4 new Covid-19 includes another newly arrived Filipina DH

By The SUN 

Experts say distancing measures should remain because of the silent transmissions

Four new confirmed cases of coronavirus infections were reported in Hong Kong today, Oct. 3, bringing the city’s total tally to 5,108, with 105 related deaths.

Three are imported cases, including a 27-year-old Filipina domestic helper who just flew in from Manila; a 34-year-old man who arrived from India, and a 30-year-old man who came from the UK.

The only local case is a 22-year-old student at the Institute of Vocational Education in Tseung Kwan O, whose source of infection is unknown.

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This prompted health authorities to close the school for two weeks, and its more than 2,000 students and staff asked to submit themselves to Covid-19 tests.

The student lives in Sha Tin, and last visited the campus on September 29, which was also when he started developing symptoms.

But he also went to a bar called China Secret located in Lee Chau Commercial Building on Hart Avenue in Tsim Sha Tsui with friends on September 23, during the incubation period.

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Dr Chuang Shuk Kwan, head of the Centre for Health Protection's communicable disease branch, said staff at the bar will also be tested as officials were worried that it was the source of infection.

"So far, we have not identified any confirmed case among this activity and also the friends, but we are still investigating," she said.

Since there has been a number of cases with unknown source the past few days, Chuang said the public should avoid engaging in social activities.

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The precaution should also include holding off on reopening the borders as this could lead to more transmissions.

There is fear the number of cases may rise after the long holiday weekend

Her view reflected that of another expert on infectious diseases, Chinese University professor David Hui.

Hui, who also advises the government on pandemic control, said the current social distancing restrictions should remain in place for now because of the number of untraceable cases that have been almost daily the past week.

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He is particularly worried about an increase in the number of infections after the long holiday weekend, given the pandemic fatigue that has set in after months of social distancing restrictions.

"During the holiday, a lot of people actually have gone out celebrating and also joining a lot of social activities. So we have to [see] whether there's any related outbreak, for example in restaurants and other facilities,” said Hui.

The government has eased some restrictions in the past week, including allowing places of worship and business establishments like bars to reopen.

However, public gatherings are still limited to four people and everyone is required to wear masks in public, except when doing strenuous activities.

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Catholic Church resumes public masses

By The SUN 

As in recent past, only half of the seats in churches will be filled 

Sunday public masses in all Catholic churches will resume this coming Sunday, Oct. 4, after the government implemented further relaxation of social distancing measures. However, weekday masses started from yesterday, Oct 2.

However, only 50% of the normal capacity of the church will be filled. Other restrictions aimed at promoting public health and safety will also be put in place.

The Church’s move is likely to be replicated by other religious groups in the city, which has been gradually easing restrictions after the daily number of infections fell to a low two digits.

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According to an advisory issued in the name of the Chancellor, Rev. Lawrence Lee on Sept 30, the following measures will be enforced:

1)      Churches should be well ventilated and seats cleansed and disinfected regularly, with a disinfected carpet at the church entrance.

2)      The congregation should be limited to 50% of the normal capacity of the church.

3)      When entering the church compound, the faithful should put on a face mask, take body temperature and cleanse their hands with sanitizer. The use of holy water at the church entrance should be suspended.

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4)      Ushers should see to it that those inside the church keep adequate social-distancing.

5)      The use of liturgical booklets and hymnals should be suspended (projectors may be used instead).

6)      Sunday collections should be taken up after mass, with one or several donation boxes provided.

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7)      The sign of peace should be expressed by bowing heads, instead of shaking hands.

8)      For the time being, Holy Communion should be received only “in the hand”.  One’s hands should be sanitized before and after receiving Communion.

9)      Once the mass is concluded, the faithful should leave the church compound and avoid socializing.

10)  After mass, the seats in the church should be cleansed and disinfected.

Those attending mass should disinfect their hands before taking the holy communion

Parish priests are enjoined to observe a separate set of guidelines.

The advisory said attending Sunday mass is an obligation of the faithful. But while the pandemic is not yet completely contained, Cardinal John Tong, as a discretionary measure, permits the following alternatives to attending the Sunday Mass —

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a. Those who have worries that they might get infected by the pandemic if they come to church to attend the Sunday mass, may attend it online (and receive spiritual Communion) or perform some acts of devotion, such as reading the Bible, etc.

b. Since seating in churches is being restricted at present, one can attend mass on a weekday, instead of Sunday.

The above discretionary measure will be terminated once the pandemic is fully contained and the local situation is back to normal.  

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7 new Covid-19 cases today, 2 with unknown source

By The SUN 

Two of the new cases have an unknown source

Hong Kong has reported seven new coronavirus cases today, Oct 3, including a newly arrived Filipina domestic helper.

Four of the new cases are imported, while three were locally acquired, two of which are without a known source of infection.

One of the untraceable cases is a 33-year-old chef who works at the “Mu-ni” Japanese restaurant in IFC mall and lives in Glory House on Gloucester Road, Wan Chai.

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The other one is a 25-year-old nurse who works at Queen Elizabeth Hospital.

The only case linked to a previous infection is a 38-year-old woman.

Dr Chuang Shuk-kwan, head of the communicable diseases branch at the Centre for Health Protection, said the chef went to work for a few days after developing a fever on Sept 25.

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He eventually visited a private clinic on Sept 30 where he was tested.

Chuang said 13 of his colleagues at the restaurant had been sent to quarantine. Customers who had been to the restaurant after Sept 23 should contact the Department of Health.

“We do not think the chance of transmission through the chef is very big, because he’s responsible for cooking the cooked food not the raw [food] or the sashimi and that kind of food,” she said.

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However, she said they couldn’t be sure because the chef worked for a few days at the restaurant before he was isolated.

“That’s why we still appeal to customers who are worried to get tested.”

Health officials say the nurse did not seem to have been infected at the hospital

As for the male nurse who was reported preliminary positive yesterday, six of his co-workers at the hospital have been put under quarantine. Around 50 patients and 50 hospital staff have been tested.

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Chuang had said earlier that the infection did not seem to have come from the hospital. The patient, who lives in Shamshuipo, reportedly visited friends’ homes on Sept 18 and 20, and had dinner with them.

Apart from the 45-year-old foreign domestic worker who flew in from Manila and tested positive at the airport, the other imported cases are a 54-year-old male returnee from Germany, a 59-year-old man who arrived from the UK, and a six-year-old girl from Nepal.

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The latest cases brought the city's tally of confirmed Covid-19 cases up to 5,104. There have been 105 deaths.

Hospital Authority chief manager Linda Yu said 122 confirmed patients were being treated in 17 public hospitals and at the AsiaWorld-Expo treatment facility. Among them, 10 are critical, eight are serious, and 104 are in stable condition.

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Musicians plead with health officials: ‘Let us go back to work’

By Daisy CL Mandap

HKMU led by Lo (middle, with glasses) poses for pictures
with Chui (3rd from left), Cheung and Chan after the meeting

Hong Kong musicians have made an impassioned appeal to health officials to let them go back to work by allowing bars and other entertainment venues to resume live performances as soon as possible.

The plea was made by officers of the Hong Kong Musicians Union, led by its chairperson Manuela D. Lo, during a meeting on Sept 29 with Deputy Health Secretary Howard Chan and Undersecretary for Food and Health Dr Chui Tak-yi.

The meeting was arranged by Legislative Council member Tommy Cheung, who represents the catering sector, and has been helping HKMU advance its cause.

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“Hear us, help us,” said an emotional Lo, as she told the officials how most of the 1,000 or so professional musicians in Hong Kong have been out of jobs since the bars were first shut on Apr 3.

Others became jobless even earlier, when the virus spread across four bars in key districts in late March, leaving more than 20 band members infected and about 50 others confined in quarantine centers.

She said many of the jobless musicians have been doing odd jobs like working for cargo companies, just to make ends meet. But others who are not permanent residents are not allowed to moonlight under their visa conditions.

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The bars were reopened on Jun 19, but were promptly closed down again when the third wave of infections swept across Hong Kong in early July. 

Lo said the tales of woes from the musicians have been heartbreaking, adding, almost in tears: “If you could give back their jobs, that would be great.”

While bars and other night spots were allowed to reopen starting on Sept 18, they are made to operate under very strict conditions. Everyone should wear a mask unless eating or drinking, and no more than two people can sit at each table, which should be kept 1.5 meters away from the next.

Bars were allowed to reopen last month, but without the live shows

Worse, especially for the musicians, is that the bars are still forbidden from having live performances, even if larger venues such as theaters and exhibition halls have been given the green light to stage shows before a live audience.

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Dr Chui replied that the government understood the difficulties faced by various sectors like the musicians, but it is now being more cautious in lifting restrictions, having learned its lesson from the recent outbreak that saw the number of infected persons rising to three digits per day.

He also noted that from just 7 deaths before the third wave of infections started in early July, there are now more than 100 casualties, which meant more than 90 patients had passed on in less than three months.

Chan assured the group that what the government wants is to ensure the safety of everyone, especially since another outbreak could come at the onset of winter.

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“All we want is to protect your health and the others, too,” he said.

He also raised concern about the spread of the virus among musicians staying in one dormitory in the second wave of infections, but was told that this was because they were imported workers, and hired by just one company that made them perform in the various bars where the disease spread.

Insomnia in Lan Kwai Fong was the first to close after the virus swept through bars

The health officials were also reminded that the infection in the bars appeared to have started not with the musicians, but with patrons, some of whom appeared to have brought back the virus from overseas.

Cheung assured the officials that the musicians were willing to undertake self-regulation to protect themselves and the community, and also convince the authorities to allow them to get back to work.

Among the measures they proposed were the following: (1) masks should be worn at all times inside the bars, even during performances; (2) all musicians must bring their own microphones and sterilize their own instruments; (3) no mingling with the guests; and (4) no bar-hopping, meaning performers will stick to one venue.

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At the same time, Cheung being a bar owner himself, said their sector could undertake to put up acrylic shields between the musicians and the audience to further lessen the chance of aerosol transmissions during a performance. 

He also suggested that wind instruments like saxophones and trumpets be not included in the repertoire for the same reason.

Tsui and Chan asked the musicians to list down all their proposals so the government can go over them and decide in the next week or two on whether they can be acted upon, as long as the situation continues to stabilize.

HKMU immediately took up the suggestion, and has already started a campaign to get their petition signed by as many musicians as possible over the holidays. The statement will then be sent to Cheung for endorsement to concerned government officials.

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HK’s two easy, breath-taking trails for families and beginners

By Vir B. Lumicao

 

Picture-perfect Pineapple Dam can be reached even by children

From the heights, it is a virtual emerald lake in the cusp of mountains above Tsuen Wan as the sky reflects on its glassy surface. But save for its refreshing beauty, Shing Mun Reservoir is not the place to be for hardened hikers.

The 9-kilometer Pineapple Dam Nature Trail, which is partly on Wilson Trail Section 7 that snakes through canopies of green around the reservoir, is one of Hong Kong’s numerous easy trails that are meant for family treks and exploration by nature lovers.

About 23km to the east in Po Lam, another family trail with mild ascents leads to what could be perhaps Tseung Kwan O’s best kept secrets, the Little Hawaii Waterfalls and Lin Yuen Terrace Waterfalls on the slopes of the Razor Hill.

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The cataracts cascade between volcanic boulders down the steep slopes of the hill and in some sections form basins that provide pools of cool, pristine waters for hikers who want to wade and cool themselves.

We visited these two trails consecutively on the last two Saturdays in September, when summer’s heat was gradually doused off by daily showers and thunderstorms.

On the hike at Pineapple Dam Nature Trail, this writer went with two regular hiking buddies from the DWC Saturday Group. With more clouds than sunshine this time of the year, the hike was not as energy-sapping as it was in the hot months.

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Taking the green minibus 82M from Shiu Wo St in Tsuen Wan at 9:30am, we were at the site in barely 15 minutes. A group of monkeys hurried down the trees, hoping to grab food from us as soon as we got off the minibus.

One woman was targeted by an aggressive male that tried to grab her backpack from behind. The simian backed off when the target’s male partner shooed it away with a stick.

We realized that was the wrong place to begin a hike. It’s safer to go right up Pineapple Dam Road and enter the dam gate a few hundred meters from the bus stop.

Hiking down to the reservoir is easy, but one should be wary of wild monkeys along the way

The dam offered gorgeous views of the reservoir, its surrounding hills including Needle Hill, and Lion Rock in the distance. The trail was flat and easy, obviously the reason why parents and their young children were among the several groups we met on the way.

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It took us more than two hours to find a meadow beside a stand of towering paperbark trees near the northern tip of the reservoir. We were bringing out our lunch when an old monkey appeared and got near. It went away after we stuffed the food back in our bags.

When we had finally eaten our lunch away from the view of monkeys, lightning began to crack, followed by thunder and pouring rain. We all were wet when we completed the reservoir loop and got back to the bus stop.

 

The beautiful Lin Yuen Waterfalls in Saikung is another easy trek

The next Saturday, Sept 26, my son joined me in a late afternoon quick hike to Lin Yuen Waterfalls not far from our village. We reached the falls in half an hour of leisurely walk via Tsui Lam Road and Wilson Trail Stage 3.

 On the path downhill to the main cascade, we met adult pairs young and old, parents with their primary school-age kids, as well as lone joggers already making their way back to the road. Only a few youngsters were at the waterfalls then, as dusk was approaching.

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 After taking a few dozen photographs, we retraced our steps back to our village.

The waterfalls have been in that previously seldom visited part of Saikung District long before the reclaimed cove of Junk Bay was turned into a bustling new town called Tseung Kwan O.

Hikers and picnickers, including Filipino workers, noticed the hidden scenic spot only after the old Yau Yue Wan trail was developed and officially added to the Wilson Trail by the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department a few years ago.

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To get to the waterfalls, take the MTR to Polam, get off at the end of the line, then walk to Tseung Kwan O Village. Follow the Little Hawaii Trail next to village houses beside a rotunda. Villagers will readily direct you to the trail if you ask for help.  

For those coming from Tsuen Wan, take KMB bus 290, 29A or 290X and get off either at Ma Yau Tong Village and take Tsui Lam Road then turn left to Little Hawaii Road. A downward path on the right side of the road will take you to Lin Yuen Waterfalls.

From Kwun Tong, take KMB 93A, 93K and 98A and alight at Ma Yau Tong bus stop and then take Tsui Lam Road.

Alternatively, hikers can get off at Tseung Kwan O Village and cut the distance to the falls by about a kilometer.

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