Residents and FDHs from Phl can enter HK starting Monday, but only if vaccinated here

 By Daisy CL Mandap

 

Only those who were vaccinated in HK before flying to Manila will be allowed to enter on Aug 9

Only residents and foreign domestic helpers from “high-risk” countries who were fully vaccinated in Hong Kong or the mainland previously could return starting on Aug. 9

This was made clear in an advisory issued by the HK Labour Department today, Aug 6.

That means thousands of Filipino workers, mainly first-timers who have been waiting to enter Hong Kong since the flight ban on passenger flights on the Philippines was imposed on Apr 20, will still not be able to come in.

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And although the press statement only mentioned FDHs, the updated restrictions that will take place starting Monday will also affect returning residents.

This is because of Hong Kong’s insistence on not accepting vaccination records obtained in places abroad that are not designated by the World Health Organization as “a stringent regulatory authority”.

Of those newly reclassified as “high -risk” or category A places, only the United Kingdom and Ireland enjoy this preferential status. All the other countries in this category – the Philippines, Indonesia, India, Pakistan, Nepal, South Africa and Brazil are not included.

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The announcement came as migrant workers group, Migrante International, held an online press conference that called on Hong Kong “to lift the entry ban to include FDWs (foreign domestic workers) without discrimination.”

Migrante Intl focused on problems caused to workers by the flight ban

Migrante also urged the Hong Kong government to ensure that the high cost of the 21-day hotel quarantine for incoming or returning FDWs will not give cause for employers to fire their contracted helpers.

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According to the government, under the new measures announced on Aug. 2, “Hong Kong residents (including FDHs) who have completed their courses of vaccination and present recognized vaccination records will be allowed to board flights for Hong Kong. However, their vaccination records must be issued by a relevant authority in Hong Kong, the mainland, or “country where its national regulatory authority is designated by the World Health Organization as a stringent regulatory authority.”

For those who were vaccinated in the Philippines or elsewhere outside of Hong Kong or mainland China, the statement said the government is still discussing with relevant consulates-general on how to verify the authenticity of their vaccination records to allow them to come in.

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But even if they are ultimately allowed to enter Hong Kong, FDHs who were vaccinated in their home countries will be segregated - quarantined in one or two still-unnamed hotels - for unexplained reason.

The government said it will separately announce the details after confirming the arrangements.

However, it reminded employers that they must pay for the costs of getting their helpers return to Hong Kong under the strict boarding and quarantine restrictions.That means, employers should shoulder the cost of their helper’s PCR-nucleic acid test prior to boarding, and pay for their 21-day hotel quarantine, as well as food allowance during that period.

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In its press conference, Migrante Intl also assailed the Philippine government for not giving financial relief to the thousands of Hong Kong-bound workers who have been stranded in Manila for months because of the flight ban.

A stranded worker shares her woes at the Migrante press con

The group that has affiliates all over the world, also called on Philippine officials to ensure that workers who already have work visas for work abroad are given priority for vaccination, and for securing financial aid from the government.

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Recruitment agencies in the Philippines were also told off for collecting illegal and excessive fees from the workers, including making them pay for repeated medical examinations.

Several workers severely affected by the four-month travel ban were made to speak during the press conference to detail their woes, including being repeatedly terminated while waiting for flights to Hong Kong to reopen, and incurring huge loans to allow them to stay in Manila and pay for extra fees charged by their agencies.

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Paalam guns for Olympic gold as Marcial settles for bronze

By The SUN 

Paalam kneels in ecstacy after the judges' unanimous decision was announced

The day has seen more bounty for the Philippines in the Tokyo Olympics after one of its prized boxers, Carlo Paalam, moved closer to winning a gold medal, while another, Eumir Marcial, had to settle for bronze after a heartbreaking loss in the quarter-finals.

Paalam, 23, is now guaranteed of a silver at least after winning by a unanimous decision against hometown bet Ryomei Tanaka in the men’s flyweight semi-finals.

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All five judges scored in Paalam’s favor in the bout held earlier today. Four had a uniform score card of 30-27 while one scored it 29-28, all in favor of Paalam.

After the verdict was announced, Paalam knelt and cried, then embraced and kissed his Japanese opponent on the forehead.

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Paalam, a native of Talakag, Bukidnon, is now set for a Saturday showdown for the gold against Galal Yafai of Great Britain.

His coach, Elmer Pamisa, has told reporters he is confident Paalam could win the gold.

“It’s not over yet but we’re confident the well-conditioned Carlo will bring it on in the finals, and bring home our first Olympic gold medal in boxing,” Pamisa said.

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If Paalam continues his winning streak, he could deliver the Philippines’ second gold medal in the Olympics after Hidilyn Diaz’s historic win in weightlifting on Jul 26.

Marcial gave it his best shot, but still lost in a split vote

But just hours later, another boxer, Eumir Marcial, had to settle for the bronze after a losing by a split decision to his Ukrainian rival Oleksandr Khyzniak in the men’s middleweight semifinals.

The European champion who has not lost a match in five years, got the nod of three judges, while two voted in favor of Marcial: 29-28, 30-27, 28-29, 29-28, 28-29.

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The match was marked by a flurry of punches from both boxers. The Ukrainian came out aggressive in the first round but the 25-year-old Filipino held his own.

By the first and second round Marcial won the nod of three of the judges by the slimmest of margins, but began to lose steam in the third. The judges ultimately gave Khyzhniak the crucial edge to win the bout.

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The Philippines is now sure to win an unprecedented four medals from the Olympics: Diaz’s gold, silver from another boxer, Nesthy Petecio, and Marcial’s bronze. Win or lose, Paalam is bound to contribute to the country's haul.

The country's best performance to date since the modern Olympics was first held in 1924 were the three bronze medals it won in the 1932 Los Angeles Olympics. 

Including Petecio's hard-won silver, the country has garnered a total of four silvers so far in various years. One in  Tokyo in 1964, a second in Atlanta (1996), and the third in Rio de Janeiro (2016).

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‘Re-positive case’ ends HK’s 58-day zero infection streak

By The SUN 

The man was working as a welder in this address when he tested positive

The Centre for Health Protection has added the 43-year-old welder who tested preliminary positive for Covid-19 Monday in the list of six confirmed infections today, Aug 5, but said his is a “re-positive” case.

Although his infection is deemed to be an old one, he became the first local case to have been detected in nearly two months.

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According to the CHP, the patient was asymptomatic but his deep-throat saliva sample collected during regular testing on Aug 2 tested preliminary positive with a high Ct value of 36-38, meaning he had a low viral load.

On admission to hospital the next day, he tested positive for antibody against Covid-19.

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Investigations revealed that he had tested negative through regular testing requirement since May this year.

“After examining the epidemiological, clinical and laboratory findings, this case is compatible with a re-positive case previously undiagnosed,” said the CHP statement.

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As a precaution, the building where he resides was put under lockdown overnight, and all its residents compelled to undergo testing. No positive case was uncovered.

Two construction sites where the man worked and places he recently visited were also put under compulsory testing. Everyone who had been present at the designated places during the specified period need to undergo compulsory testing on or before Aug 6.

2 of the 5 imported cases were detected at the airport, the others during quarantine

Five imported cases were also detected today, raising Hong Kong’s total Covid-19 tally to 12,002 cases.

Four of them were found to carry a mutant strain of the coronavirus, while the test result of the fifth is still pending. Three were fully vaccinated.

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Two, both females, tested positive on arrival: a 24-year-old from Ireland and a 35-year-old from Russia.

The woman from Ireland was fully vaccinated and carried the L452R mutant strain. The other woman was unvaccinated and her result for the variant test is pending.

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The three other patients, all men, tested positive while in hotel quarantine. Two of them, a 71-year-old who came from Cambodia and a 37-year-old from the United States, are both fully vaccinated, the first with AstraZeneca, and the other with BioNTech.

The third is a 16-year-old boy from Thailand who is unvaccinated and was found to carry the L452R mutant virus, like the man from the US. The man from Cambodia carried the N501Y mutant strain.

For the past two weeks until yesterday, a total of 26 Covid-19 cases had been reported, and all were classified as imported.

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Lockdowns ordered for places linked to 2 suspected Covid-19 cases

By Daisy CL Mandap 

Luxe Manor where the girl linked to a Macau case had stayed, was locked down overnight

Thirteen places linked to a construction worker who tested preliminary positive and a 13-year-old girl who was identified as a close contact of a Covid-19 patient in Macau found to carry the Delta variant.

A residential block in Sham Shui Po and a hotel in Tsim Sha Tsui which were linked to the two were also put under overnight lockdown as a precaution.

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Residents of Block A of Tung Lo Court on Tai Po Road and guests at the Luxe Manor on Kimberly Road were required to remain inside the premises and undergo testing.

At a press conference earlier Wednesday, health officials said the construction worker tested preliminary positive but his viral load was low so his specimen could not be tested for the presence of a variant.

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He also tested positive for antibodies, suggesting an old infection.

“We believe that this was an earlier case, a re-positive case,” said Dr Chuang Shuk-kwan of the Centre for Health Protection, who added that the man was “tested again and again.”

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As to when the man got infected, Chuang said they could not be sure. But since he got tested regularly recently, it was likely that the man was infected much earlier, like as early as March, or before he was subjected to regular tests starting in May this year.

However, she could not say why the man’s infection was not found during tests conducted on him earlier.

Tung Lo Court in Sham Shui Po where the construction worker lives

Since it could not be ascertained if his case involved a mutant variant, three other people in the subdivided flat where he lived in Tung Lo court would be moved to a quarantine center.

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The thirteen places he visited, including two Wanchai  construction sites where he had worked during the incubation period, were also put under compulsory testing.

Chuang said the man will be added to Thursday’s list of Covid-19 cases if further tests confirm his infection. That would make him the first local case to be recorded in Hong Kong after 57 days.

Meanwhile, the 13-year-old girl who was identified as a close contact of a Covid-19 patient in Macau has been moved to a quarantine center along with two family members. The three entered Hong Kong on Aug 2 under the Return2hk Scheme, and stayed at the Luxe Manor.

Their test results before leaving Macau were all negative. However, since the Macau case involved a mutant strain, the hotel they had stayed in was locked down overnight.

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Hong Kong also suspended the quarantine-exempt privilege of new arrivals from Macau as part of the Return2hk Scheme. Residents who come in from Macau will now have to spend 14 days in home quarantine.

The suspension of the quarantine-free arrangement under Return2hk Scheme was later extended to all parts of China except Guangdong.

Chuang faces reporters again for the first suspected local case in nearly 2 months

According to Chuang, the girl and the Macau patient went on a dancing trip in Xi’an together last month.

All the places the girl had been to since arriving in Hong Kong on Aug 2, including the buses she took from Macau to Hong Kong, and then on to her hotel, have been listed under a compulsory testing notice.

Two imported cases were also reported Wednesday, both involving the L452R mutant strain of the coronavirus.

The first is a 48-year-old woman who came from the United States on Jul 29 and tested positive on Day 5 of her quarantine at Sheraton Hotel in Tsim Sha Tsui. She is fully vaccinated.

The second is a 31-year-old woman who flew in from Dubai, United Arab Emirates on Jul 31 and was found infected on her third-day test while in quarantine at the Dorsett Hotel in Kwun Tong. She is unvaccinated.

Chuang said 205 cases involving the L452R variant have been detected in Hong Kong so far, and 112 of these were linked to the Delta variant. 

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HK raises amber rainstorm warning amid heavy downpour

By The SUN

The amber rainstorm warning was raised amid heavy downpour this afternoon

The Amber Rainstorm Warning Signal was raised by the Hong Kong Observatory at 5:10 p.m. today, Aug 4, amid a downpour.

The announcement said: “This means that heavy rain has fallen or is expected to fall generally over Hong Kong, exceeding 30 millimetres in an hour, and is likely to continue.

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There will be flooding in some low-lying and poorly drained areas. People who are likely to be affected should take necessary precautions to reduce their exposure to risk posed by the heavy rain and flooding.

Heavy rain may bring about flash floods. People should stay away from watercourses. People who are likely to be affected by flooding should take necessary precautions to avoid losses.

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Please listen to radio or watch television for traffic conditions and further announcements on the rainstorm.”

Overnight, the Strong Wind Signal No 3 was hoisted as Tropical Storm Lupit neared Hong Kong. However, it was lowered to Standby Signal No 1 this morning.

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At 5 p.m., Lupit was estimated to be about 210 kilometres east-southeast of Hong Kong (near 21.5 degrees north 116.0 degrees east) and is forecast to move northeast at about 12 kilometres per hour across the coastal waters of Guangdong.

The rainbands and squalls associated with Lupit continue to affect Hong Kong even as it gradually moves away.

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In the next few days, the southwest monsoon is expected to bring occasional heavy rains to Hong Kong, and it will be windy at times.

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The public is advised to remain alert for any flooding or rainstorm warning.

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DH who sold counterfeit goods in Central gets suspended 6-week sentence

By Vir B. Lumicao 

The Filipina was caught selling fake goods in Statue Square

A Filipina domestic helper who claimed she sold fake branded goods on her rest day to pay for the medication of her coronavirus-stricken children was meted a six-week suspended jail term today, Aug. 4, at Eastern Court.

Rizza V. Espina was tense and almost in tears as Magistrate Peter Law read his reason for sentence. But when Law gave her a concurrent two weeks in jail for selling fake goods and six weeks for breach of condition of stay, suspended for a year, her face glowed.

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The 48-year-old came to Hong Kong in 2008 and was serving her second employer when she was arrested on May 30 near Statue Square in Central.

The prosecution said Customs officers staging an operation against counterfeit goods saw Espina peddling her items behind a bus stop on the sidewalk next to the Square along Des Voeux Road, Central.

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One of the officers heard her touting the merchandise for $80 and $120 each.

An undercover officer approached her at 11:52 am and pretended to buy a Louis Vuitton bag and a Nike bag. After the defendant received the payment, the officer introduced herself and arrested her.

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An identity check showed Espina was a domestic helper employed by a certain Ms Wong under a visa issued by the Immigration on Sept 16, 2020.

Her selling of goods breached of her visa condition, the prosecution said. On top of this, the goods she sold were all counterfeit.

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In mitigation, Espina’s duty lawyer said the Filipina sold the goods because she needed money for the treatment of her three children who were positive for Covid-19.

She obtained the items from someone who advertised for resellers on Facebook, said the lawyer, and she was paid only $10 for every item she sold.

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The magistrate said he considered Espina’s financial need because of her family’s situation, as well as the fact that she did the selling on her rest day.

But he warned her not to do it again or commit any offense during the next 12 months or she would go to jail. 

Among the 57 counterfeit items seized from Espina were bags, wallets, shoes, and watches, perfume and an umbrella. They bore tags from such luxury brands as Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Chanel, Prada, Coach, Adidas, Under Armour, Champion, Dior, Nike, Converse, Hermes and Rolex.

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