Expert panel says not a single death traced to Covid-19 vaccine

By The SUN 

Covid-19 vaccines did not cause any of the 13 deaths reported so far, says the panel

A panel of experts advising the Hong Kong government on Covid-19 vaccination has found no connection between the deaths of 13 people and their having been given jabs earlier, according to a statement released tonight, Mar 30, on the government website.

According to the statement, a total of 13 people who died after immunization were reported to the Department of Health up until Mar 28. They comprised nine males and four females, between 55 and 80 years old.

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“Existing information indicates that most of these cases died of cardiovascular diseases,” said the statement.

The Expert Committee reportedly made its assessment on individual cases based on standards set by the World Health Organization (WHO) and all available information, including the medical conditions and history of the patient, vaccine information and preliminary autopsy findings.

The committee also took note of the mortality data in Hong Kong among people of similar age and health condition for the same period in previous years, before determining that there was nothing unusual in the number of deaths that occurred as a result of vaccination.

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Earlier, the experts issued two separate reports that discounted vaccination as the cause of death in seven earlier cases.

“The medical history and preliminary autopsy findings of other cases showed that the outcomes of the deceased persons were not directly associated with Covid-19 vaccination,” said the statement, but added that a final assessment will be made when all information becomes available.

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In their latest report, the experts dealt with the six most recent deaths. 

The first case involved a 55-year-old woman who passed away on Mar 6. The full autopsy report on the case reportedly showed she died of “acute myocardial infarction” (stroke). Their investigation did not find any link to this medical condition and her previous vaccination.

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In four other cases involving men aged between 59 to 66 years old, the preliminary autopsy also showed the cause of deaths as relating to heart problems, such as “coronary artery disease, ruptured myocardial infarction and coronary thrombosis, coronary and hypertensive heart disease, as well as coronary artery disease with acute ischaemia.”

The sixth case, a 61-year-old man who died on Mar 27 in hospital, also had the cause of his death listed as stroke.

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“Together with the remaining case who died of acute myocardial infarction, the Expert Committee considered that the outcomes of the deceased persons were not directly associated with Covid-19 vaccination,” said the statement.

The experts also base their study on how many people died in same period

According to the statement, the expert committee also relied on the city’s mortality rate in the same period (that is, from Feb 26 to Mar 20) of 2019 among people aged 55 and above, and found it consistent with the data this year. In that year, a total of 362 deaths due to ischaemic heart diseases and 602 for heart diseases were recorded.

“The Expert Committee reviewed these data and considered there is no unusual pattern identified so far,” said the statement. “The Expert Committee will continue to closely monitor the situation and collect more data for further assessment."

Any adverse events that follow vaccination are reported to the DH which carries out the initial investigation along with partners under the Covid-19 Vaccines Adverse Events Response and Evaluation (Care) Programme. If an unusual pattern is detected, the case is passed on to the Experts Committee for assessment.

However, the statement said that when there are obvious medical causes for clinical events including deaths, health care professionals may consider the case as not falling under the scrutiny of the expert panel. 

The rules also say that if death happens within 14 days of vaccination being received, it will be announced via a press release as soon as possible.

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Free Covid-19 tests for FDHs on again in April

By The SUN 

The free test on wheels will now be given at four locations on Apr 4,5,11,18 and 25

Mobile stations offering free coronavirus tests will return to popular gathering places of foreign domestic helpers on all Sundays of April, plus the statutory holiday on Apr 5, to give workers free Covid-19 testing, the Labour Department said.
      
A statement issued on the government website said the deployment of the mobile stations, which are similar to those set up in March at popular FDH gathering places, is meant to encourage workers to get tested to safeguard their health.

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The announcement said the mobile specimen collection stations will open from 10am to 5pm on April 4, 5 (day after the Ching Ming Festival), 11, 18 and 25.

From the previous three, four mobile stations will now be set up at the following locations: the Chater Road precinct in Central, near the bus stop; Hing Fat street entrance of Victoria Park in Causeway Bay; Lai Chi Kok Park entrance near exit D of Mei Foo MTR station; and the Tsuen Wan Park entrance near Exit D of MTR Tsuen Wan West Station.

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The government statement appealed to employment agencies and employers to encourage FDHs to receive the free testing service at the mobile stations, where no prior appointment is required. 

FDHs need only to bring their HKIDs or passports; no appointment needed

To avail themselves of the free testing, the FDHs just need to bring along their Hong Kong identity cards or passports and register their personal information on the spot at the government website www.tgptest.gov.hk, choosing the the category “Non-Government Staff - Foreign domestic helpers,” to receive an SMS notification of the test result.

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The FDHs will be given the barcode number of the specimen bottle they collect after registration for reference. If necessary, duty officers can assist FDHs in registration.    

The specimen collection is done through a combined nasal and throat swabs, and the samples collected are delivered straight to a specimens to the laboratory for testing. 

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Everyone who tests negative for Covid-19 will get their test result via SMS while positive cases will be referred to the Centre for Health Protection for follow-up. The individual concerned will be contacted for treatment arrangements.      

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Enquiries can be made through the dedicated FDH hotline at 2157 9537 (manned by 1823) or by email fdh-enquiry@labour.gov.hk. 

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7 new Covid-19 cases reported today, all save 1 imported

By The SUN 

CHP reported 7 new Covid-19 cases

Seven coronavirus infections were reported today, Mar 30, and all except one were imported. The only local case, a 44-year-old woman, is linked to a previous infection.

Three of the six imported cases were also found to have the highly infectious N501Y variant. They comprise two female domestic helpers – one Filipina and the other, Indonesian – as well as a seafarer from Ukraine.

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The Filipina, 41, arrived in Hong Kong on a Cebu Pacific flight on Mar 28, the Centre for Health Protection said. She was asymptomatic, but test results of her sample taken at the airport showed she was positive.

The Indonesian, 35, flew in on a Garuda flight on the same day, while the 22-year-old Ukrainian arrived on Saturday with a fellow seafarer, 21, on a KLM flight from Amsterdam via Bangkok.

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The other imported cases were a 39-year-old male air crew of Turkish Airlines who arrived Sunday from Istanbul and a man aged 59 who flew in from Pakistan on Saturday.

Today’s seven new patients took Hong Kong’s Covid-19 tally to 11,462.

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The CHP said 143 cases were recorded in the past 14 days to Mar 29, including 71 local cases of which 19 were from unknown sources.
 
The Hospital Authority said that as of 9am today, 134 confirmed patients are being treated in 22 public hospitals and the treatment center at North Lantau Hospital.

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Of these, nine patients are critical, three are serious and the remaining 122 are in stable condition.

Dr Chan says it's too soon to further relax infection control measures 

Meanwhile, Health Secretary Sophia Chan said Hong Kong can’t just yet relax its infection control measures drastically despite a decline in new infections because the government does not want everyone’s efforts in fighting the virus to go to naught.

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Speaking on an RTHK program, Chan said, “If we allow everything to return to normal, a hundred percent, there will certainly be risks.”

She spoke a day after the government announced religious gatherings will resume tomorrow; while beaches, swimming pools, museums and libraries will reopen Thursday.

Cinemas and performance venues will also be allowed to fill up to 75% of their capacity, from the previous 50%.

However, venues considered as high risk, like bars, karaoke parlors and party rooms will remain closed, at least for two more weeks.

Chan said the government would look at the overall virus situation and the risks of further relaxation before deciding whether to reopen them.

“We understand that it’s not that some industry has not been working hard enough in the past. I understand that industries are doing their best hoping to resume their businesses. This is something the government has to consider as a whole,” Chan said.

People should get their vaccine shots as soon as possible, as inoculation could help fight the pandemic and allow life to return to normal, she said. 

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Filipina DH charged with assault in boarding house dispute

By Vir B. Lumicao 

The court heard the accused got mad because she thought she was being gossiped about

A Filipina who allegedly threw a ceramic vase at a fellow domestic helper in a fit of rage in their boarding house in Sai Wan, Western in January, was charged with assault occasioning bodily harm in Eastern Court today, Mar 30.

L. Regidor, 32, was not asked to enter her plea when she appeared before Magistrate Peter Law.

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Her court-appointed lawyer said the accused got angry because she thought the alleged victim and another Filipina DH were talking about her behind her back.

The prosecution said Regidor was in the boarding house at an unspecified time on Jan 9, along with the two other domestic workers when the incident happened.

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The two Filipinas were sitting on a bed and chatting when the defendant allegedly grabbed a ceramic vase and threw it at them, hitting one on the right side of her face.

The victim suffered an injury in her right eye and contusion on her right cheek as well as loosened teeth, the prosecutor said. She went to a hospital for treatment and the case was reported to police.

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The defendant was arrested shortly after the assault but was released on police bail after investigation, the prosecutor said.

The boarding house is on the first floor of a building along Des Voeux Road West in Sai Wan and is rented by Filipino domestic helpers who are either on holiday or waiting for a new employer.

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Magistrate Law adjourned the case until May 18 at the request of the prosecution, who cited further police investigation and legal advice.

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The magistrate extended Regidor’s bail but told her that she must not contact the alleged victim and the other prosecution witness.

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DH overstayer allowed to remain in HK to chase ex-employer

By Vir B. Lumicao 

The Shatin magistrate allowed the Filipina to skip jail so she can pursue her labour claim

A Filipina domestic helper who overstayed for more than a month while pursuing a claim against an employer who fired her even before she could start serving him, got a six-day suspended jail sentence for the offense today, Mar 29.

S. Manginga, 30, pleaded guilty to a charge of breach of condition of stay when she appeared before Magistrate Jason Wan in Shatin Court.

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“Since this is your first offense, I will give you a suspended sentence,” Magistrate Wan told her.

The prosecution told the magistrate that the helper surrendered to the Immigration Department in January this year after realizing she had overstayed since mid-December.

Her counsel from the Duty Lawyer Service told Wan the defendant, who came to Hong Kong in 2019 to work as a domestic helper, was dismissed summarily by her first employer after just five months.

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She found a second employer, who dismissed her last Dec 4 without paying her one month’s wage in lieu of notice, the lawyer said. It was while pursuing her labor claim that she realized her visa had expired.

The lawyer said a hearing of the labor case is scheduled for May.

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Manginga said after the hearing that she had not actually worked for the second employer, whom she identified as Billy Chiu. She was supposed to take care of an elderly woman, the employer’s mother.

She said her first employer, a certain Ms Wong, fired her on May 11 last year after five months following an argument.

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Maninga said she had to extend her visa four times trying to find an employer, until a friend told her that Chiu was looking for a helper, so she applied personally.

She said Chiu signed her up last Sept 8 and she processed the employment contract at Immigration on her own until it was approved in November, along with a visa that was valid for one year.

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But after telling Chiu that the contract still had to be submitted to the Philippine Overseas Labor Office for verification, the employer told her on Dec 4 to just scrap the contract because there was no more need for her services.

Manginga said she had wasted nearly three months waiting to move into Chiu’s household, and an opportunity to look for other employers.

She was at a loss after realizing that her visa had already expired. She said she went to the Philippine Overseas Labor Office to ask for help but an irate staff told her they couldn’t do anything about her problem as she no longer had a valid visa.

Fortunately, she met a townmate who accompanied her to the Mission for Migrant Workers. There she was told that they would help her file a case at the Labour Department.

Manginga said that in her meeting with Chiu at the Labour Relations Division, the employer denied that he fired her and claimed it was the helper who terminated the contract. 

The case was elevated to the Minor Employment Claims Adjudication Board, where the helper’s claim will be heard around mid-May.

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