T8 may be raised Tuesday morning, says HK Observatory

By The SUN 

Dark clouds signal the approach of Typhoon Nangka

The Hong Kong Observatory raised the Strong Wind Signal Number 3 at 5:10pm today, Oct, 12, and warned that it could raise the signal further up to No 8 early tomorrow.

The Observatory said that as forecast, tropical storm Nangka will come to within 500 kilometres south of Hong Kong late tonight or early tomorrow, Tuesday.

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Earlier forecast indicated Nangka would not get very near the city, but because of the combined effect of the storm and the northeast monsoon, local winds are expected to strengthen gradually overnight, thus the possibility of a stronger typhoon signal being raised.

The hoisting of Signal No 3 indicates that winds with mean speeds of 41 to 62 kilometres per hour are expected.

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By 5pm, Nangka was estimated to be about 500 kilometers south-southeast of Hong Kong and is forecast to move west or west-northwest at about 22 kilometres,  in the direction of Hainan Island, and will intensify gradually.

Members of the public are advised to check the latest weather bulletin before leaving home tomorrow morning.

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Filipina among 7 new Covid-19 cases as expert warns of 1k deaths this winter

 By The SUN 

Yuen says high-risk places like bars must be watched strictly to prevent the spike in deaths

A newly arrived Filipina and six other people were confirmed today, Oct 1, as coronavirus patients, bringing Hong Kong’s total tally to 5,183.

So far, the city has reported a relatively low death toll of 105, but a leading microbiologist has warned that this may not be for long. 

University of Hong Kong Professor Yuen Kwok-yung said the death toll could pass 1,000 this winter unless social distancing measures at high-risk venues are implemented properly.

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Professor Yuen, who advises the government on its pandemic response, said in an interview with Commercial Radio that the government was right in imposing regulations  targeting high-risk venues such as restaurants, bars, wet markets and care homes.

But he said this meant nothing if the rules were not implemented properly, citing the lax enforcement in bars on Lan Kwai Fong, where customers were seen moving around freely without masks on.

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Unless Hong Kong takes its preventive measures more seriously, he warned more than 10,000 people could get infected this winter, and over 1,000 patients could die.

The expert also said the government should focus more on targeted testing of people who visit public clinics or private doctors because the positivity rate from these sources was far higher than from the universal testing done last month.

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But Financial Secretary Paul Chan disagreed. Writing in his blog, he said Hong Kong could use the results from the city-wide testing to devise strategies that can quickly contain severe outbreaks while allowing most people to carry on with their lives.

Meanwhile, the Centre for Health Protection announced in a press release that today’s new infections included two residents of the Home of Treasure care facility for the disabled in Kwai Chung.

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The latest cases took the number of infected people in the care home to 15.

M1 is the latest hotel to be linked to a locally acquired infection 

The two other local cases were also linked to previous infections. One is a 74-year-old woman while the other is a 24-year-old woman staying at the M1 hotel in North Point.

Apart from the Filipina whose visa status was not disclosed in the government announcement, the two other imported cases were a female returnee from the Netherlands and a male youth from Nepal who was found infected while under quarantine.

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The Hospital Authority said that a total of 124 confirmed patients are currently hospitalized in 18 public hospitals. Eight are in critical condition, nine in serious condition and the remaining 107 patients are in stable condition.

 

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T3 may be raised late Monday as ‘Linfa’ moves closer to HK

By The SUN 

The storm is not expected to move too close to HK but could bring heavy rain

Storm signal No 1 was raised over Hong Kong Sunday evening as a Tropical Storm Nangka edged closer to the city on its way to Hainan.

However, the Hong Kong Observatory said the winds would not strengthen significantly this morning, Oct 12.

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It could, however, pick up later in the afternoon or evening, and strong wind signal No. 3 may be hoisted.

The storm developed earlier Sunday from a low pressure area over the central to northern parts of the South China Sea and became a tropical storm, prompting the Observatory to hoist Signal No.1 at 8:45pm.                                                               

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Under the combined effects of the northeast monsoon and the tropical storm, there will be heavy rain and thunderstorms over the coast of the South China Sea, including Hong Kong, on Tuesday and Wednesday. It will be windy in the affected areas, and seas will be very rough with swells.

Nangka is expected to move in the general direction of Hainan Island and Indochina before it weakens and dissipates.

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The Observatory said the storm will remain at a distance from Hong Kong tonight and tomorrow morning, and winds will not strengthen significantly.

At 12 midnight Sunday, the tropical storm was estimated to be about 720km southeast of Hong Kong, with sustained winds of 45km per hour. It is forecast to move west or west-northwest at about 18km per hour in the general direction of Hainan Island and intensify gradually.

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FDHs among first to snap up new offer of free Covid-19 test

By The SUN 

Health Secretary Dr Sophia Chan visits the Wanchai temporary testing centre
(from Dr Chan's FB account)

Foreign domestic helpers were among the first in line for the new round of free Covid-19 tests offered at temporary testing sites to be set up in four districts across Hong Kong starting today, Oct 10. The fresh round of testing is meant to stem the rise in new locally acquired infections.

The first temporary site to open was at Harbour Road Sports Centre in Wan Chai. This is the same place where FDHs in-between jobs were also offered free tests for the coronavirus about two months ago, in the wake of a rash of infections in boarding houses run by employment agencies.

This came as six new confirmed cases were reported today by the Centre for Health Protection, raising the city’s total tally to 5,175, with 105 deaths.

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Three of the cases were locally acquired, including a 29-year-old man who works at Manulife who had visited the China Secret and Virgo bars in Tsim Sha Tsui, on the same night as a previously confirmed patient.

There are now a total of 12 cases linked to China Secret and a hostel in Tsim Sha Tsui where a 36-year-old Thai woman who is suspected to have illegally worked in the bar, had stayed.

Also included among the local infections was a 55-year-old resident of Home of Treasure in Kwai Chung, a care home for the disabled, where 13 cases have now been linked.

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The third local case was a 41-year-old woman who lives in Tung Chung and was linked to a previously known infection.

The three other cases were all imported, and involved residents returning from India.

Before the Wan Chai testing centre opened at 10am Saturday, reports said a couple of FDHs were already lined up, saying they were told to get themselves tested by their employer or their employment agency, ahead of moving on to a new job.

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The other applicants were residents who feared getting infected as they had been to places where patients recently confirmed to have the virus had stayed. These include the Royal Garden Hotel in Tsim Sha Tsui which was shut down Friday after four of its male staff tested positive for the virus.

The government decided to open temporary testing centres in Wan Chai, Kwai Tsing, Kowloon City and YauTsimMong (Yau Ma Tei, Tsim Sha Tsui and Mong Kok) as part of measures to stop a resurgence in local infections, especially those of unknown source.

Next to open is the Kwai Tsing Temporary Testing Centre located at Shek Lei Community Hall, which will start operating at 1pm on Sunday, Oct 11. This is the district where the stricken Home of Treasure care home is located.

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A government statement said the Wan Chai and Kwai Tsing centres will be open until next Wednesday, Oct 14. The centres in Kowloon City and TST are due to open soon.

The Wan Chai centre will be open from 10am to 8pm on October 10 and from 8am to 1.30pm and 2.30pm to 8pm on the following four days (October 11 to 14). The expected daily testing capacity is 1 000 specimens.

The one in Kwai Tsing will operate from 1pm to 8pm on Oct 11, and from 8am to 1:30pm and 2:30pm to 8pm on Oct 12 to 14.

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Those who wish to be tested can register with their Hong Kong ID card and phone number at the temporary centre, and a text message will be sent if the result is negative. Cases with positive results will be relayed to the CHP for follow-up.

The government statement said the temporary district-based testing is voluntary and free of charge, and no prior appointment is required for those who want to get tested.

The free test is available to all asymptomatic residents especially considered at high risk of contracting the virus, except children aged below six years old and those with nasal problems.

Those who get the test kits can drop their specimen sample at the mobile van

To stem an outbreak in bars, the government, along with private laboratory Prenetics, has also set out to conduct mobile testing among staff and patrons of pubs in three key districts.

Prenetics staff first distributed specimen bottles in pubs along Lan Kwai Fong, Central, on Friday night, while its mobile van was parked near Wyndham Street.

The van’s next stops are Tsim Sha Tsui and Wan Chai over the weekend.

The specimen bottles will be collected after one or two days for testing. But the bottles may also be returned to the collection mobile van parked at Hoi Chak Street in Quarry Bay from 9am to 5pm between October 10 and 12.

Separately, the Home Affairs Department and charitable organization Lok Sin Tong have also started distributing specimen bottles to Thai nationals in Kowloon City. Five Thai women, including one suspected of working illegally at China Secret, have recently tested positive for the virus. 

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Royal Garden Hotel evacuated as 3 more staff test positive

By Vir B. Lumicao 

Health officials suspect the infection started in the hotel's male staff changing room

A five-star hotel in Tsimshatsui shut down today after three of its staff members were among eight new cases confirmed positive of coronavirus infection by health officials today, Oct 9. Another hotel staff tested positive earlier.

Seven of the new cases were locally acquired, including a 25-year-old unemployed man living in Prince Edward whose source of infection was unknown. The only imported  case was a 63-year-old female returnee from India.

About 100 guests at the Royal Garden Hotel were asked to move to other hotels while the Centre for Health Protection sent about the same number of the hotel’s male staff to quarantine.

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CHP’s Dr Chuang Shuk-kwan said at today’s press briefing that 200 more male staff at the hotel will be moved to a quarantine center later.

Royal Garden said on its website that the CHP suspects the male changing room was the source of the infection.

As all its uniformed male staff will be quarantined for 14 days, the hotel said it would suspend operations from Oct 9 to 22, and advised guests to check out by noon today. In the meantime, the hotel would undergo thorough cleaning and disinfection.

About 100 hotel guests were asked to check out by noon today (RTHK photo)

Chuang said CHP did not request for the hotel guests to be moved, but added those who want to be tested will be given specimen bottles.

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About 600 employees and some guests were tested for the virus after a waiter at a Vietnamese restaurant in the hotel tested positive earlier this week.

Chuang said most of the results came back negative except for three of the hotel’s staff: a 35-year-old who works at the Italian restaurant Sabatini, a 58-year-old who works in the coffee shop, and a 46-year-old air conditioning mechanic who works in-house.

As a precautionary measure, Chuang said she arranged for the quarantine of all 300 male employees who had access to the Level B3 male changing room.

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Undersecretary for Health Dr Chui Tak-yi said the authorities will look if the hotel rooms had been used as party rooms and other uses that might have violated regulations involving the serving of liquor, karaoke services and other activities similar to party rooms.

Chui, meanwhile, said over the past week, Hong Kong had recorded 64 cases, of which 29 were imported and 35 were local or linked to local cases

Over the past 10 days from Sept 28, cases with untraceable origin made up 19% of the cases and there were signs that there are silent transmissions, Chui said.

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He said these were probably a warning sign, as any case of silent transmission could give rise to a cluster of infections.

He advised the public to avoid social gatherings and crowded places, to always wear a mask and to go for testing at any government clinic if they develop a symptom.

He said starting today, the Hospital Authority’s general outpatient clinics have been giving out specimen bottles to people in high-risk groups and those who have symptoms.

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A mobile testing center has also been posted tonight near the bar areas in Lan Kwai Fong and Tsim Sha Tsui for those who want to be tested.

Testing centers will also open at the Harbour Road Sports Center from Saturday, and at Kwai Tsing Community Hall from Sunday.

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Will you sleep inside a toilet? Not me, says this Filipina DH

By Daisy CL Mandap 

Gale's mattress can only fit in the tiny space beside the toilet bowl

A newly arrived Filipina domestic worker is set to terminate her contract after failing to convince her employers to give her a sleeping place other than the toilet where she sleeps, and even takes her meals.

Gale E., who started working with her employers family in Happy Valley only on Sept. 4, immediately protested when she saw the tiny room where she is supposed to sleep, rest, do the laundy, iron clothes, and - eat, bathe and defecate.

The room is so small that when she lays down her mattress at night, Gale ends up sleeping right smack beside the toilet bowl.

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She has also been eating inside the toilet, saying the first time her employers gave her food, they stared at her until she was forced to retire in her designated place.

The first person she complained to, says Gale, 32, was the employment agency staff who attended to her from the time she arrived on Aug 21, after which she spent 14 days at a hotel for the mandatory quarantine for new arrivals, before moving to her employers' home.

The agent called William told her in a chat that he would speak with the employer, but said “I am frightened that they will feel that you are demanding because it is quite a short period.”

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Gale replied that it was alright for her to sleep in the living room or on the floor elsewhere in the house, but not in the toilet as it was not healthy for her.

 

Gale's employer says the helper should be grateful because she has a room with everything in it

According to Gale, the employers’ flat which is listed in her contract as measuring about 550 square meters, has three rooms and two toilets. Her employers sleep in one room, their two kids in another, and the third is a study room which is unoccupied at night. 

Gale says she would be more than glad to sleep in that spare room, even if only on the floor, for a few hours each night.

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On the advice of friends, she brought up her concern with her employers, but Gale was told she couldn’t be given more than what she already had.

Gale says her employers even told her she should be grateful because other helpers are made to sleep in worse places like kitchen floors and cabinets, and that she should be more “mature” and not listen to what people around her were saying.

“Sinabi ko kasi na nangangati ako sa likod dahil sa higaan ko, mahirap gumalaw sa kadahilanan na yun nga po, fit lang ang bed ko sa CR na tinutulugan ko,” said Gale in a chat message. “Tapos sabi ko under the contract a helper is not allowed to sleep in the toilet. Sabi niya sa akin, ganito sa Hong Kong, maliit ang bahay.”

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(I told them my back itches because I cannot move much as  my bed fits exactly the little space left in the comfort room where I sleep. I also reminded them that in our contract, a  helper is not allowed to sleep inside the toilet. She (female employer) said, it’s like that in Hong Kong, houses are small).

Gale was also told the employers’ two previous helpers were just too glad to stay in the toilet as they had “privacy.”

“Kasi daw yung two maids niya naging masaya sila kasi nagkaroon sila ng privacy, may CR, may toilet at may sink, lalo na may higaan. Huwag ko daw sayangin ang opportunity kasi madami daw iba na walang trabaho,” reported Gale.

(They said their two previous helpers were happy because they had privacy, there is a comfort room with toilet and sink, and especially a mattress. They said I shouldn't waste the opportunity given me because there are many people who have no work).

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But Gale was not appeased. She sought help from the Mission for Migrant Workers where she was referred to by the Facebook group Domestic Workers' Corner, and she was advised to report her plight to the Immigration Department.

After doing everything that she felt was necessary to get out of the unhealthy situation she was forced into, Gale made up her mind to serve a month’s notice of termination.

Anyway, she says her employer told her that if she wasn’t happy sleeping beside the toilet bowl, she is free to go. 

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