AYUDA $60 SA BARAKADAHAN SIM NA UNANG BESES GAGAMIT NG ALIPAY HK

May bonggang pakulo nanaman ang SmarTone! 

Heto ngayon ang $60 Welcome Rewards sa mga Barkadahan users na 1^st time pa lang gagamit ng Alipay HK App. Sa panahon ngayon, need ng mga OFW extrang pagkukunan o kahit anong tulong. 

Dito sa Alipay HK at Barkadahan, may pamigay na $60 Welcome Rewards. Paano ba makuha ito? Simple lang! Gamit ang Barkadahan sa SmarTone SIM, i-download at install ang Alipay HK App. 

Need gamitin ang special ng QR code sa itaas o i-press ang link na ito https://bit.ly/375Lhwm . 

After niyo ma-install ang app, mag create ng account. Sundin ang mga steps ng Alipay HK App. Kapag successful ang pag create ng account, i-press ang “Get Started”. Makikita niyo ang “Rewards” page at i-press ang “Others”. Dito nakalista ang detalye ng $60 Welcome Rewards. Ang una ay $50 worth ng Coupons pang Barkadahan sa SmarTone. Ang $30 ($5x6) worth ng coupons ay pwede gamitin pang bayad ng Data Plan at ang $20 ($5x4) worth ng coupons naman ay sa remittance. Ang isa pang $10 naman ay sa EasyGo ($5+$3+$2). Pwede ito gamitin sa public transportation gaya ng MTR. 

Ang promo na ito ay hanggang Sept 30, 2021 lang. 

Heto pa! Alam niyo ba pag nagbayad kayo ng inyong Barkadahan sa SmarTone Data Plan sa Alipay HK App, ang bonus na makukuha niyo ay pang Data Plan. Pang bayad ng internet niyo. Plus may chance pa kayong manalo ng Kymco VISA R Motorcycle sa E-Top Up Lucky Draw. 

Paano ito? Simple lang! 

Sa Alipay HK App, i-press ang Bill Payment, Mobile Service, select Barkadahan sa SmarTone, enter mobile number, select ang gamit niyo na data plan kung $88 1 month or $20 na 2 days at press “Next”. Kada top up ng $88 may $5 bonus pang bayad ng iyong data plan. Kada $20 top up may $1 bonus naman. 

Ganito ang procedure: 

Para sa ibang details ng Alipay HK $60 Welcome Rewards i-press ang link https://bit.ly/3xxF2fx. 

Ito naman ang details ng Win Motorcycle (pindutin lang ang poster sa ibaba): 

Meron kang 1 entry sa Lucky Draw ng Kymco VISA R Motorcycle kada top up ng $88 o $20 gamit ang Alipay HK App sa Barkadahan sa SmarTone SIM. 

Merong 2 Motorcycle prizes at last day ng raffle ay sa Sept 30, 2021. Ang 1^st draw ay sa Sept 1, 2021 at ang 2^nd draw ay sa Oct 1, 2021. 

Ang prize ay i-di-deliver sa Pamilya o bahay mo sa Pinas. Siguradong malaking tulong ito para sa mga loved ones mo kapag ikaw ang nanalo. 

Mas bongga talaga sa Barkadahan, pramis! Barkadahan sa SmarTone for the OFW, with the OFW! 

Trade Promotion Competition Licence no.: 54613-4

CE scraps plan to give antibody test at airport to shorten quarantine

By Daisy CL Mandap

 

CE Lam says the government will follow experts' advise not to cut quarantine period

Chief Executive Carrie Lam has announced the scrapping of a plan to give antibody tests to non-residents arriving in Hong Kong so they can cut their quarantine period.  She also said even the ongoing serology tests given locally to residents before they go on trips abroad could be scrapped.

This, she said at a press conference held earlier today, is in line with the recommendation announced last night by a panel of experts advising the government on its pandemic response.

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The plan, first announced by the experts on Jun 18, would have allowed people coming in to take the antibody test at the airport, and if they test positive, they could have their hotel quarantine cut to as short as seven days.

Residents who got inoculated here could get the antibody test done in a local laboratory before traveling abroad, and use their positive result within three months to enjoy the shortened quarantine on their return.

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The CE said that after their meeting last night, the experts advised the government that because of the prevalence of the Delta variant of the coronavirus in many parts of the world, it would be better “to err on the side of caution” and suspend the plan.

Lam said, “That means we will not be introducing Phase II which we have announced, that is for non-Hong Kong residents to get a certificate of antibody test in Hong Kong and then reduce the quarantine period. We may even have to suspend the Phase I for Hong Kong residents.”

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She said the details would be announced later in the day by the Secretary for Food and Health.

The government leader extended her apologies to people whose travel plans may have been thrown in disarray by the scrapping of the plan, but said this is being done to prevent the spread of the coronavirus in Hong Kong.

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“We do not want to reverse our decisions on a frequent basis and we have managed not to do so since April 12 when I announced this new direction. But sometimes in order to err on the side of caution and to prevent the spread of the disease, we have to do it and this is why we are going to act in accordance with the experts' advice and announce the details later,” she said.

Lam said Hong Kong is forced to change its policies to keep up with the frequent change in circumstances relating to the spread of the Delta variant.

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“This proves that it is not an exact science to deal with COVID-19. We have to continuously review the situation together with the experts and take account of their advice to design our policies,” she said.

The experts recommended that hotel quarantine should at least be 14 days

The experts advised last night that vaccinated residents arriving from medium-risk countries should not be allowed to spend less than 14 days in hotel quarantine, and undergo another week of self-monitoring.

If they are not vaccinated, they should spend 21 days in hotel quarantine. Non-residents from these places will no longer be allowed to enter, vaccinated or not.

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Only those coming from New Zealand, the only low-risk country on Hong Kong’s list, could qualify for the seven-day quarantine if they are vaccinated.

The experts met after a foreign domestic helper who flew in from the United States and managed to shorten her quarantine to seven days was found infected with the L452R mutant strain on her 12th day test.

Also yesterday, the government announced that 15 more countries, including the United States, United Arab Emirates, France, Spain and Thailand, were being relegated to the high risk category.

This means that like the nine places previously listed under this category, only residents coming in from these countries will be allowed to enter Hong Kong.

In addition, they must all be fully vaccinated, hold recognized vaccination records, test negative for a PCR test conducted within 72 hours of departing for Hong Kong, and present a confirmed booking for a 21-day stay in a designated hotel for quarantine.

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Experts say quarantine period should be at least 14 days

By The SUN 

The experts reversed their earlier recommendation to cut the quarantine period to 7 days

Two panels of experts advising the Hong Kong government on its pandemic response has recommended that the quarantine period for travelers arriving from medium-risk countries should not be shorter than 14 days.

They also recommended that they be subjected to another 7 days of self-monitoring.

The Centre for Health Protection which supervises the two experts' panels said the government will study and implement the proposal as soon as possible.

PINDUTIN PARA SA DETALYE

The experts had previously recommended on Jun 9 that the quarantine period for new arrivals from medium-risk countries could be cut down to just seven days if the traveler is found positive for antibodies in a test administered locally.

In a statement issued Monday evening, the CHP said the quarantine period for travelers even from medium-risk places should normally be 21 days.

   

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This could only be cut to 14 days if the traveler is fully vaccinated with a Hong Kong-recognized vaccine, and on arrival, tests negative for Covid-19 and negative for antibodies.

Professor David Hui who chairs the scientific committee on emerging diseases, cited statistics showing that only about 88 percent of cases with a mutant strain were identified within seven days of quarantine.

   

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One case was detected only after 13 days of the patient arriving in Hong Kong.

The Chinese University professor said that while a 10-day quarantine should be sufficient to detect almost all cases, there is still a slim chance of infections not being found on time.

“The government is not prepared to accept this one to two percent risk of leaking cases into the community,” he said.

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“That means seven days’ hotel quarantine would be insufficient. Therefore, changing to 14 days of hotel quarantine for the time being would be more prudent.”

The experts held an urgent meeting today after a foreign domestic worker who arrived on Aug 1 from the United States, previously designated as medium risk, was found to carry the L452R mutant strain after ending her 7-day quarantine.

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The patient had sent a blood sample to a local laboratory from the US so she could present a positive result for a serology or antibody test. She tested negative on arrival, but positive on her Day 12 sample.

According to the CHP, the experts reviewed the latest Covid-19 situation, in particular the increased transmissibility of the Delta variant, even by fully vaccinated patients.

The experts also noted the risks associated with imported cases spreading the virus to the local community.

​The updated recommendation is available at the CHP's website www.chp.gov.hk/en/static/24008.html.

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Female airport staff tests preliminary positive for Covid-19

By Vir B. Lumicao 

The patient works as lounge staff at HK Airport and did not travel recently

A woman who works as lounge staff at Hong Kong International Airport has tested preliminary positive for Covid-19, with the L452R mutant strain.

The source of infection of the 47-year-old local patient, who is unvaccinated, is unknown.

The discovery of the case has prompted an overnight lockdown of the Mei Yat House in Yat Tung II Estate, Tung Chung, where she lives, so all other residents there could be tested for Covid-19.

PINDUTIN PARA SA DETALYE

According to a statement released by the Centre for Health Protection, the patient developed symptoms including fever and consulted a private doctor on Sunday. Later she went to North Lantau Hospital for testing.

Her deep throat saliva sample tested preliminary positive and carried the L452R mutant strain. 

The CHP has classified the case as a local infection, as the woman had no travel history during the incubation period. She  last went to work on Aug 14. 

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Her workplace and the places she had visited during the infectious period will be included in a compulsory testing notice, the CHP said.

Earlier, three imported Covid-19 cases were reported by the CHP.

They included a 50-year-old man who came from Switzerland, a 48-year-old man from Japan, and a 42-year-old seaman from Malaysia. All three were found to carry L452R mutant strain. 

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Staff at the Department of Health said the man from Switzerland flew in with three family members via Swiss Air flight LX138 from Zurich on Aug 8.

All his companions tested positive for the mutant strain three days after they checked in at Sheraton Hotel in Tsim Sha Tsui, so the patient was moved to a quarantine centre as their close contact. He was confirmed as a positive case yesterday.

The patient from Switzerland tested positive at a quarantine centre  

The second patient from Japan received two doses of Pfizer BioNTech vaccine in Hong Kong on May 9 and May 30. 

He arrived via Flight CX521 from Tokyo on Aug 12 and tested negative upon arrival. But three days after checking in at Regal Oriental Hotel in Kowloon City he tested positive for Covid-19.

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The seafarer apparently arrived by ship at Kwai Chung port on Aug 14 as he had no flight record, the DH staff said. His specimen tested positive yesterday.

The new patients took the number of cases in Hong Kong to 12,036.

The Hospital Authority said that as of 9am today, 37 confirmed patients were being treated in eight public hospitals and the infection control centre at North Lantau Hospital.

One patient is in serious condition and the remaining 36 patients are stable, the HA said.  

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Castillo is new HKMU chair, vows to get more musicians into the fold

By Daisy CL Mandap

Castillo, Casi and Lo share a toast to a new HKMU leadership

Veteran keyboard artist Lito Castillo has emerged as the new chairman of the Hong Kong Musicians Union after elections held Sunday, Aug 15, at the HKMU office at Mirador Mansion in Tsim Sha Tsui.

Castillo takes over the helm for the next two years after an unprecedented eight-year term of Manuela Lo, who also made history as the first female head of the 73-year-old union.

Asked how he felt after his 11-people ticket won all but one of the posts at stake, Castillo said, “Frankly, I am scared, I didn’t even want to run. But the idea that my fellow musicians want me to be of service to them, made me run.”

PINDUTIN PARA SA DETALYE

Despite his initial hesitation, Castillo said he is confident he can do the job well, and “hopefully, we can have a better and stronger Union in the future.”

Castillo garnered a total of 37 votes as against incumbent vice chair Mariano “Balu” Casi, who had 28.

A total of 66 votes were cast in the election, accounting for about 70% of all those qualified to vote.

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Castillo’s running mate, Bong Galagar, was elected to the second top post of vice chairman over Casi’s teammate Jennifer “Jed” Daproza, who is the incumbent secretary.

Marlyn Hazelton and Maricel Bedana, who were both on Castillo’s team, were elected as secretary and treasurer, respectively, winning over Mimi Sadiq and Thor Escobal.

Castillo and Lo give different views on when the new term should start

Elected as members of the board of directors were Antonio Serrano, Bert Alconaba, Jennifer Palor, Noel Bedana, Jun Gube, Joel Ugalde and Joel Rasco.

The election capped an unprecedented, and at times, acrimonious, battle to take over the leadership of the oldest organization set up by Filipinos in Hong Kong.

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Immediately after Castillo was proclaimed as winner, a dispute arose on how soon he can take up the post.

Lo said the HKMU by-laws provide a waiting period of one month, but the new officers, including Castillo, said there is no such rule.

“Since I have been elected as the new chairman, the HKMU will have a lockdown immediately after three days,” said Castillo.

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He asked the departing officers to hand over immediate control over the office, financial records, and access to the CCTV and social media accounts of the Union.

Lo said that should be no problem, and took the opportunity to announce that the HKMU’s recent fundraising for members hard-hit by the pandemic raised a total of $106,650.

She said that from the proceeds, HKMU gave $500 each to 138 musicians, while the rest went to the union’s funds.

But in a social media post earlier today, Lo said Castillo’s term will “officially” start on Sept 15.

She took the opportunity to list down the highlights of her eight-year leadership of HKMU, including the Concert in the Park which the union co-organized with the Philippine Consulate and the HK government from 2013 to 2019.

The yearly show has been put on hold after the outbreak of anti-government protests, and later, the Covid-19 outbreak.

With her at the helm, HKMU also held a Broadway musical at City Hall in 2015, Songs from the Silver Screen concert in 2016, and the HKMU 7 Decades show at the Piazza in Tsim Sha Tsui in 2018, with Journey vocalist Arnel Pineda as special guest.

Castillo's team outlines its vision for the new HKMU

Moving forward, Castillo said his immediate plan is to open HKMU to more musicians.

“Our priority is to get a lot of members in, bring them all back to the Union,” he said. “This is not going to be a closed group anymore.”

By this, he means that membership will not only be open to those willing to pay $1,000 in annual dues, which also covered premiums for a life insurance.

Castillo said he thinks the insurance coverage which amounts to only about $80 in premium payments each month is not a bad idea, but his group will look into giving members “options” when they apply to join the union.

His other plans, as set out in his team’s campaign posters and videos, will be pursued as they are all doable, said Castillo.

Asked about his plans in dealing with problems brought about by the pandemic, Castillo said he is hopeful the music industry will bounce back soon.

But in the meantime, musicians who were forced to join other industries after the pandemic closed down bars and left many of them jobless, will be encouraged to continue their day jobs, but to go back to playing music at night or when they’re free.

“Remember, music is in your heart,” said Castillo. “Hanggang tumanda na tayo, nandyan pa rin yan.” (It will remain with us even in our old age).

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HK adds US, UAE and 13 other countries to ‘high risk’ category

By The SUN 

There are now 24 countries listed by HK as 'high risk', including the Phl

Hong Kong has announced that the quarantine restrictions for people arriving from 16 countries will be tightened starting Friday, Aug 20, because of “acute surges” in their Covid-19 tallies.

Fifteen of these places will be upgraded to “high risk” from “medium risk,” meaning only vaccinated residents  holding recognized vaccination record from there will be allowed into Hong Kong, and will have to quarantine for 21 days without exception.

The rules also apply to anyone who had been to any of the high risk countries for at least two hours prior to departing for Hong Kong. 

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Non-Hong Kong residents from these places will also not be allowed in anymore.

These are the United States , United Arab Emirates, Bangladesh, Cambodia, France, Greece, Iran, Malaysia, the Netherlands, Spain, Sri Lanka, Switzerland, Tanzania, Thailand and Turkey. 

They raised to 24 the number of countries listed as high risk. The nine others already on the list also classified as category A are the Philippines, Indonesia, India, Nepal, Pakistan, South Africa, Brazil, Ireland and United Kingdom.

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All fully vaccinated residents from any of these countries should present the following before being allowed to board a flight to Hong Kong: 1) a recognized vaccination record; 2) a negative result for a PCR-based nucleic acid test  conducted within 72 hours before the scheduled departure time; and 3) confirmed reservation for 21 nights starting on the arrival day in a designated quarantine hotel.

All vaccinated arrivals from Australia will have to quarantine for 14 days

Meanwhile, Australia, which used to be in the “low-risk” category along with New Zealand, has been upgraded to “medium risk.”

This means that all vaccinated arrivals from Australia will now have to spend 14 days in a hotel for their quarantine. But this can be reduced to seven days if they can present a positive result for an antibody test conducted in Hong Kong before they left for overseas.

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Unvaccinated arrivals from any medium-risk country will need to spend 21 days in hotel quarantine.

The new restrictions were announced after a panel of health experts held an emergency meeting earlier Monday on the case of a foreign domestic worker who flew in from the US and was found to carry the L452R mutant strain after ending her 7-day quarantine.

A subsequent investigation showed that while in the US, the FDH had submitted a specimen sample to a local laboratory so she could obtain a positive result from an antibody test before flying into Hong Kong on Aug. 1.

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But according to government rules, the antibody test should have been carried out in Hong Kong before the traveler’s departure from abroad.

In announcing the stepped-up restrictions for the 16 specified places, the government said: “The Covid-19 epidemic situation is under serious threat from the Delta variant, with acute surges in the number of confirmed cases within a short period of time in many countries. Despite large-scale vaccination programs, many places are also experiencing resurgence of the virus, which poses enormous challenges to our local anti-epidemic efforts.”

Details on the relevant arrangements and the corresponding boarding and compulsory quarantine requirements for various places abroad can be found at www.coronavirus.gov.hk/eng/inbound-travel.html.

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Officials warn labs not to take samples from abroad for antibody test

 By The SUN 

The FDW was tested remotely for antibodies so she could cut short her quarantine

The government has warned local laboratories against accepting specimen samples from abroad after a foreign domestic worker who got tested for antibodies remotely so she could shorten her quarantine period was found to carry the L452R variant.

The Food and Health Bureau also said it may take further action after the 38-year-old FDW who was found to have sent a specimen sample from the United States to a local lab, was found to carry the mutant strain six days after ending her seven-day hotel quarantine.

PINDUTIN PARA SA DETALYE

“The bureau has reminded all authorized labs not to accept samples taken abroad. Residents can take antibody tests at authorized private labs before they leave Hong Kong, to be used as proof of antibody levels upon their return,” the Bureau said. 

Regulations announced in late June allowed vaccinated travelers coming from medium-risk countries like the US to use the positive test result for an antibody test taken in Hong Kong before they leave, to shorten their quarantine period from 14 to 7 days.

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It was made clear then that only antibody tests taken in Hong Kong prior to departure, and with a three-month validity, may be used for this purpose.

The FDW left for the US on Jun 18, long before the government announced that designated hospitals and clinics here would start providing antibody tests.

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A panel of experts that advises the government on its pandemic response is due to meet Monday to examine whether cutting the quarantine period to less than 14 days is advisable, given that the FDW was found infected on her 12^th day sample.

Meanwhile, a 34-year-old woman who flew in from Mexico via the Netherlands on Aug 7 was confirmed as the only new Covid-19 patient in Hong Kong on Sunday.

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She was asymptomatic but was found to carry the L452R mutant strain of the coronavirus.

According to staff at the Department of Health, the woman came from Mexico, then took flight KLM flight KL819 from Amsterdam to Hong Kong.

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She tested positive on the third day of her quarantine at Rambler Garden Hotel in Tsing Yi.

She took the number of confirmed Covid-19 cases in Hong Kong to 12,033.

The Hospital Authority, meanwhile, said that as of 9am today, a total of 38 confirmed patients were being treated in eight public hospitals and the Infection Control Centre at North Lantau Hospital.

One patient is in serious condition while the remaining 37 patients are stable.