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Infected cases down to 8 as officials hint of more vaccine incentives

Posted on 20 March 2021 No comments

By The SUN 

Dr Chan says vaccinated people may be allowed hospital visits

Hong Kong’s Covid-19 tally dropped to eight today, Mar 20, the first time in over a week that it fell to single-digits. They brought the city’s infection count to 11,371.

Only one of the cases was imported, and involved a Filipina domestic worker who arrived in Hong Kong on Mar 7 on board Cebu Pacific flight 5J 272, and tested positive on her 12th day in hotel quarantine. She was found to carry the more infectious N501Y strain of the coronavirus.

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Of the seven local cases, one was from an unknown source, involving a 42-year-old carpenter who lives in Caroline Hill Court in Causeway Bay.

The six others were linked to previous infections, including one who lives on Tai Hang Road in Causeway Bay, another in Wah Mansions in Mid Levels, a third in Ping Tin Estate in Lam Tin, and the fourth in Wah Sum Estate in Fan Ling. No addresses were listed for the two others.

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Meanwhile, Health Secretary Sophia Chan has said that the government will consider introducing some incentives to encourage people to get vaccinated against Covid-19.

These may include allowing those who have received a vaccine to enter certain premises, to visit care homes and hospitals, or to be exempt from other social distancing measures.

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Dr Chan also said during a radio program that travel benefits could also be offered, but destination places might be willing to relax restrictions with Hong Kong only if it had a higher vaccination rate.

Dr Hui says many gathering rules may be relaxed if vaccination rate goes up to 50% 

Infectious disease expert David Hui, who was also on the show, said Hong Kong's vaccination rate was only around 4 percent. He said if this went up to 50 percent, many of the social distancing measures could be relaxed.

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Dr Hui also played down concerns over the death yesterday of a 66-year-old man, three days after he received a BioNtech shot, saying it was unlikely that the patient’s death was linked to his vaccination.

He said it was more likely that the man had died because of a cardiovascular disease, but added that the experts panel advising the government on its vaccination program is still doing further investigation. 

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The case was the first to be reported in Hong Kong of a patient dying after taking the German-made vaccine.

After the show, Chan said the Hong Kong government is monitoring reports of potential side-effects in a small number of people who have received the AstraZeneca/Oxford University vaccine.

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The vaccine is the third to be procured by Hong Kong after Sinovac and BioNTech, and is due to arrive in the city in the second half of the year.

Some European countries had suspended the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine earlier this month after reports of blood clots among a number of people who had taken it.


But vaccinations have since resumed after both the European Medicines Agency and the World Health Organization said it was safe.

The WHO said in a statement released on Wednesday that reports of potential side effects merely showed that the surveillance system was working, but did not necessarily mean that the events are linked to vaccination. The global health group said people developed blood clots all the time.

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Health experts look into man’s death after BioNTech jab

Posted on No comments

By The SUN 

It's the first serious clinical event linked to the BioNTech vaccine

Health experts are investigating the death on Friday, Mar 19, of a 66-year-old man with chronic illnesses who had a dose of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine three days earlier.

It was the first fatality linked to the German-made vaccine, but the cause was not immediately known.

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A statement issued by the Department of Health said the man was found collapsed in a car in the morning, and was admitted to Alice Ho Miu Ling Nethersole Hospital where attempts to revive him failed.

The man was said to have a history of diabetes, hypertension and hyperlipidaemia (or high levels of fats in the blood).

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The DH statement said the deceased had the BioNTech jab at a vaccination centre in Sheung Shui on Mar 16, and did not complain of feeling unwell during the 15-minute observation period afterwards.

In line with standard procedure, the DH immediately notified the Hospital Authority so it could conduct an investigation and assessment. The case will then be forwarded to a panel of experts tasked with assessing clinical events following Covid-19 immunisation, which will determine if  there is a connection between the man’s death and his vaccination.

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The experts panel had previously assessed seven cases of people who died after getting the China-made Sinovac vaccine, and determined that there was no direct link to the inoculations.

However, the incidents have led to mounting public concern over the safety of the Sinovac jab.

Information materials given to those who opt for the BioNTech jab

Shortly after the adverse reports, the take-up rate for the Sinovac vaccine fell to just over 60%, before gradually going back up to about 80%. For the German-made BioNTech vaccine, the turn-up rate has been well over 90%.

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The government responded to the decline in interest in the vaccines by extending the priority list for those who could get inoculated to residents aged 30 years old and above, and all foreign domestic workers.

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Previously, those who were given first dips at the vaccine were people aged 60 and above, along with medical and health care personnel; then followed by workers in high-risk jobs such as teachers, market vendors, drivers of public transport, and restaurant and construction workers.

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Still, more than 20,000 people have been receiving the jabs on a daily basis since. On Thursday, 11,800 people received the Sinovac vaccine and about 10,800 went for the BioNTech one.


Around 276,600 people have now been vaccinated against Covid-19 in Hong Kong, with about 201,500 receiving their first dose of the Sinovac jab, and about 75,100 taking the  Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine. 

The latest incident could very well take some of the shine off the BioNTech jab.


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Phl posts all-time daily high of 7,103 new Covid-19 cases

Posted on 19 March 2021 No comments

By The SUN 

Friday's tally surpasses the record posted on Aug 10 last year

The Philippines has recorded an unprecedented daily tally of 7,103 cases of Covid-19 today, Mar 19, raising the total number of active cases to another record high of 73,264.

The last record was posted on Aug 10, 2020, with 6,958 infections.

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In its latest report, the Department of Health said the total number of confirmed cases in the country now stands at 648,066, with 12,900 related deaths which is 1.99 of the case tally.

Meanwhile, 390 patients were declared free of the virus, pushing the number of recoveries to 561,902 or 86.7% overall.

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According to the DOH, at least 93.9% of the active cases have mild symptoms, 3.3% are asymptomatic. Of those with moderate to severe symptoms, 1% are  in critical condition, 1.1% are serious while 59% are moderately ill.

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At the same time, the DOH posted a positivity rate of 15%, which refers to the percentage of those found infected out of all the people tested for the day. According to experts, this indicates that there are more people likely to have the virus who have not been tested yet.

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Of the 35,508 people tested, 5,327 were found infected. The figure does not reflect a complete tally as the DOH is still awaiting figures from five laboratories.

Since Mar 16, the positivity rate has gone up significantly, from 13.8%, on Tuesday, to 14.5% on Wednesday, and 15% on Thursday, the highest since April last year.


The surge in cases has led to the imposition of a 10pm to 5am curfew across Metro Manila, and new restrictions being put in place for all arriving passengers at Ninoy Aquino International Airport.

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From tomorrow until Apr 19, the number of passengers allowed to land at the airport will be capped at 1,500, while only returning overseas Filipino workers will be allowed in. 

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All foreigners and Filipinos overseas who are non-OFWs will not be allowed to board flights bound for Manila.

 

 

 

HK Police holds webinar this Sunday to educate Filipinos on scams

Posted on No comments

By The SUN 

Police handout in Filipino warning against suspicious online sales

An increasing number of Filipino domestic helpers in Hong Kong are falling prey to online scammers, such that the city’s police force is holding a webinar this Sunday in English and Filipino to educate OFWs on avoiding various scams on social media.

The Consulate announced yesterday the upcoming webinar by the Hong Kong Police Force, which sought the PCG’s help in inviting the Filipino community to the webinar.

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The announcement said that the police webinar aims “to promote and prevent deception cases that victimize foreign domestic workers.”

“The Consulate welcomes this program in light of the upsurge in the number of Filipinos falling prey to online deception/scam in Hong Kong,” the announcement said.

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The webinar will be broadcast simultaneously from 12noon to 1:15pm through Facebook Live on:

·          RCPO HKI, the official account of the Regional Crime Prevention Office – Hong Kong Island and  

·          PHLinHK, the official account of the Philippine Consulate General in Hong Kong

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The most likely topics are online purchase scams, in which people unwittingly give away their credit card information, thus opening their credit card accounts to theft by the scammers; remittance scams; online investment scams, and love scams.

The PCG also posted two police leaflets in Filipino and English advising the public on how to deal with two common scams that have victimized Filipinos in Hong Kong.

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To avoid online purchase scams:

-        Don’t easily disclose credit card information

-        Don’t be tempted by special deals

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-        Conduct the transaction in person if safety is assured, and

-        Stop suspicious transactions.

Basic rules that one must remember to avoid online scams


To avoid remittance scams:

-        Change passwords regularly

-        Don’t easily trust strangers that you have met on social platforms

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-        Don’t disclose your password to strangers

-        Verify the identity of the sender by phone or through another way when it involves a money transaction.


Police crime statistics show an alarming increase in the number of fraudulent crimes committed during the pandemic.

In 2020 there were 15,553 deception cases last year, nearly double the 8,216 cases in 2019 and almost three times the 5,652 cases in 2010.

Deception was second only to all thefts, of which there were 20,314 cases last year.

 

 

 

‘Vaccine passports’ pushed, as 13 new Covid-19 cases reported

Posted on No comments

By Daisy CL Mandap

CE Lam says incentives may be given to those who get vaccinated 

A Hong Kong health expert has called on the government to introduce so-called “vaccine passports” to popular destinations like Japan, South Korea and Taiwan as an incentive to get more people to get Covid-19 jabs.

Infectious disease expert Dr Ho Pak-leung from the University of Hong Kong made the call after Chief Executive Carrie Lam announced that the government was looking at giving out incentives to those who opt for vaccination.

Mrs Lam said among those being considered were exemptions to certain travel and social distancing restrictions for those who have received their two vaccine doses.

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The call came as 13 new Covid-19 cases were reported today, Mar 19. Three of them were imported, and included a newly arrived Filipina domestic worker who tested positive at the airport and was found to have the more infectious N501Y variant.

The two others were Indonesian domestic workers, one of whom also tested positive at the airport, and the other, on her 12th day in hotel quarantine.

Ho says a vaccine passport could encourage more residents to get the jab

Speaking in a radio interview, Ho said the government should reach out to these travel destinations and explore whether they could mutually agree on giving quarantine exemption to travelers who have been vaccinated in their respective territories.

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He said the issuance of the vaccine passport or certificate will encourage more Hongkongers to get vaccinated, while easing travel between the city and the two destinations.

“Travelers could be considered to have enough immunity against the coronavirus two weeks after they get two doses of the vaccine,” he said.

As a safety precaution, Ho said Hong Kong could still require the travelers to undergo testing for Covid when they return from their holiday.

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The same call was issued by Jason Wong, chairman of the Travel Industry Council, who said that the possibility of unrestricted traveling would make more local people go for inoculation.

“Most Hong Kong people would love to fly again. With those vaccine certificates, or vaccine passports, perhaps it might help to regain the confidence of those countries to welcome our travelers again,” Wong said.

European governments have disclosed a similar plan of issuing a certificate to their residents who have either been vaccinated or were recently recovered from Covid-19, that will allow them to travel freely within the EU.

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In an address to the Legislative Council Wednesday, the Chief Executive bemoaned that not enough people in Hong Kong are taking up the offer for a free Covid-19 vaccine.

She said public cooperation was important in achieving the administration’s target of zero infections.

“If we require people to go for compulsory testing they won’t do it, and now we encourage people to take the vaccines, people don’t do that,” she said.

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Lam suggested that a higher take-up rate for the vaccine could become a pre-requisite for relaxing social distancing measures while those who get vaccinated could be allowed to cross the border with ease.

Reports of seven people dying after receiving the China-made Sinovac vaccine have led to mounting public concern over safety, despite experts dismissing any link between the deaths and the jabs.

Since the adverse reports linked to Sinovac, the take-up rate for its vaccine had dropped to just about 80%, while for BioNTech, it has been well over 90%.

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Still, well over 20,000 people are still getting the jabs on a daily basis. On Thursday, 11,800 people received the Sinovac vaccine and about 10,800 the BioNTech one.

Around 276,600 people have now been vaccinated against Covid-19 in Hong Kong, with about 201,500 receiving their first dose of the Sinovac jab, while about 75,100 taking the US-German vaccine, Pfizer/BioNTech.

 

Chuang says the number of unlinked cases continues to be cause for concern

Meanwhile, Dr Chuang Shuk-kwan of the Centre for Health Protection said that of the 10 local cases today, six were linked to previous cases, including 3 from the Ursus Fitness cluster.

A total of 138 cases have now been traced to the gym outbreak, and Chuang said the new ones are coming from quarantine centres, meaning there may no longer threats of a silent transmission from that cluster.


One of the unlinked cases is that of a 23-year-old man who tested negative way back in February, while he was under quarantine after four of his family members were found infected.

Chuang said they are still studying whether this is a case of new infection or if the man was infected previously but did not test positive because his viral load was low.

Another untraceable case was that of a 62-year-old housewife in Lam Tin who regularly visited a restaurant near her home. A neighbor she interacted with in the eatery also tested preliminary positive for the virus.

The two other unlinked cases involved a 36-year-old man who works at Dorset House at One Island East where two earlier infections linked to Ursus were found. Another is a 71-year-old who works as a chef at a restaurant in Tuen Mun.

About 10 preliminary positive cases were recorded.

Chuang said that despite the drop in cases, it may be too early to say the infection has been brought under control because there is still a high proportion of untraceable cases.

 

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