Chief Executive gets second Sinovac jab, blasts vaccine bashers

CE takes her 2nd dose, then flashes the V sign

By The SUN

Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam has blasted at the spread of false information about Sinovac’s Covid-19 vaccine Monday, shortly after receiving her second dose.

Mrs Lam singled out medical professionals who she said have been smearing the Sinovac jab.

“I would condemn a very small minority of people who try to sabotage our efforts,” she said at a press briefing.  “They are spreading fake news, misinformation and rumors on social media and through other means especially when these people are health professionals.”

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She added she was “extremely disappointed” because if another major outbreak of the virus happens in Hong Kong again, the people who will suffer the most are healthcare professionals.

Those who took their second dose of the Sinovac jab at the same time were Chief Secretary Matthew Cheung and Health Secretary Sophia Chan.

Secretary Cheung does his part to promote vaccination

The city’s top officials took their first dose a month ago, in a show of support for the government’s vaccination program.

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Lam flashed a V-sign to reporters after her jab, and also showed a certificate indicating she is now fully vaccinated against the coronavirus that has killed 2.71 million across the globe since it emerged in Wuhan, China, in late 2019.

She said she did not feel any pain but had cleared her diary for the entire day even as she worked from the office, as experts have warned that the second dose could bring more side-effects than the first shot.

She also said around 350,000 people in Hong Kong have already taken the vaccine, representing 5.3% of all those aged 16 and above, who are qualified for the vaccination.

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The top leader also said health authorities are looking at procuring a fourth type of Covid-19 vaccine for Hong Kong, which would boost the city’s supply to 30 million doses.

She said the government will continue to encourage residents to get vaccinated.

Health Secretary Sophia Chan also gets her booster shot

Meanwhile, a government statement revealed that more people are choosing the BioNTech jab rather than the one from Sinovac.

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The statement said around 23,800 people had their first Covid jab Sunday, with about 62% opting to get BioNTech and 38% the Sinovac. The takeup rate was also higher for BioNTech, with 93% showing up for their appointments, and 82% for Sinovac.

But of a total of 354,400 people who have taken the shot, about 2/3 received Sinovac, and 1/3 BioNTech.

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A third vaccine from AstraZeneca/University of Oxford is due to arrive later this year.

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Mass gatherings banned in Metro Manila amid spike in Covid-19 cases

By The SUN 

Non-essential travel will be banned in Metro Manila & 4 provinces under GCQ

Stricter Covid-19 restrictions which include a ban on public gatherings and non-essential travel take effect today, Mar 22, in Metro Manila and four provinces in Calabarzon and Central Luzon, as the Philippines struggles to contain a surge in infections.

Sunday saw another 7,757 new Covid-19 cases being recorded, the country’s second highest daily tally since the pandemic began. This was just 42 cases fewer than the record 7,799 cases posted Saturday.

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In response to the record spike in cases, President Rodrigo Duterte signed a resolution by the coronavirus task force mandating the tighter restrictions that will last for two weeks, or from Mar 22 to Apr 4.

The order reverts Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna and Rizal to General Community Quarantine status, and includes them in a "Subject Area" that also includes Metro Manila in a bid to prevent cases spreading to neighboring provinces.

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In a press briefing Sunday, presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said only the following people will be allowed outside of their homes under the new rules:

·         Essential workers, who will need to show their work ID

·         Health and emergency frontline staff

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·         Government officials and frontline personnel

·         Duly-authorized humanitarian assistance workers

·         Persons traveling for medical or humanitarian reasons

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·         Persons going to the airport for travel abroad

·         Anyone crossing zones for work or business and going back home

·         New arrivals from overseas

All public masses will be suspended under the new rules

Roque also said that church services will stop, except for weddings, baptisms, and funeral services where only a maximum of 10 people can participate.

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Restaurants will also stop providing dine-in services, but outdoor dining and takeout orders will be allowed to continue.

Roque ruled out giving financial assistance to any sectors, saying business establishments remain open, unlike in the more stringent community quarantines where only a limited number of enterprises  can operate.

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The new infections raised the country’s Covid-19 tally to date to 663,794. Of these, 73,072 are active cases. The total death toll is 12,968.

Most of the new patients, or 95% of active cases, only experienced mild symptoms, while 2.3% were asymptomatic. Another 1.1% of the patients have severe symptoms while 1.0% are in critical condition.

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Despite the high numbers, two laboratories still failed to submit their data on time, according to the Department of Health.

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Filipina and Canadian travelers found with coronavirus variant

By The SUN 

Chuang says the Filipina's variant is still unclassified

Hong Kong reported today, Mar 21, a second consecutive day of eight Covid-19 patients, including a Filipina domestic helper and a Canadian resident who both carried the N501Y variant of the coronavirus.

The Filipina, 28, and the Canadian, 63, were among four imported cases which also included two 59-year-old men who arrived on Mar 19, one from Bangladesh and the other a cargo plane pilot from the United States, health officials said.

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The Filipina, who checked in at the Best Western Hotel in Causeway Bay, arrived on Mar 18 and developed symptoms on Mar 19, the Centre for Health Protection said.

“There is one case who arrived from the Philippines and that person is carrying an N501Y variant. We still have to categorize the case and see what sort of variant or the source of the variant,” Dr Chuang Shuk-kwan from the CHP said in today’s briefing.

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She was replying to a query from a reporter on whether the woman was carrying a new, more potent virus that reports said was newly discovered in the Philippines.

Chuang said the Canadian patient stayed with his family in the Ramada Hong Kong Grand Hotel in Tsim Sha Tsui from Feb 16 to Mar 6 for their quarantine. A family member had earlier been confirmed positive, so he and the rest of his family were sent for testing.

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Today’s new patients comprised four men and four women aged 2 to 68 years old. They  raised the city’s total Covid-19 tally to 11,380.

The second day of single-digit cases elicited a question from the media on whether the wave of infections from Ursus Fitness was over, with just one patient from that cluster today.

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“Regarding the Ursus cluster, there are a few that were identified in the quarantine centers. Even for the preliminary positive cases, these had been identified in quarantine centers, so I believe the outbreak…has been contained,” Chuang said.

She said so far 142 people, including seven employees, 91 customers and 44 close contacts were found from the gym cluster.

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Of the more than 10 preliminary cases today, five were close contacts linked to Ursus.

But she said she was not sure where these people had been to or whether they had infected other people, so contact-tracing is now being done by about 500 CHP staff.

Chuang says it looks like the outbreak in Ursus has been contained (File) 

 

One local case with untraceable source is a 26-year-old Pakistani man who tested positive overnight. He was in hospital for injuries after his arrest during a gang fight on Lei Yue Mun sports ground on Thursday night.

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Sixteen other men, eight of them non-locals, were arrested but released on bail. They are now being traced as close contacts of the man in hospital, Chuang said.

She said about the same number of police officers who broke up the fight and arrested those involved were also considered as close contacts and were sent to testing centers.

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“As far as I know, the arrested person is hospitalized. At that time, there were no test results yet, so the other arrested persons had been released on bail,” Chuang said.

She said the patient is uncooperative and would not give the identities and of his gang mates in the melee. If he remains tight-lipped, legal action may be taken against him, she said.

Another preliminary positive case was a day-shift taxi driver aged 71 who lives with his family in Siu Sai Wan. He was driving a taxi with a vehicle license No. LE7673. He last worked on Mar 17.  

Dr Lau Ka-yin, a chief manager at the Hospital Authority, said as of 9am today, 263 confirmed patients were being treated in 19 public hospitals and the treatment facility in North Lantau Hospital. Among them, 10 patients are in critical condition, 10 are serious and 243 stable.

Meanwhile, an expert who is looking into vaccine reactions has urged people waiting for their second Covid-19 jab to consider taking a rest, as they are likely to suffer more side effects.

Prof Ivan Hung, co-convenor of the Expert Committee on Clinical Events Assessment Following Covid-19 Immunisation, told a TV program today that based on experience abroad, people tend to develop more symptoms after their second shot than in the first.

“I’d advice them to take half a day or a day off from work after getting inoculated,” he said. His advice comes as the first batch of Sinovac recipients prepare for their second dose, or booster, later this week.

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Record 7,999 new Covid-19 cases in PHL as ban on non-OFWs lifted

By The SUN 

Nearly 8k new Covid-19 cases were recorded, even before 6 labs could submit reports

The Philippines has set a new record high of 7,999 new coronavirus cases, just a day after reporting its biggest number of infections in a single day.

The record figure posted today, Mar 20, raised the country’s total active cases to 80,642, also the highest since the pandemic began. The total tally now stands at 656,056. 

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The figure was set even before six laboratories could submit their data for the day.

On Friday, the Department of Health reported 7,103 new Covid-19 cases, which replaced the old record of just under 7,000 posted in August last year.

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Of the total active cases, 94.4% (about 76,126) are mild, 3.1 percent are asymptomatic (2,500), 1 percent are severe (807) and 0.9 (726) are in critical condition.

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On the same day 597 patients were listed as recovered, bringing the total number so far to 562,484. An additional 30 people succumbed to the disease, pushing up the death toll to 12,930.

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Meanwhile, the Inter-Agency Task Force on managing Covid-19 reversed an order issued just two days earlier which barred Filipinos overseas from entering the country.

All Filipinos will now be able to fly home, but with a cap of 1,500 daily arrivals

Under Resolution 103 approved Thursday, all Filipino citizens abroad are allowed to go back home. “All Filipino citizens, whether returning overseas Filipino or overseas Filipino worker (OFW), shall be allowed to return to the Philippines,” the latest resolution read.

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The latest directive came after a memorandum circular issued on Tuesday barred non-OFWs from entering the country from today until Apr 19 due to the surge in new Covid-19 cases nationwide.

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The latest order also allows certain categories of foreign nationals, including the spouses and children of Filipino citizens, diplomats and members of international organizations, foreigners involved in medical repatriation, foreign seafarers under the “green lanes” program, and other emergency humanitarian cases approved by the National Task Force against Covid-19.

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All foreigners not belonging to any of these categories will not be allowed entry.

The directive, however, clarifies that passenger entry at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport will still be subject to the 1,500 daily limit set by the Department of Transportation.

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

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 12^th 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.

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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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