Musicians urge live performances to resume as officials mull bar reopening

By Daisy CL Mandap

HKMU officers & advisers led by Lo (in green shirt) met with Cheung to air their concerns 

Musicians are calling for the resumption of live performances as Hong Kong officials have assured that bars, karaokes and nightclubs could reopen by next week if the infection rate remains at a low level.

Manuela D. Lo, chairman of the Hong Kong Musicians Union, says she hopes the reopening of bars could again lead to live shows being allowed to resume.

“Like before, they opened the bars first, then the live music,” Lo says.

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The head of one of Hong Kong's oldest unions has kept up an appeal for help, particularly for her 100 or so members who have been jobless for months because of the ban on live shows.

Lo estimates that about 1,000 musicians have either lost their jobs or have resorted to doing unrelated work to survive since the pandemic swept across the city early this year.

Including the forced closures from protest-related violence late last year, she says most musicians have been without income for about six months.

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Among those she has called upon for help is lawmaker Tommy Cheung, who represents the catering sector in the Legislative Council.

During a meeting with Cheung on Wednesday last week, the HKMU led by Lo proposed new social distancing measures that the legislator could present to government health officials to convince them to allow live shows.

These include barring musicians from interacting with customers during their performances, for everyone to wear face masks while on stage, and to use protective shields between the performers and the audience.

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Cheung said he had already forwarded their request to the relevant authorities, but it might help if they could appeal directly to the decision-makers. He suggested a meeting between the musicians and a top policy maker as soon as possible.

Live performances were first halted in early April, following an outbreak among about 50 musicians, food servers and customers of four bars in Central, Wanchai and Tsim Sha Tsui.

They reopened on Jun 18, only to close again after about a month when the third wave of infections swept across Hong Kong.

Cheung has promised to arrange a meeting between HKMU and govt decision-makers

In a separate interview earlier today, Sept 12, Cheung urged the government to reopen bars, karaokes and nightclubs as soon as possible, saying the industry is happy to implement new measures needed for their businesses to reopen safely.

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His call follows a statement made by Health and Food Secretary Sophia Chan last week that pubs, karaoke bars and nightclubs could reopen next if the Covid-19 situation in Hong Kong remains under control.

Starting last Friday, various business establishments previously shut like gyms, beauty and massage parlors were allowed to reopen, and the gathering restrictions relaxed further to allow up to four people to eat and gather together in public.

Cheung has proposed that his sector could take various anti-epidemic measures such as sterilising utensils with boiling water, using e-money and limiting customer stays in the restaurant to no more than two hours, but has yet to get a definite response.

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"We met with the Chief Secretary and a whole bunch of government officials from the FEHD and all that and make our proposals. So far we have no received any word – positive or negative – about our proposals," Cheung said in a radio interview.

Earlier, the chairman of the Lan Kwai Fong Group, Allan Zeman, also called on the government to make good on its promise to reopen bars from Sept 18.

"The traditional bars, just for drinking, they're having major problems, many of them are on life support, I don't know how much longer they can hang on,” said Zeman in a separate interview with RTHK.

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PCG extends help to infected OFWs as 2 more test positive at HK airport

By Daisy CL Mandap

 

The 2 Filipinas included in today's list of new cases flew in aboard CX906 (File Photo)

Philippine Consulate officials have moved to help five Filipina domestic helpers who were among 12 Covid-19 patients reported yesterday, and are now in isolation in two hospitals.

This comes as two more Filipina DHs, aged 29 and 26,  were included among 13 new cases recorded today, Sept. 12.

According to Dr Chuang Shuk-kwan of the Centre for Health Protection, the two new patients arrived via Cathay Pacific flight CX 906 on Sept 10.

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She said they were linked to the first batch of 13 FDHs that flew in the day before aboard Hong Kong Airlines Flight HX872, which included the five earlier cases. The infected patients are aged 30, 33, 34, 35 and 39.

Consul General Raly Tejada said four from the first batch of sick Filipinas were admitted to Princess Margaret Hospital, and one, to United Christian Hospital. He said the Consulate is now talking to the workers and their agencies.

“The agencies have purchased basic essentials for the patients which will be delivered today,” Congen Tejada said.

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He identified the Hong Kong agencies as FRA Golden Full with three workers and FRA Golden Win with three workers. Their counterparts in the Philippines are Placewell International Services and Tripple 1.

He confirmed Hong Kong authorities’ report that the workers stayed together in their respective agency’s dormitories in Manila before their departure.

Hong Kong health authorities said the eight other Filipinas in the group had been taken to a quarantine centre for observation.

Congen Tejada wants to know as soon as a Filipino is found infected so the Consulate can  help if needed

Earlier, Congen Tejada expressed surprise that the Consulate was not immediately told about the new infections which he learned about only from The SUN.

He said the standing protocol is that the CHP would inform the Consulate immediately if there was a Filipino detected to have the coronavirus, and he reiterated this to Food and Health Secretary Sophia Chan when they met only last week.

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“Kaya lang ang sabi nila madami ang ayaw ipaalam na maysakit sila. Sabi (naman) namin sa Pilipinas public health trumps data privacy laws. Sabi ko gusto lang naman naming makausap at least para matulungan,” he said.

(But they said many patients don’t want it known that they are sick. We countered that in the Philippines, public health trumps data privacy laws. I said we just want to talk to them at least so we can help).

At the press conference, Dr Chuang was asked if CHP would ask the Philippine government for an explanation on why the FDHs who were supposed to have tested negative before leaving Manila were found positive on arrival.

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She replied that it was the CHP’s understanding that the helpers stayed together in the agency hostels before departing for Hong Kong, suggesting that it was the source of their infection. 

In any case, she said Hong Kong still requires them to get tested at the airport and to quarantine for 14 days after arrival to make sure they are free of the virus before they rejoin the community.

Apart from the two Filipinas who flew in via Cathay, there were two other imported cases reported today. One is a returnee from India who flew via London, and the other, from Russia via Turkey.

Five of the eight local cases were of unknown source, and included a 30-year-old waitress at the Gold Coast Café, a 67-year-old male retiree who lives in Yau Tong, a 51-year-old woman who works in To Kwa Wan and lives in Tai Wai, an 88-year-old male retiree living in Kwai Chung, and a 45-year-old female clerk who lives in Wong Tai Sin.

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Three of the four remaining cases belong to the same family that lives in Yau Tong. The first family member to get sick was a 67-year-old male retiree who went to United Christian Hospital when he fell ill on Wednesday. He tested positive the next day. A check on his family members showed three others had the virus.

The fourth linked case is a man who lives in Yau Ma Tei.

Dr Lau Ka-hin of the Hospital Authority reported that another patient passed away this morning, bringing the city’s death toll to 99. The 67-year-old male patient who was confined at Caritas Medical Centre was found to have developed antibodies to Covid-19 but died of terminal cancer.

Of the 4,939 total cases recorded in Hong Kong, only 185 are still being treated in public  hospitals and the community treatment facility at AsiaWorld-Expo as of 9am today.

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Polo moves back to United Centre this Sunday

By The SUN

ConGen Tejada and Labatt Dizon cut the ribbon to open the new Polo office 

Filipino migrant workers with transactions at the Consulate and its attached labor office will be doing their business in just one building, the United Centre in Admiralty, once again starting this Sunday, Sept 13.

This is due to the relocation of the Philippine Overseas Labor Office to the 29^th floor Office B of the same building where the Consulate owns and occupies the entire 14^th floor.

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The new Polo premises were inaugurated yesterday afternoon, Sept 10 by Consul General Raly L. Tejada and Labor Attaché Melchor B. Dizon in a short ribbon-cutting and blessing ceremony attended by their officers and staff. Fr Jun Jacobe administered the religious rite.

ConGen Tejada welcomed Polo’s return to United Centre in a message on the Consulate’s Facebook page.

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“This enables the PCG and its attached offices to continue delivering efficient services while providing greater convenience for all Filipinos living and working in the territory,” he said.

“This represents the Philippine government’s commitment to meet the increasing demand and expectations of the Filipino community which is now the largest ethnic minority in Hong Kong.”

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As of July 31 this year, there were nearly 210,000 Filipino domestic workers in Hong Kong, the main users of the two offices’ services.

Polo’s return to United Centre makes it convenient for workers to do business with both government agencies as they no longer have to walk several blocks to and from either office when processing their papers.

Consulate & Polo staff bow heads in prayer during the office blessing

Filipino workers immediately welcomed the move.

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“Salamat naman po mga beloved Sirs and Madams. At least yong mga tulad naming tumatakas sa amo eh di na pahanap-hanap pa kung saan ba ito, saan ba yan. At least iisa na. Congrats po at mabuhay kayong lahat,” said Minda Capacap in her comment on Facebook.

POLO moved out of the United Centre offices it shared with the PCG and into the 11^th and 16^th floors of the Admiralty Centre Tower 1 on Mar 1, 2015.

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But after the building management there raised the rent, then Labor Attache Jalilo dela Torre decided to move the Polo offices to the 16 and 18^th floors of Mass Mutual Tower, now YF Life Tower, on Lockhart Road in Wanchai.

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5 FDHs on same flight test positive at HK Airport, another during 2nd test

By Daisy C L Mandap 

5 of the new FDH cases flew in together from Manila on Sept 9

Five Filipina domestic workers who recently flew in from Manila ago have all tested positive for Covid-19 on arrival at Hong Kong Airport, and were among 12 new cases reported today, Sept 11.

A sixth Filipina DH who tested positive on her second test while under quarantine was also among the new cases. She arrived via Hong Kong Airlines Flight HX 782 on Aug 19.

According to Dr Chuang Shuk-kwan of the Centre for Health Protection, the five newly arrived helpers flew in together on Sept 9, also aboard Hong Kong Airlines.

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Dr Chuang said they were part of a group of 13 workers who took the same flight, and were deployed by just one employment agency which she did not name.

The infected FDHs were immediately taken to hospitals for isolation and treatment while the others in their group were put in quarantine centers.

She said the workers stayed together in the agency’s dormitory in Manila before taking their flight to Hong Kong, so it was likely they were infected during that time.

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There were three other imported cases. One was a resident returning from Bulgaria, another a seafarer from Nepal, and the third, a cargo plane pilot from the United States.

Of the three locally acquired infections, one was linked to a five-year-old boy who tested positive earlier, while two were from unknown sources, and were uncovered from the universal community testing.

Cynthia Tellez of the Mission for Migrant Workers called on the Philippine Consulate to immediately check on the condition of the FDHs, since most, if not all, of them are probably newcomers who may not know who to approach for help in the community.

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“Kailangan mas maging pro-active naman ang Konsulado dahil kawawa ang mga migrant worker. Sigurado, maraming paghahanda ang ginawa nila para lang makarating dito, tapos biglang ganyan ang nangyari sa kanila,” Tellez said.

(The Consulate needs to be more proactive in helping the vulnerable workers. Am sure they prepared for a long time before coming here, and it’s unfortunate that they now have to deal with this problem).

Tellez also said the agency that deployed them should be investigated to find out why so many of its recruits tested positive on arrival, when they should have presented a negative test result before being allowed to board their flights to Hong Kong.

Tellez says Polo should investigate the agency that deployed the sick workers 

“Noon pa naman namin sinasabi na tungkulin ng ating pamahalaan na tiyaking malusog ang ating mga manggagawa bago sila payagang lumabas ng bansa,” said Tellez, “bago pa na require yung negative rest result na yan.”

(We’ve always said that our government has the responsibility to ensure that our workers are healthy before they are allowed to work abroad, even before the negative test result was made a requirement).

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After they’re treated and discharged, she said the Consulate, through the Philippine Overseas Labor Office, should provide a place for the workers to stay so they can get fully rested before moving in with their employers.

But that’s assuming that their employers will still want to take the workers in after they get treated and discharged from hospital. In at least one case referred to them, Tellez said the infected worker was sacked upon discharge.

In such a case, she said the recovered worker should be given help in pursuing a claim against the employer, particularly under the Disability Discrimination Ordinance.

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Thomas Chan, head of the Hong Kong Union of Employment Agencies, also called on the Consulate to conduct an inquiry, saying the big number of Filipino DHs who were found infected on arrival is a cause for concern, especially among employers.

He said in particular, the Consulate should determine the source of the workers’ infection, whether they were properly tested in Manila, and if not, who was responsible for the malpractice.

The concern is heightened by the tight travel restrictions imposed by the Hong Kong government starting Jul 25 on all incoming travelers flying in from nine high-risk countries, which include the Philippines.

Among the requirements is that the traveler should present a negative result for a Covid-19 test which should have been taken no later than 72 hours before the scheduled flight to Hong Kong.

The test should have been carried out by a laboratory accredited by the Philippine government, and a certificate attesting to this should also be presented before boarding.

Despite this, a number of travelers  from the Philippines have tested positive upon arrival at Hong Kong Airport, while several were found infected during a second test prior to being released from their 14-day quarantine.

But these cases are not unique to arrivals from Manila, which only ranks fourth as the source of imported cases in Hong Kong.

Recently, the biggest number of infections being brought in has come from India, despite it being among the countries for which a pre-boarding negative test result is required.

In a single Air India flight on Aug 14, about 20 passengers were found infected, which prompted the Hong Kong government to impose a two-week ban on the airline.

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Maid accused of stealing employer’s $100k ring

By Vir B. Lumicao

The accused reportedly took a tourmaline ring (this one is set with diamonds) and hid it among her stuff

A Filipina helper was charged today, Sept 11, in Eastern Court for allegedly stealing her employer’s $100,000 tourmaline ring in the latest of a string of big-value thefts involving maids in Hong Kong.

The defendant, L.V. Narcelles, 36, appeared before Magistrate Bina Chainrai for the reading of the charge following her arrest on Sept 9. No plea was taken.

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The prosecution accused the defendant of stealing the ring that belonged to Chua Eh-fong between Aug 27 and Sept 9 in the employer’s house in Regalia Bay, 88 Wong Ma Kok Road, Stanley.

Chua alleged that she last saw the ring on Aug 27 and noticed it was gone on Sept 9. She reported the matter to police.

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Officers arrived and searched the defendant’s belongings, and according to the prosecution, found the ring there.

The case was adjourned until Oct 23 for further police investigation and legal advice.

Chainrai ordered the defendant remanded in police custody.

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Several cases of high-value jewelry thefts in Hong Kong homes that were blamed on foreign domestic helpers have been filed in the city’s courts over the past year.

The biggest case so far involved $14.6 million w

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A. Rima was accused of stealing cash and jewelry worth over $140,000 from her North Point employer between Dec 19 last year and Aug 5 this year.In August alone, two Filipina maids were arrested for allegedly stealing large amounts of cash and jewelry from their employers. Two others were sent to jail after pleading guilty.orth of assorted jewelry and gold bars allegedly stolen between May 13, 2018 and Aug 11 last year by Filipina helper Carmelita Nones in the house of her businessman employer, David Liang, in Deepwater Bay.

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In the second-biggest of the theft cases involving Filipina helpers, E. Emperador, 50, was arrested by police on Aug 7 for allegedly stealing $860,000 worth of watches and jewelry from her female employer in Homantin, Kowloon over 10 months.

On Aug 25, Chainrai jailed Margie Tagulao to 20 months in jail after she admitt

ed stealing 11 jewelry pieces worth $543,000 in all from her female employer on Big Wave Road, Shek O. The thefts took place from Jan 1, 2019 and June 9 this year.

Earlier, Chainrai sentenced 34-year-old Marites Borines to 6 months in jail on Aug 13 after she admitted stealing $80,000 from her employers in Quarry Bay between May 1 and June 28 this year to repay debt.

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Filipina helper acquitted of supermarket theft charge

By Vir B. Lumicao  

 

The defendant was accused of stealing a number of items, including a bottle of wine

A 42-year-old Filipina helper accused of stealing $281.30 worth of food items and a bottle of red wine in a ParkNShop store in Hung Hom in May was acquitted of theft today, Sept 10, in Kowloon City Court.

“Thank you, Lord,” Bless M. Leganio uttered after Magistrate Tsang Chung-yiu said he acquitted the defendant because the prosecution was not able to prove her guilt beyond reasonable doubt.

Tsang said he considered the defendant’s claim that her mind was muddled at the time by worries about her mother, who was hospitalized a day before the offense.

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The magistrate said he also considered the language barrier between her and the shop staff, as they spoke two different languages. In the end, Tsang said there was doubt, so he acquitted Leganio.

The case went to trial last month after Leganio pleaded not guilty on May 22 to a charge of stealing two packs of fruits, five packs of vegetables, a pack of tofu, a bottle of red wine and a pack of toilet paper from the supermarket in Whampoa Garden on May 11.

Tsang, recapping the defense’s submission, said Leganio was arrested after she allegedly left the store with the unpaid goods she had put in her recyclable bag. He said she was intercepted outside the store by a staff who saw her leave without paying at the cashier.

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“I’m sorry, I forgot to pay. I’m going now to the cashier. I have money, I will pay,” Tsang quoted the woman as saying in English. He said at the time she had $1,150 in her wallet.

But the staff, who spoke Cantonese, took her to the manager’s office and the police were called.

In her court testimony, the staff said he was sweeping the floor around 10:20am when he saw Leganio put a bottle of red wine in a recyclable bag. He saw her take other items before leaving the store without paying.

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He intercepted her about three meters away from the shop entrance and told her she had unpaid goods in her bag. He inspected the bag and found the items there.

The Filipina's employer told the court her maid was honest and responsible

Leganio did not give evidence, but her female employer took the witness stand. She said that on the day of the alleged offense, she noticed her maid looking troubled.

The maid reportedly told the employer that her mother was taken to hospital the previous night due to illness. The employer said Leganio wanted to see her mother but could not go home because of the pandemic.

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Months earlier, the employer said Leganio had to go home because her son figured in an accident and was also hospitalized. The maid borrowed $15,000 from her but repaid the loan.

Later, the maid took out another loan and also paid it back. The employer said she trusted the defendant because she was a responsible person.

The defense lawyer, in his submission, said Leganio simply forgot to go to the cashier. He said his client had been losing concentration at the time because of her worries about her mother.  

After her acquittal, Leganio’s employers congratulated her before they went into a conference with the lawyer.

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