Govt quashes lockdown rumors as Covid-19 cases drop to 63

 By The SUN

All public transport will stop at 9pm today, according to the rumour

 

The government quickly dismissed rumors today, Dec 22, that the Chief Executive was to give a press briefing in the afternoon to announce harsh new anti-virus rules, including a shutdown in public transportation services starting at 9pm today.

A brief statement issued at 3:57pm today via the government information website said:  "We strongly condemn the spread of the rumours and appeal to the public to stay united in this difficult period as we fight against the disease.”

The statement said that the rumor that quickly circulated on the internet was “absolutely unfounded” and “totally fabricated.”

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The rumour circulated a few hours after all flights from Britain were halted as a result of the spread there of a coronavirus strain that is said to be 70% more infectious than the usual variety.

All new arrivals from Britain will also have to spend an extra week in home isolation after the first 14 days of mandatory quarantine. They also must return a negative result for a third Covid-19 test to be done on the 19^th or 20^th day in quarantine.

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But today, health officials said 63  coronavirus cases were recorded as of midnight Monday, the lowest in a month.

The new infections included 53 that were locally acquired, 13 of which were of unknown sources, also the lowest number for the past several days.

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Dr Chuang Shuk-kwan said the lower figures was a welcome sign, but warned against complacency.

“I hope this will be a continuing trend, instead of just one or two days (of drop in figures). We have to be prudent,” she said.

The Filipina tested negative at the airport, but positive on her second test while in quaranttine

Included among the 10 imported cases was a 32-year-old Filipina domestic helper who arrived on Dec 9 and tested positive while in quarantine. The others were two male returnees from Indonesia, two from the United Kingdom and two from India.

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The details of the three others were not immediately available.

Hong Kong’s total tally has gone up to 8,301, but only 1,081 confirmed patients are still receiving treatment in 22 public hospitals and the community facility at AsiaWorld Expo.

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Among them, 67 are in critical condition, 63 are seriously ill, and 951 are in stable condition.

One more death was recorded, that of an 86-year-old male patient who passed away early this morning at Queen Elizabeth Hospital. There are now 128 Covid-related deaths recorded in the city.

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There were more than 30 preliminary cases detected.

Among the notable cases was a doctor who runs a clinic in Tin Shui Wai, identified as Wu Xioachun. He reportedly treated two infected patients in his clinic on Dec 15 and 18, but had worn proper protective clothing.

Dr Chuang said all patients working in Wu’s clinic will be quarantined. Patients who saw him between Dec 19 and 20 have been told to get tested.

There were also a number of new cases reported from housing estates, including Lotus Tower in Kwun Tong, Yau Ma Tei Court, Ming Wah in Shau Kei Wan, and Ping Shing House in Lam Tin.

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Migrante Pier captures 1st prize in online Christmas carol contest

 By The SUN 

Migrante Pier cops first prize in Filcom's first online caroling contest 

Filipino migrant workers who are unable to gather for street parties or traditional merrymaking this holiday season due to coronavirus-triggered social distancing rules have found a sophisticated way to push their events – by going online. 

That was the option Filipino Migrant Workers Union took when it successfully staged its annual caroling contest last weekend.

Only four workers’ groups took part in the contest, the first to be held via the Internet, as anti-pandemic restrictions were keeping foreign domestic helpers from going to their  favorite hang-outs on their day off.

“Dahil po nagka-social distancing ng dalawang katao lang, at mostly mga members ng mga organizations ay hindi na nakakalabas kaya nagkaroon ng limitasyon ang pagsali nila,” said Bing Yungco, chair of FMWU Chater Road Chapter, which staged the event.

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(“Because of social distancing and the two persons per group protocol, most organization members had been unable to go out, thus limiting the number of participants.”)

The competition was declared open on Nov 25. Contestants were required to submit videos of their Christmas caroling entries no later than Dec 13.

The winners were judged based on their video entries on Dec 18 on the following criteria: voice quality (50%), stage presence or performance (20%), costume (20%) and social media impact (10%).

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The videos were emailed to the judges, Lita Licudine from Creative Eyes, Vir B. Lumicao from The Sun Hong Kong, and Rey Asis from the Asia-Pacific Mission for Migrants, who returned their judgments on Dec 18. Tess Aquino was the adjudicator.

The first place winner was Migrante Pier. The second place went to Mission Movers Hong Kong, and FMWU- City Hall was third.

In the special prizes category, Migrante Pier was adjudged best in choreography, while FMWU- City Hall and Migrante Pier shared the best in costume award.

Movers takes second place

Mission Movers HK captured the best in social media impact award, whose selection was done by supporters who voted by viewing and liking the contestants’ videos on Facebook.                                                                   .

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This Sunday, the prizes will be delivered to the winners by members of the four chapters of FMWU, said Yungco, who thanked all supporters and sponsors for the successful event.

“To the organizations that participated to make this event happen this year, we thank you. Even if we are in the midst of the pandemic, we were able to continue the Christmas tradition of FMWU- CRC that started more than a decade ago. We are truly grateful,” the 25-member group said.

Here are the links to the winning entries:

https://www.facebook.com/106579001021541/videos/671110097103482

https://www.facebook.com/106579001021541/videos/710703123218142

https://www.facebook.com/106579001021541/videos/735525513744133

 

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Newly arrived Filipina DH among 74 new coronavirus cases

By The SUN 

Four imported cases were reported Sunday, including a Filipina DH

Seventy-four people were confirmed to have Covid-19 today, Dec 20, including a returning Filipina domestic worker and three other imported cases, the Centre for Health Protection said in its daily press briefing.

CHP information staff could only say that the Filipina is 44 years old, but not her arrival dates and other details. The other imported cases are a 45-year-old woman from Malaysia, a 19-year-old man from Britain and a 32-year-old man from Syria.

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Of the local cases, 45 were linked to previous cases and 25 had untraceable sources, although it was possible they could have acquired the virus from environmental transmissions, said CHP’s Dr Chuang Shuk-kwan.

She said another 50 persons tested preliminary positive, including a female officer at the Hong Kong Police headquarters on Arsenal St in Wanchai.

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Chuang urged Hong Kong residents to avoid large family gatherings as much as possible, especially with the celebration of winter solstice tomorrow, and the upcoming Christmas and New Year holidays.

“I think to control the Covid-19 spread, we need the cooperation of all members of the public,” Chuang said, as the latest cases brought total infections in Hong Kong to 8,153.

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But, asked whether she was in favor of imposing a community lockdown to rein in the fast-spreading infections, Chuang appealed for patience and give existing government measures more time to bear fruit.

"We have done quite well in the past. Our mask-wearing rate is very high and we have curtailed our gatherings as much as possible, so, maybe we have to be patient for a longer period,” Chuang said.

An expert suggests partial lockdown if virus spread continues

Earlier on Sunday, Prof. David Hui, a respiratory disease expert from the Chinese University of Hong Kong and adviser of the government on anti-pandemic strategy, warned that a partial lockdown may be needed if the spread of the coronavirus in the city continues.

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Government broadcaster RTHK said Hui had observed that while fewer people are out on the streets on weekdays, the situation reverses at the weekend, when crowds pack malls and parks.

 He said such behavior would hamper the fight against the virus. He suggested that unless the number of cases falls soon, stricter measures should be imposed, such as requiring people to stay at home for several hours a day and designating one person per household to go out for groceries.

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Dr Linda Yu, chief manager at the Hospital Authority, said that as at 9am today, 100 Covid-19 confirmed patients were discharged from hospital, raising the total number of recoveries to 6,837 patients.

She said a total of 1,081 confirmed patients are currently confined in 23 public hospitals and community treatment facility, among whom 64 patients are in critical condition, 67 are in serious condition and the remaining 950 patients are in stable condition.

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Among the newly confirmed cases were four linked to YATA Supermarket in Sha Tin, two cases to Billy Sir music studio in San Po Kong, and two to Glow Spa and Salon in Central.

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There were seven cases in three units at Yat Lai House in Yau Lai Estate. Chuang said four cases were found in one unit alone.

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Police step up ID checks on migrant workers

By Daisy CL Mandap 

Officers stopped several Filipina DHs for ID checks at North Point market on Saturday

At least two Filipina domestic workers have warned about police officers stepping up patrols on the streets starting on Saturday, and stopping migrant workers for HK ID checks.

One of them said she was herself stopped near the North Point market for the ID check, as she was hurrying through the cold on the way to a popular floral display near the pier.

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Irene Liban said that after officers got her ID card, they began asking a lot of questions, like where she was going, what was she doing in the market, where did she work, what was her work, whether she was meeting friends, why she was off on a Saturday, if she did the marketing and cooking for her employer, etc.

Then the officers made a call, apparently to their Immigration contacts, to verify her visa status based on her ID card number. After ascertaining that her ID and visa were valid, she was let go.

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Liban said it was the first time she was carded by the police in the three years that she has been in Hong Kong.

Another Filipina who happened to be in the vicinity, said she saw the officers making two other ID checks on her fellow FDHs who were not doing any marketing. One was standing in front of a 7-11 store, and the other, a shoe store along the tram line.

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Cherry Anne said one of the Filipinas was obviously irked that she was stopped for the spot check, as she was apparently hurrying to go somewhere. But she knew well enough to cooperate with the police, which are by law, allowed to randomly stop people on the streets to check on their identification and visa status.

In the past, however, the ones often stopped were young males, usually carrying backpacks which are routinely checked along with their identity documents. The operation used to be carried out to flush out illegal immigrants or workers, mostly from the mainland.

Officers often patrol FDWs' favourite haunts in Central on Sundays

The shift to stopping and checking FDWs comes in the wake of a Covid-19 outbreak last week in a Tai Po boarding house frequented by Filipinas.

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At least 13 cases have been linked to the boarding house, including four from an employer’s household. Health officials say 33 close contacts of those who had been there were moved to a quarantine centre.

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On Dec 14, health officials issued a mandatory testing order for everyone who had stayed in the premises for at least two hours in the past month.

This was followed by an announcement of free tests for all of the nearly 400,000 FDWs in the city, prompting protests by migrant groups about them being targeted again for discrimination.

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In the third wave of infections between July and August, free tests were also offered to FDWs, after several Indonesian helpers who had stayed in cramped dormitories run by employment agencies across several districts, were also found infected.

Liban did not let her odd encounter with the police ruin her dayoff

Though surprised by the police action, Liban says she considers it as a necessary step to prevent the further spread of the virus in the community.

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But she warned her fellow FDWs to make sure they wear a mask when they go out of the house, and to always bring their ID with them so they could stay out of trouble.

Those who defy gathering restrictions like not wearing a face mask in public or going out more than two to a group, will make them liable to pay a fixed penalty of $5,000. If the case goes to court, the penalty could rise to a maximum fine of $25,000 and six months imprisonment.

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4 newly arrived Filipina DHs test positive at HK Airport

By Daisy CL Mandap 

The 4 Filipina DHs tested positive after arriving at HK Airport

Four Filipina domestic helpers who arrived on two separate dates and flights from Manila are among the 70 confirmed coronavirus patients reported in Hong Kong today, Dec 18.

Another could be added to the list as health officials announced that one more positive case from the outbreak in a Tai Po boarding house where mostly Filipina DHs spent their days off, was included in the list. However, they could not immediately say if the newly confirmed case is a domestic worker or a close contact.

According to an information officer from the Centre for Health Protection, three of the newly arrived Filipinas flew in on Dec 16 from Manila via Philippine Airlines flight PR 300. Two are aged 31 years old and the other, 44.

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Another Filipina DH aged 37, arrived on Dec 15 via Cebu Pacific Flight 5J 272. It’s not clear why her confirmation for the disease came later than the three others.

The four were among six imported cases reported today by Dr Chuang Shuk-kwan from the CHP.

The two others were both air crew. One is a 52-year-old man who arrived from the United Kingdom on Dec 17 aboard British Airways flight BA027, while the other is a 40-year-old woman who came in from Japan on Dec 15 aboard Cathay Pacific Flight CX 521.

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Apart from the new case from the Fung Nin boarding house, there were 63 other local infections. Among these are 39 cases linked to previous infections and 25 with untraceable sources.

There were more than 70 people who tested preliminary positive.

Yu calls on medical colleagues to avoid social gatherings as 3 test positive after attending a party

Hospital Authority chief manager Linda Yu reported that three staff at public hospitals were found infected after attending a birthday party.

A male nurse at Kowloon Hospital was the first to test positive, followed by his brother, who’s a doctor at Alice Ho Miu Ling Nethersole Hospital; and sister-in-law, who is a nurse at Tung Wah Hospital.

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The patients were among a group of 10 people who gathered for the birthday party last Sunday.

The male nurse’s wife, who also works at Kowloon Hospital, is now under quarantine, while four colleagues of the doctor at the endoscopy center at the AHML Nethersole Hospital are under medical surveillance.

Yu called on her colleagues to be an example to others by refraining from attending social gatherings. 

Another emerging cluster was from a music studio in San Po Kong where five elderly people who had been taking singing lessons had come down with the coronavirus. Their teacher and four close contacts were also found infected.

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Chuang said no compulsory testing order had been issued for the cluster as all the close contacts of the infected patients had been located and put under quarantine. 

One elderly patient died at PYNEH last night

Meanwhile, Yu reported that two more patients had passed on in the past 24 hours, bringing the total death toll in public hospitals to 124.

One of these was an 85-year-old man who died at Caritas Hospital at 10:27am today. The other was an 84-year-old man with chronic illness who died at 9:34pm last night at Pamela Youde Nethersole Eastern Hospital.

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At the press briefing, concerns were raised by several reporters about the case of a 79-yerar-old man who was found dead at home on Dec 12, and was included in the list of positive cases yesterday. He was tested posthumously at the Fu Shan Mortuary.

Reporters noted that a quarantine order was issued for the man as early as Dec 9, for being a close contact of an infected person. However, no apparent attempt was made to move him to a quarantine center, which could have saved his life.

Chuang said that people who are classified as close contacts are told to remain at home to await their transfer to a quarantine centre. But if they feel unwell, they should call the CHP’s hotline, or even the 999 emergency services, so they can be taken to hospital if needed.

In the case of the deceased, his relatives who reportedly called him up on Dec 10 had been told that he was ok, except that he had a stuffy nose. They lost contact with him the next day.

The day's confirmed cases pushed Hong Kong's total coronavirus tally to 7,970. Of these, 1,146 confirmed patients are still being treated at 23 public hospitals and the treatment facility at AsiaWorld-Expo. About 10 percent of the sick patients are in either critical (60) or serious (61) condition. The rest are all stable.

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