HK govt keeps relaxed rules on contract extensions, home leaves, but warn of 'job hopping'

By The SUN 

Home leave requirement for FDHs has been relaxed for now

The Hong Kong government has extended two measures meant to help foreign domestic helpers and employers cope with continuing travel restrictions brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic.

In a statement issued today, Mar 29, the government said that a three-month extension will again be allowed for all FDH contracts that are expiring on or before Jun 30 this year.

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In addition, FDHs who are still unable to return to their places of origin for their home leave despite a one-year allowance given them by the Immigration Department, may now apply for a further extension until the end of their two-year contract.

The statement reminded both FDHs and their employers that all applications to be made in line with the relaxed restrictions should be subject to their mutual agreement.

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It also said that applications for further extension of contracts that had already been extended previously will not be considered. This means that employers who have already availed of the three-month extension should either renew the contract of their current FDHs or let them go.

“Based on the experience from the previous flexibility arrangements, a three-month extended period could allow sufficient time for employers to arrange their newly hired FDHs to come to Hong Kong,” said the statement.

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“If a newly hired FDH cannot be arranged to come to Hong Kong within the three-month extended period and the employer needs to continue to employ his/her FDH beyond the three-month extended period, the employer should apply for a contract renewal with the existing FDH.”

As for the requirement for FDHs to take a home leave at the end of each two-year contract period, the statement said the prevailing practice was to allow an extension of only a year.

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But because of the continuing pandemic, the government has decided to further allow FDHs to defer returning to their home countries until the end of their contract.

FDHs who had already been granted extensions of stay in line with the government announcements on Mar 21, Jun 30, Sept 30 and Dec 30 may still apply to Immigration for permission to remain in Hong Kong “until the end of their contract,” said the statement.

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However, it added that the requirement for FDHs to return to their place of origin continues to be in place.

The govt statement also warned against 'job hopping'

Meanwhile, the statement said that the Labour and Immigration Departments will continue to take “proactive” steps to combat job-hopping by certain FDHs.

The measures include an investigation by the LD into complaints about employment agencies who allegedly induce FDHs to job-hop.

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The statement said the LD has issued letters to all placement agencies for FDHs to remind them not to engage in such “improper business practices” but did not mention any sanctions being made on anyone.

“The ImmD will continue to step up efforts to combat "job-hopping" by FDHs rigorously. For suspected "job-hopping" cases, the ImmD will refuse the employment visa applications concerned and require the applicants to leave Hong Kong,” said the statement.

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5 Filipina DHs with coronavirus variant among 8 new cases

By Daisy CL Mandap 

The 5 recently arrived Filipina DHs all had the coronavirus variant

Five Filipina domestic helpers who arrived on two separate dates this month were among the 8 new cases of Covid-19 infections reported today, Mar 29.

Seven of the cases were all imported, while one was a local case, a 22-year-old male student at Baptist University whose source of infection is unknown. About 50 of his close contacts were put under quarantine.

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Between 3 and 5 preliminary positive cases have been recorded, and most are said to be imported.

According to Dr Chuang Shuk-kwan of the Centre for Health Protection, one of the infected Filipinas, a 32-year-old who flew in aboard Cebu Pacific flight 5J 272, tested positive on arrival on Mar 27.

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The four others, two aged 29, another 35, and the other 44, all arrived on Mar 12 and tested positive on their 12^th day in hotel quarantine. One came via Philippine Airlines flight PR 300 while the three others also took 5J 272.

All of them were found to have the highly infectious coronavirus strain, identified as N501Y.

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Another new arrival, a 39-year-old male crew from Turkey, also carried the variant.

The only imported case without the variant was a 28-year-old man who arrived from the United States on Mar 20 and tested positive while in hotel quarantine.

A cubicle at North Lantau hospital similar to where the variant carrier was mistakenly put 

Meanwhile,  Dr Linda Yu from the Hospital Authority said the Hong Kong Infection Control Centre of the North Lantau Hospital is reviewing admission procedures after a 45-year-old woman found to have the variant was put in a cubicle along with four other patients.

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The woman, who appears to be one of the Filipina domestic workers who tested positive on Mar 26 while in quarantine, was mistakenly put in the cubicle pending the outcome of the gene sequencing test on her, which eventually showed she had the variant.

Those with the variant, which is known to be highly infectious, are put in isolation rooms until they test negative for the virus, said Yu.

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She said all the other four patients were immediately tested and three were cleared of the virus mutation. The fourth patient had such a low viral load that the test result was inconclusive.

“We have apologized to the other patients,” said Yu, adding that “during the process there must have been miscommunication.”

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She said internal communication will be reviewed, along with the flow chart for admitting patients into the centre.

40 people from Baptist U were put under quarantine after a student was found infected

As to the lone local case, Chuang said 40 people who came into contact with him at the Baptist University campus will be put under quarantine. Those who were in three buildings he visited during the incubation period will be asked to go for testing.

The student last attended classes on Monday and developed a runny nose on Thursday, Mar 25. He tested positive for coronavirus the next day.

But earlier that day, he taught football to some kids at Victoria Park. Three other coaches and 12 children who played with him have been put under quarantine.

Another of his close contacts was his friend with whom he played badminton on Mar 25 at the Siu Sai Wan community complex.

On the same day, he tutored a student at his home in Westlands Garden in Quarry Bay. The student and his family will also be taken to a quarantine centre.

Though his case has been classified as untraceable, the patient is said to live in a residential block in Chai Wan where previous infections had been detected.

Hong Kong’s total tally is now 11,455 with 136 patients still receiving treatment in 22 public hospitals and the treatment facility in North Lantau. Among them, 10 are in critical condition, four are serious while 122 are stable.

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Philippines posts record 10,016 new Covid-19 cases

By The SUN 

The daily Covid-19 tally rose to more than 10k for the first time

The Philippines recorded its highest ever daily tally of new coronavirus cases, with the additional infections breaching the 10,000 mark for the first time on Monday, Mar 29.

The 10,016 new cases pushed the country’s total Covid-19 tally to 731,894. The number of active cases is also at an all-time high at 115,495, or 15.8 of the overall figure.

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But deaths slowed down to 16, bringing the total to 13,186.

The unprecedented increase in the number of cases came on the day Metro Manila and the provinces of Cavite, Laguna, Rizal and Bulacan were put under virtual lockdown, with the restoration of the enhanced community quarantine restriction.

Previously, the daily record was 9,838 new cases, posted last Friday.

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Among the active cases, 95.9 percent only had mild or no symptoms,  2.4% were asymptomatic, 0.7% had serious symptoms, and another 0.7% are in critical condition.

Despite the record-breaking tally, results from three laboratories were not included as they failed to submit their data on time, said the Department of Health.

Heavy traffic was reported in many areas because of ECQ restrictions (file)

Meanwhile, heavy traffic was reported on the first day of the ECQ implementation in the National Capital Region and four adjacent provinces, mainly because of delays at checkpoints set up in key places across the designated area.

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Motorists are required to show proof that their travel is essential or that they are authorized persons outside residents (Apor) like bank personnel, supermarket or restaurant workers, or other essential services staff.  

On the same day, two cities – Manila and Navotas – began inoculating senior citizens, or those aged 60 years old and above, against Covid-19.

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According to the Manila’s public information office, about 1,585 elderly residents received their first dose of the AstraZeneca jab in 12 vaccination sites across the city by 10am today.

At least 2,380 others had pre-registered at manilacovid19vaccine.com to get the jab, but Mayor Isko Moreno said walk-in applicants will also be accommodated.

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In Navotas, about 200 elderly residents were registered to receive the vaccine within the day, while another 200 were slated for inoculation Tuesday.

One million doses of Sinovac vaccines bought by the Phl from China arrived today

The Philippines, which launched its COVID-19 vaccination drive earlier this month, aims to vaccinate 50 to 70 million of its citizens by yearend to achieve herd immunity.

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Late this afternoon, government officials led by President Rodrigo Duterte welcomed the arrival of 1 million doses of vaccine from mainland company Sinovac, the first to be paid for by the country.

So-called vaccine czar Carlito Galvez, Jr. said an additional 24 million doses of the Sinovac vaccine will arrive in the coming months.

Earlier shipments from Sinovac of 1 million doses were donated by the Chinese government while 1.5 million doses of AstraZeneca were sent through the Covax facility under the leadership of the World Health Organization.

Galvez said 979,200 more AstraZeneca jabs coursed through Covax will arrive early next month.

In line with protocols set by the WHO, medical frontliners were given first priority for the vaccines, with seniors next in line.

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No ‘job-hoppers,’ only fired or fed up helpers, says agency union head

By Vir B. Lumicao 

Even agencies say FDHs look for other employers only when they aren't treated well

Most foreign domestic helpers who were denied a Hong Kong work visa in January-February were not “job-hoppers” but those who lost their jobs prematurely or quit due to serious disputes with their bosses, the head of an agency union said.

Thomas Chan, president of the Hong Kong Union of Employment Agencies, said that while it is true that there are agencies that encourage workers to change employers, they do so only if the helpers really intend to quit for valid reasons.

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The Immigration Department said earlier it staged a joint operation on Mar 23 with the Labour Department to inspect “relevant agencies” and remind them not to encourage or induce FDHs to job-hop through business malpractices.

Chan denies agencies instigate FDHs to move to other employers

Immigration statistics released to The SUN Hong Kong showed visa rejections for FDHs suspected of being job-hoppers reached 355 in the first two months this year, exceeding last year’s annual total of 319.

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Chan disputes the Immigration Department’s claim that the visa rejections were issued to workers quitting repeatedly because they were looking for better employers. He said the department clamped down due to pressure from employers and some Hong Kong lawmakers.

Chan cited as an example Legislative Councillor Regina Ip’s meeting with top officials of the Immigration and Labour Departments before the Lunar New Year, during which she called for improving the monitoring of agencies and FDHs “to protect the interests of employers.”

Ip during her meeting with officials of Immigration & Labour Departments

“(On) the whole, Immigration doesn’t really stand in the middle between employers and workers. This time, they stand with employers under pressure,” Chan said.

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“Both consuls general of the Philippines and Indonesia should step in and approach Hong Kong Immigration not only to counterbalance the pressure from employers, but to protect workers’ right as well.”

The HKUEA leader said workers are aware of the consequences of quitting their jobs in order to switch employers.

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“First, the worker can’t predict (if) the next employer will be better or worse in terms of treatment or attitude in cooperation; second, the change of job is not costless to the workers. They lose income while waiting for new visas,” Chan said.

He said that based on his experience as an agency owner, most workers who change employers do so because they have been terminated prematurely or forced to resign because of serious problems with their employers.

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Chan’s view seems to be corroborated by troubled workers’ posts on social media, particularly on pages of support organizations like Domestic Workers Corner, where they air their ordeals or grievances against their employers.

In recent months, there have been dozens of requests for advice from workers who complain of being starved, overworked, not paid promptly, not allowed to take a day off for months on end, and not being given a decent sleeping space.

A few workers have also complained of physical abuse from members of the household, or indecent assaults by their male employers.   

Chan said that as regards the high demand for currently employed helpers, it is just natural for agencies to fight for the limited supply to win the hearts of employers and gain business.

“The more applicants in your hand, the higher your chance of beating your business rivals,” Chan said.

“However, I have to stress again, workers change jobs mainly because of their own problems with employers, not due to encouragement from agencies. This time, employers and the Immigration or Labour Department are blaming the wrong target again,” he said.

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BioNTech says its vaccine is safe, leak happened during transport

By The SUN

BioNTech says problems were caused by environmental factors during shipment

German pharmaceutical company BioNTech has said that initial investigations showed that the packaging defects found in a batch of vaccines it shipped to Hong Kong were not caused by a system fault, but by environmental factors during the long journey to their destination.

A government statement released on Saturday night said health officials had received a report of the initial findings which indicated that the leak, cracks or dirt found in the vials containing the vaccine happened during shipment.

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The probe, jointly conducted by BioNTech and Fosun Pharma, its distributor in Greater China, also found that there is no risk to product safety. However, they are expected to give a more detailed report in a week’s time.

According to the government statement, a random sample testing of the other vaccine doses delivered to Hong Kong did not show any issue of vaccine leakage.

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This could indicate that BioNTech jabs, including those to be given to people who are up for their second dose, could resume soon.

Hong Kong and Macau had suspended giving the BioNTech vaccines on Wednesday after the problems were reported from batch 210102. Another batch, labeled 210104 and was unused, was also put on hold pending investigation.

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By that time, more than 150,000 people in Hong Kong had already received their first dose of the vaccine.

Vaccine record showing the jab administered came from the questioned batch

More than 1.3 million doses of BioNTech vaccines from the two batches have so far been shipped to Hong Kong, which ordered a total of 7.5 million doses.

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Meanwhile, no new Covid-19 case was reported in Hong Kong for the second day running. Only one infection was reported, involving a 24-year-old woman who just arrived from Indonesia.

Yesterday, the first zero local infection in more than four months was reported.

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However, reports say it is not likely that no new case will be reported again tomorrow, as Baptist University has reported on its Facebook page that a social science student had come down with the coronavirus.

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