarantined at the Ramada Hotel Grand Hotel in Tsim Sha Tsui.

A third imported case was a returnee from India who flew via Kuala Lumpur on Aug 28 and was found infected while in quarantine.

Of the nine locally acquired cases, eight were family clusters, while one was of unknown source.

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The family clusters included four people who live in Kwai Fai House in Lower Ngau Tau Kok Estate. They are three females, aged 49, 52 and 76; and one male aged 54.

Another family cluster includes two residents, both females and aged 41 and 69, who live in Block 3, Tsui Ning Garden in Tuen Mun.

The untraceable case is a 64-year-old construction worker who worked for two days dismantling structures at the Renaissance College in Discovery Bay before testing positive.

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He developed symptoms on Aug 21 but did not seek help immediately.

Dr Chuang said all the dozen or so men who worked with the patient were classified as close contacts and put under quarantine. She said workers in construction sites would often take off masks to drink so the possibility of infection is high.

Dr Linda Yu of the Hospital Authority said a 66-year-old female patient passed away at Tuen Mun Hospital at 3:43 pm today, raising the death toll to 90.

Of the 4,823 cases reported in Hong Kong so far, a total of 4,379 patients have recovered and have been discharged.

As of 9am today, only 313 patients remained at 18 public hospitals and at the AsiaWorld-Expo community treatment facility. Among these, 25 are in critical condition, 29 are in serious condition, and 258 are in stable condition.

 

Yu says those who test positive during the mass testing will most likely be admitted to the AWE treatment facility

Dr Yu said the HA is prepared to accept any new patients from the ongoing universal testing. Since they will most likely be asymptomatic, she said the patients will be admitted to the AWE facility.

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Dr Chuang said the results from the community tests done today should be known by tomorrow. Those who will test positive will be included in the list of new cases that will be made public on Thursday, Sept 3.

Participants whose result is negative will receive a text message, while the positive results will be communicated to the patient by the DH, which will also take care of hospitalization and contact-tracing.

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CE leads officials in getting tested

By The SUN

CE Lam says  invisible carriers must be detected so they will not infect family and friends 

Chief Executive Carrie Lam and her top officials were among those who got tested for Covid-19 early today, Sept 1, as the Universal Community Testing for residents got underway.

CE Lam said afterwards that about 10,000 had themselves tested in the first two hours of the exercise. 

She again appealed to the public to take part in the exercise, saying it will help ensure that they, along with their family members and people they interact with regularly, are free from infection.

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“My appeal has always been for as many citizens to come forward for themselves, their family, their relatives and their co-workers,” she said.

She reiterated that universal testing was devised to track asymptomatic carriers who are responsible for about a quarter of new infections with no known source.

"Can you imagine if someone is infected but asymptomatic, that person would not go to a doctor, and if that person does not go for testing, then he or she will be spreading the virus among his friends and family. If that is the case, then we won't be able to contain the covid situation," she said.

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"Family and friends might be infected and might even end up in a serious condition, so I ask the general public again, see this program in a fair and objective light."

Speaking before her weekly Executive Council meeting, the chief executive also allayed fears about the test being painful, saying she felt safe doing it, and that the process was simple and convenient.

 

The probes used for the throat and nose swabs - it's not painful says the CE

“The testing is not as difficult and painful as they imagined,” she assured.

Lam used her address to rebut arguments made by the Hospital Authority Employees Alliance, which called on the public to boycott the testing scheme, saying it is useless without a lockdown.

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The critics also questioned the safety of doing the tests in populous areas, where most of the 141 testing centres spread across 18 districts, are located.

Lam said Hong Kong people would not want a lockdown as they want to continue enjoying freedom of movement. She also pointed out that the borders are closed to non-residents, but remain open to citizens who are abroad and want to come back.

As for the location of the testing centres, Lam said it was important that they were in accessible areas so more people would be encouraged to take part.

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Nearly 600,000 have reportedly signed up so far for the voluntary free testing, which will run until Sept 7, and could be extended for another week depending on demand.

Secretary for the Civil Service Patrick Nip said that as of 8am this morning, 99 of the 141 testing centres have been fully booked for just the day, and 14 centres are currently fully booked for the next seven days.

However, a random check by The SUN of two testing centres on both sides of the harbour showed no queue outside, allowing those with an appointment for a later date to be tested right on the spot.

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More than 10,200 Filipino DHs lost jobs in HK since January

By Vir B. Lumicao

Nearly 2,000 more Filipino DHs lost their jobs because of the negative test and hotel quarantine requirements

A total of 1,914 Filipino domestic helpers lost their jobs in July as more employers appear to have been forced to hire those who were already in Hong Kong to avoid the “heavy cost” of bringing in workers from the Philippines.

But that’s just part of the continuing decline in the number of Filipino DHs in Hong Kong. Immigration Department figures show that since January this year when the coronavirus outbreak in the city began, 10,216 Filipino helpers here have lost their jobs.

The downward trend has continued after Hong Kong imposed strict travel restrictions starting Jul 25 for all new arrivals from seven countries, including FDHs from both the Philippines and Indonesia.

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From this date, those arriving from the so-called “high-risk countries” are required to submit a negative test result for Covid-19, and a confirmed hotel booking for their 14-day quarantine before being allowed to board their flights to Hong Kong.

The test and hotel quarantine requirement apply to all incoming helpers, both new hires and those returning from their vacation.

Many of the helpers who lost their jobs in Hong Kong, on the other hand, said their employers gave financial difficulties related to the coronavirus crisis as the reason for terminating their contracts.

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Immigration statistics show that the population of Filipino domestic helpers in Hong Kong dropped to 209,512 in July from 211,426 in June, or a loss of nearly 2,000.

Indonesian helpers in the city suffered a deeper cut, with their population down to 161,762, a loss of 2,766 from June. This could be largely due to Indonesia’s ban on new deployments to Hong Kong as a result of the pandemic.

The decline in the Filipinos’ numbers was the biggest since the peak of the pandemic’s second wave in March, when the helper population dropped by 2,941 as employers dismissed their maids and sought refuge abroad from the creeping Covid-19.

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Relocation and loss of job due to the economic downturn were the main reasons thousands of employers decided to let go of their domestic helpers then.

“Financial reason po ang inilagay sa termination letter, kasi June pa po nawalan ng trabaho si amo,” said one helper who approached the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration to register for a “repatriation” flight to Manila in mid-July.

Another worker who had been with her employers for 22.5 years said her contract is not being renewed because her employer has not been rehired since losing his job in February. The employer also asked to pay a reduced long service fee to the helper because of the financial strain on his family.

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Other employers simply told their helpers they needed to go as they lost their jobs themselves, or had to take deep cuts in their salaries.

A Labour Department survey of the employment situation in the first quarter this year showed the number of Hong Kong people with jobs decreased 1.8% to 2.76 million in March from 2.82 million at the end of December 2019.

That means 55,584 people lost their jobs from January to March this year alone. Results of the second quarter survey have yet to be released amid the work slowdown in government.

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A number of workers said they either got sacked for insisting on taking their day-off, or decided to leave their employers because they had been prevented from leaving the house for as long as seven months.

But Thomas Chan, head of Hong Kong Union of Employment Agencies, said members point to two major reasons for the sharp drop in FDH arrivals in Hong Kong in the past month.

 

The 72-hour limit to the swab test is causing a lot of problems for many departing FDHs in Manila

He cited Hong Kong’s strict requirement of a negative result of a swab test taken within 72 hours of a helper’s departure from either the Philippines or Indonesia.

Most agencies find it difficult to meet the requirement due to the tight time limit between the test and flight. While Hong Kong wants the test taken within 72 hours of departure, government-accredited testing centers in Manila take 3-5 days to release the result.

“The second reason is the heavy cost of the test (in Manila) and the 14-day hotel quarantine in Hong Kong. It forces employers to rethink if they really deserve to have a worker from overseas,” said Chan, who is also general manager of Bright International Services Co.

He said the nucleic acid (swab) test and the hotel quarantine cost employers on average $7,000-10,000. “Therefore, employers in my agency prefer to hire those in Hong Kong and cancel those stranded overseas even if their visas are ready,” Chan said.

Chan said Bright International’s partner agency in Manila didn’t deploy any workers to Hong Kong since Jul 25.

“(To cite) one example, a worker was scheduled to have test and we also reserved the flight. However, one day before the test, the airline cancelled the flight. Then we needed to reschedule the test and the flight. So, on and on,” Chan said.

“By shifting from overseas to locally available maids, employers just add a few thousand dollars more for documentation and the worker is in sight, no need to worry (over) the uncertain and long wait..”, he said.

The Hong Kong government admits it has intentionally imposed the restrictions to limit the number of FDHs arriving in the city, and allowing those whose contracts have expired to remain if they have trouble exiting to their home countries.

Labour Secretary Law Chi-kwong said that before the coronavirus outbreak, 580 FDHs on average arrived in the city each day. After the policy shift, the number was reduced to about 100 arrivals per day.

But since the negative test result for Covid-19 was made a precondition for them flying out to Hong Kong, the number has dwindled to just about 30 daily.

  

Foreign Domestic Helpers Population in Hong Kong
As of end of Month/Year	Philippines	Indonesia	India	Other nationalities	Total -- all nationalities
Jan-20	219,728	170,898	4,838	4,657	400,121
Feb-20	217,654	171,291	4,857	4,619	398,421
Mar-20	218,002	170,318	4,818	4,594	397,732
Apr-20	215,061	167,747	4,723	4,493	392,024
May-20	212,855	165,377	4,664	4,446	387,342
Jun-20	211,426	164,528		Inc India    9,052	385,006
Jul-20	209 512	161 762	4 522	4 379	380 175

    

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