Covid-19 superspreader found in hospital cluster

By The SUN

Dr Yuen says the superspreader infected 10 fellow patients and 4 medical staff 

Hong Kong health officials have revealed that an 84-year-old female patient at United Christian Hospital was a superspreader who could have infected 14 other people, including four medical staff.

The information was first disclosed today, Dec 26, by Dr Yuen Kwok-yung, a microbiologist and physician from the University of Hong Kong, after he inspected the hospital.

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It was confirmed at a subsequent press briefing on the latest Covid-19 situation by Dr Lau Ka-hin, chief manager of the Hospital Authority, during which it was revealed 59 new infections were recorded as of midnight last night.

According to Yuen, seven more female patients at UCH have tested preliminary positive, along with four medical staff. Three who were previously classified as preliminary cases had just been confirmed.

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Apart from these cases, Yuen said that there were signs of an outbreak in the community where the apparent superspreader lives.

Tests at the hospital showed that the patient’s CT value was very low, only 17 to 18, indicating a high viral load, which also meant she was very contagious.

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But since she mostly stayed in the hospital’s palliative care ward, where most patients have poor immunity because of their age or critical medical condition, the virus spread easily.

Yuen said the index patient was admitted to the hospital on Dec 15, and was put in intensive care because of diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA), which occurs when the body starts breaking down fat.

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After she tested negative for Covid-19, she was moved to the palliative ward because of bed shortage. However, a further test showed she was infected.

Yuen described it as a “most unfortunate” super spreading event, which could have been partially transmitted through the air in the palliative ward.

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Among those believed to have caught the virus from the elderly woman was a nurse who did not wear protective goggles when she helped the patient clean her mouth.

But according to the expert, the outbreak was also partly caused by the serious epidemic situation in East Kowloon, especially in Kwun Tong District, which caused great pressure on community hospitals. The transfer of the patient from one ward to another because of a shortage of beds had caused the virus to spread further.

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Dr Au says the coronavirus variant was found in a third new arrival from Britain

Meanwhile, Dr Albert Au from the Centre for Health Protection revealed that the highly contagious coronavirus strain was found in a third infected patient who recently arrived from Britain.

The 18-year-old female patient arrived on Dec 13 via Virgin Airlines flight VS206, and developed symptoms a week later while in quarantine at Kowloon Metropark Hotel. She tested positive for the coronavirus on Dec 23 and is now in stable condition.

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Two other teenagers, both males, were earlier found to carry the coronavirus variant. One had already been discharged from the community treatment facility at AsiaWorld-Expo when he was found to have the strain that prompted Hong Kong to ban all flights from Britain last week.

Dr Au said that of the of today’s 59 new cases, 53 were locally acquired, and six were imported, including three new arrivals from Britain, aged 22, 41, and 48.

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Records from CHP later showed that the new imported cases also included a 36-year-old woman who arrived from the Philippines, and tested positive while in quarantine at Metropark Hotel in Mongkok.

Another was a 7-year-old girl who flew in from Indonesia, and a 33-year-old man who arrived from United Arab Emirates.

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Of the 53 local cases, 26 did not have no known sources. More than 50 preliminary cases were also recorded.

Hong Kong now has a total of 8,541 coronavirus cases. As of 9am today, 921 patients are being treated in 23 public hospitals and the treatment facility at AWE. Among them, 55 are in critical condition, 65 are in serious condition, and 801 are in stable condition. 

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HK orders 21-day hotel quarantine for all new arrivals, bans travelers from S Africa

By Daisy CL Mandap 

Christmas Day came with bad news for all travelers arriving in Hong Kong from abroad. Everyone must now spend 21 days in hotel quarantine, instead of just 14.

The move was gazette by the government late on Dec 24, and took effect from the first hours of today, Christmas Day.

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The government also banned people who had stayed in South Africa for more than two hours on the day of boarding, or 21 days before, from entering Hong Kong.

This was after a new, more infectious mutation of the coronavirus similar to the one found in Britain earlier, was discovered in South Africa.

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All flights from Britain were earlier barred from entering Hong Kong, while passengers who were able to enter the city between Dec 2 and 23 became the first to be told to spend 21 days in hotel quarantine.

In addition, all passengers who arrived in Hong Kong between Dec 2 and 24, must undergo a third Covid-19 test on the 19^th or 20^th day of their arrival, and should remain in isolation until the test result is known.

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The government said in a press release that while the World Health Organization has said that the incubation period of the coronavirus is 14 days, there is currently no evidence to show how long patients infected by the new variant will remain infectious.

But since experts believe that there is a small number of patients whose incubation period is longer than 14 days, and since more and more mutations of the virus are being discovered all over the world, the government felt it necessary to strengthen border control further.

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This is meant “to ensure that no case would slip through the net even under very exceptional cases where the incubation period of the virus is longer than 14 days,” said the statement.

Chuang and Lau reporting on the latest Covid-19 situation

Earlier, Dr Chuang Shuk-kwan from the Centre for Health Protection said that the government was seeking more information from the WHO about the South African variant which is believed to be more transmissible, especially among younger people.

But she noted that Hong Kong has not had any imported cases from South Africa lately.

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She made the statement during the daily press briefing on the Covid-19 situation, during which she reported 71 new infections. Sixty-one of these were locally acquired, with 30 from an unknown source.

The 10 imported cases included three young returnees from Britain who all tested positive while in quarantine. The patients, who were all asymptomatic, are aged 14 (M), 16 (F) and 18 (M).

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The others are two returnees from the United States, aged 25 (F) and 80 (M), a 38-year-old woman from Indonesia, a 19-year-old female from Turkey, a 30-year-old male from Pakistan, and a 36-year-old man from Serbia.

Three more confirmed patients passed away over the past 24 hours; a 77-year-old man, 92-year-old man, and a 86-year-old woman. They brought the death toll in public hospitals to 131.

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Of the 985 patients still being treated in 23 public hospitals and the community facility at AsiaWorld-Expo, 61 are in critical condition, 61 are seriously ill, and 863 are stable.

Chuang advised people to remain vigilant and not take part in social activities over the Christmas holidays, as infections had already been detected from family gatherings during the winter solstice earlier this week.

“We found many cases because of gatherings on the 20^th and 21^st,” she said.

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Because of the celebrations we found quite a number of cases in family clusters. So try to avoid large gatherings as much as possible to prevent cases in the coming days,” she said.

Dr Lau Ka-hin from the Hospital Authority said compassionate visits by family members to elderly patients may have to be curbed after a convalescent 95-year-old man who had previously been hospitalized, tested preliminary positive for the virus in Buddhist Hospital.

The patient was admitted to Queen Elizabeth Hospital on Dec 9 and tested negative. He was  transferred to Buddhist Hospital on Dec 13 where he developed a fever, and tested positive in a test.

Three patients receiving palliative care at United Christian Hospital also tested preliminary positive. Again, the source of infection is believed to have come from outside, likely by family members who were allowed to visit and check on the patient’s condition.

Lau said hospitals will now be very strict with compassionate visits. Only family members will be allowed to visit a patient, and this should be for no more than 30 minutes. Relatives should also refrain from feeding the patient. 

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DH denies theft of employer’s tourmaline ring as trial gets underway

 By Vir B. Lumicao 

The court heard the police got an incomplete video from the scene of alleged theft

A Filipina domestic helper pleaded not guilty yesterday, Dec 23, at the start of her trial on a charge of stealing a tourmaline ring valued at $100,000 in September from her socialite female employer in Stanley.

The defendant, L.V. Narcelles, 37, was barely two weeks in her new job when she was accused by her employer, Chua Eh-fong, of taking the ring between Aug 27 and Sept 9 this year.

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She was the fifth worker in the household, where there were three other helpers and a female driver.

Chua Eh-fong, identified by local media as Cai Yifeng (her Putonghua name), wife of former ATV executive director Sheng Pinru, took the witness stand when the trial presided by Magistrate David Cheung got underway.

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The employer said she discovered on Sept 9 that her ring had been stolen, when she asked the Filipina to bring out her luggage for a cursory check before leaving her house in Regalia Bay after her dismissal.

Chua said she fired the helper, who joined her household only on Aug 26 on a monthly salary of $6,000, after the helper damaged some expensive silverware and Versace tableware while doing the dishes. 

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She also accused the helper of staining her expensive clothes and bra during washing.

The arresting officer took the witness stand today for the prosecution. He said he arrived at the scene after Chua reported the theft. He said he relied on Chua’s statement and the CCTV footage that the employer supplied the police three days after the incident.

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He said there was no CCTV footage in the masters’ bedroom and a China-made CCTV next to the printer in the dining room was reportedly working.

The defense lawyer asked the officer why it took three days before he was able to obtain the CCTV footage. The officer replied that he asked for the video three times but Chua reportedly said the footage was not yet ready.

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When Chua finally supplied the video, it was only 10 minutes long and showed the point when Narcelles brought out her three suitcases to the dining area up to when the ring fell out of a white paper bag when Chua asked the helper to pour out its contents.

The footage stopped where the helper was still kneeling on the floor crying as she talked to her former employer, Portia Cheung, about the discovery of the ring in her luggage.

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The officer said he expected the full footage but was told by the employer that she was still trying to retrieve it with the help of her husband.

This afternoon, when it was Narcelles’ turn to give evidence, the prosecutor grilled her about the events leading up to the allegation, including her Whatsapp text messages and calls to Cheung shortly after her arrival at Chua’s house and when she was accused of theft.

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She said on Sept 7, Chua accused her and another co-helper of causing the scratches on the expensive tableware. She answered back, telling the employer to check the CCTV to find out for herself who was responsible. Then the boss also accused her of staining her clothes and bra.

Narcelles said she called up Cheung for advice and the latter told her to tell the agency. The former also told her she should not pay because the things were not damaged.

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At 5pm on Sept 8, Chua told Narcelles that she was terminating her contract after one month. Then she changed her mind at 9pm and told her to pack up her things and leave. Shortly later, the employer told the helper to leave in the morning after Chua had checked her luggage.

When the lawyer played back the video of the helper opening her luggage, Narcelles broke into tears when the footage got to the point where the ring fell out of the paper bag and she picked it up and held it in her palm.

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Magistrate Cheung gave her a 5-minute break to calm down as he would not allow her evidence to proceed. When she had sobered up, the defense lawyer asked her if she knew how much a tourmaline, a peridot or a diamond would cost, Narceles said no. 

When her testimony was over, the defense lawyer said Narcelles’ former employer was going to testify for her but there was little time left for the day. Magistrate Cheung adjourned the hearing until Dec 31.

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Filipina in $14.6M theft offers to plead guilty if co-accused are freed

By Daisy CL Mandap 

Carmelita in a Facebook photo shortly before her arrest

A Filipina helper accused of stealing $14.6 million worth of jewelry from her employer last year, has offered to plead guilty to all the charges against her if the prosecution would agree to drop all charges against her three co-accused.

Carmelita G. Nones made the offer through her lawyer when she appeared at Eastern Court on Dec 21.

Magistrate Cheang Kei-hong agreed to adjourn the case until Jan 18 while Nones tries to work out a deal with the Department of Justice.

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But he warned that it would be the final adjournment, as he intends to elevate the case to the Court of First Instance, whether or not the DOJ agrees to Nones’ offer.

The magistrate extended Nones’ bail until then, along with that of her relatives, Marina G. Biala and Maricris G. Nones; and her fiend, Cristina N. Alagna.

Nones, 45,  faces six counts of theft involving about 200 jewelry pieces and gold bars which she allegedly took from the Deepwater Bay house of former New World Development executive director David Liang and his wife.

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The case is the biggest theft case ever to have been filed in court against an FDW.

Maricris Nones and Alagna are both charged with handling stolen goods for allegedly pawning the stolen items. Biala is accused separately of the same offence, after she was found in possession of a bag containing some of the alleged stolen jewelry.

One of the jewelry pieces allegedly pawned for Carmelita by her relative

Nones has been in police custody since her arrest on Sept 4 last year, when Liang discovered that his $100,000 Piaget watch was missing. The maid reportedly admitted to her employer that she took the watch and pawned it.  

Later, Liang reportedly discovered that a matching Piaget lady’s watch which he had bought for his wife for the same amount was also missing.

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When she first appeared in court, Nones offered to plead guilty to the theft charges against her.  But her guilty plea was discarded after police investigators traced many more stolen jewelry pieces belonging to Liang from the pawnshops where they had been hocked.

Maricris Nones and Alaga were arrested after their names appeared in the pawnshop receipts for the alleged stolen jewelry. Biala was charged for allegedly keeping some of the stolen pieces for Carmelita.

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Two HK-born sisters sent to Phl after living in shadows for 30 years

By Vir B. Lumicao

The sisters at HK airport shortly before departing for the Philippines

Two Hong Kong-born Filipino sisters, aged 29 and 30, who spent their entire lives with no legal identity and never went to school, are now in the Philippines, their parents’ homeland, after being removed from the city.

Dawn and Kaye flew to Manila on Saturday, Dec 19, with their mother Feli, a former domestic helper who had overstayed her visa, on the first leg of their voyage to the northern Philippines to be with relatives they never met.

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Not much is known about their father, although some media reports said he was a Filipino musician living in Hong Kong.

It was a quiet departure for the mother and her daughters, who were escorted up to planeside by Immigration officers from the Castle Peak Immigration Centre in Tuen Mun and seen off by staff from PathFinders, a Hong Kong charity that has helped them since they decided to surface.

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PathFinders helped them surrender to the Immigration’s general investigation office at Skyline Tower in Kowloon Bay on Oct 16, 2019, according to reports. 

The sisters obtained their birth certificates only on Oct 22 this year, enabling them to apply at the Consulate for travel documents they needed to travel to the Philippines.

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The departure of Dawn, Kaye and their mother, Feli, whose real family names were not disclosed to protect their privacy, was confirmed by both the Consulate and PathFinders.

Consul Paulo Saret, head of the assistance to nationals section of the Consulate, said it was he who signed the travel documents of the three about a month ago. Reports said that was on Nov 26.

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“The Immigration brought them here and we gave them travel documents. If you’re with the Immigration, that means they’d usher you out of their territory shortly,” said Saret.

The sisters were reportedly excited to see their mother’s hometown but were sad to be leaving Hong Kong, where they were born, but grew up moving from place to place every two years and not going to school.

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Reports said Dawn and Kaye were born at Queen Elizabeth Hospital but their father did not bother to register their births. The mother claimed she tried to do so but eventually gave up.

Feli came to Hong Kong to work as a domestic helper and overstayed after her contract was terminated prematurely. That kept her from pursuing her daughters’ registration.

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For the same reason, Feli did not bother to apply for the right of abode for both her daughters, and decided instead to take them with her to the Philippines where they could lead normal lives, after three decades in hiding.

Catherine Gurtin, chief executive of PathFinders, said the possibility of obtaining the right of abode was raised in initial meetings of the sisters with the NGO’s lawyer.

“But [this was] discussed as being slim given the girls may be considered an ‘unlawful stay’ – meaning they did not have a visa/any documents allowing them to enter or be in HK in the first instance,” Gurtin said.

“Additionally, once the girls turned 18 … they would be considered as adults, further complicating the case. Regardless, this was not an area we explored further, due to a preference by the family to return to the Philippines,” she said.

Growing up, the sisters never went to school as they had no identity documents of any kind. Feli made up for that by patiently teaching them English and Tagalog, and using a friend’s library card to borrow books from the public library that the sisters could read.

She must have been an excellent teacher as the sisters grew up so articulate that Gurtin was left amazed.

“These sisters are quite simply the most resilient, articulate and confident girls we have ever met! Thank you so much Dawn and Kaye for your incredible bravery and desire to share your story to help and encourage anyone else in a similar situation to come forward and seek our help,” she said on PathFinders’ website yearender.

“On Saturday, the family finally flew ‘home’ to celebrate Christmas in the Philippines with their Grandmother and extended family. We wish them all the best and a bright future as they embark on a bold new chapter!” Gurtin said. 

Before Dawn and Kaye’s ordeal became public, two similar cases were uncovered in Hong Kong four and five years ago, one triggered by tragedy that stemmed from a child’s frustration over her living in the shadows.

The girl, then aged 15, jumped off a bathroom building in the luxury flat in Repulse Bay she shared with her mother, former helper Herminia Garcia; father, insurance executive Nick Cousins; and a younger sister.

After the girl’s parents were arrested it emerged that Garcia had overstayed for more than 20 years after her DH contract was terminated. She was jailed for 12 months, while Cousins got eight months in jail, suspended for two years, for failing to register the birth of his daughters.

Cousins and Garcia during happier times

Both girls never went to regular schools and were privately tutored while forced to hide their parents’ dark secret.

The same thing happened in the case of two other girls, aged 18 and 19, whose lack of personal identity was discovered only during a routine check of their house in Aberdeen by police, following a report about a suspected crime.

Their mother, Ma Lorena Escanillas, 43, and Reynaldo Pangan, 58, both FDWs, both pleaded guilty to a charge of failing to register the birth of their children following their arrest on Apr 27, 2016.

Both girls said they never went to school as they had no birth certificates, and were only taught at home by their parents.

 

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