Penny’s Bay week-long quarantine slots closed within minutes again

By Daisy CL Mandap

CE Carrie Lam inspecting Penny's Bay Quarantine Centre shortly after it opened (File)

The 350 slots that opened today, Oct 11, at Penny’s Bay Quarantine Centre for foreign domestic helpers were again filled within minutes of the booking being opened. The bookings accepted today were for check-ins from Oct 29 to Nov 4.

Shortly after 9:00am when the booking opened, many Filipina DHs sent messages to The SUN to ask whether there was a problem with the online system, or whether it did not open as promised, as they could not get in.

As before, a few asked what the reference number on the dedicated booking website was. It turned out they had pressed “enquiry” because they could not activate the “start booking” button.

Call now!

 

But the window linked to the Department of Labour website is clear. “When the booking quotas have been filled, applicants cannot enter the page of ‘start booking’ of the booking system,” says an advisory posted on website.

In short, the booking was again closed because there were no more rooms available at Penny’s Bay. The booking will resume on next Monday, Oct 18.

The difficulty of securing quarantine space has dealt another blow to many Filipino helpers who have been waiting for months to enter Hong Kong.

PRESS FOR DETAILS!

 

One of them is Carlos Frondozo, who said in a comment on The SUN’s Facebook page that he had been stuck in the Philippines for nine months because he couldn’t get a quarantine booking.

Not a few, including Mhai Bautista, Ayona Boter and Cheng Hai repeated a call for more rooms being allotted to stranded workers, saying they are already “baon na baon na sa utang” (heavily in debt).

Another called Rosa Lee said she was hoping to book a quarantine room soon, as she was getting stressed because her medical certificate and employment visa were about to expire again.

PRESS FOR DETAILS 

Today was the third Monday in a row when the weekly slots of 50 a day for the designated quarantine facility for FDHs were filled within minutes of the booking system’s opening.

Silka Tsuen Wan hotel, which has also been designated as a quarantine facility for incoming helpers, has long been booked until the end of this month, so getting a room there is even more difficult, as well as pricier.

A room at Penny’s Bay costs $480 a day for FDHs who need to stay there for 21 days, while at Silka, the daily rate is $800.

Silka costs nearly twice as much as Penny's Bay

Labour Secretary Law Chi-kwong has said that Hong Kong is allotting a maximum of 50 rooms a day for the FDHs arriving from high-risk countries, so as to minimize the risk of imported cases entering the city.

He cited the positivity rate among newly arrived FDHs of more than 4 percent between September and October as a basis for limiting their entry, even while acknowledging the huge demand for them from local families.

Tunghayan ang isa na namang Kwentong Dream Love

Between 4,000 and 6,000 FDHs are reported to have been stranded in both the Philippines and India after Hong Kong designated them as high risk, and tightened restrictions on passenger arrivals from both places.

The flight ban took longer in the Philippines, which was classified as high risk on Apr 20, while Indonesia was added to the list on Jun 25.

While the designation remains, FDHs from both places were allowed to start coming back on Aug 30, although in very limited numbers.

On top of this, all FDHs who were vaccinated outside of Hong Kong are required to spend their 21-day quarantine either at Penny’s Bay or Silka Tsuen Wan hotel.

Those who wish to book a room at Penny's Bay may log on to: www.fdh.labour.gov.hk

For Silka, the booking link is here: https://www.guestreservations.com/silka-tsuen-wan-hotel/booking

PADALA NA!

Call us!

CALL US!

CX crew tests positive in Australia day after negative result in HK

By The SUN 

The CX flight crew was fully vaccinated and tested negative before flying to Australia

The Centre for Health Protection says it is investigating the case of a female air crew of Cathay Pacific who tested positive for Covid-19 in Australia, one day after testing negative in Hong Kong.

The announcement came as no new infection was reported today, Oct. 10. This means Hong Kong’s total Covid tally remains at 12,262.

Call now!

The CHP said in a statement today, Oct 10, that the patient, aged 54, tested negative in Hong Kong on Oct. 6. She traveled next day to Australia via CX101, where her specimen collected there on the same day tested positive. She remains asymptomatic.

She received two doses of BioNTech vaccine on Mar 10 and Apr 6 in Hong Kong.

PRESS FOR DETAILS 

As a precaution, Block 2, Seaview Crescent, 8 Tung Chung Waterfront Road, where she lives, will be put under compulsory testing notice.

Nip (in blue) gives the thumbs-up to an elderly woman who took the jab

Meanwhile, Secretary for the Civil Service Patrick Nip repeated his appeal to the elderly to get vaccinated against the coronavirus as they are extremely high risk of catching the disease, and dying from it.

PRESS FOR DETAILS!

Nip made his statement as he joined the latest vaccination outreach for the elderly at Luen Wo Hui Community Hall in Fanling.

Nip emphasized the importance of a Covid-19 jab to the elderly and told them to get vaccinated as early as possible, especially with a new local case being reported for the first time in 51 days

PINDUTIN PARA SA DETALYE

About 210 residents took part in today’s activity, where they were told they could get the Sinovac vaccine on site, or the one from BioNTech at a nearby community vaccination centre.

Tunghayan ang isa na namang Kwentong Dream Love

Experts say elderly persons should receive a Covid-19 jab as soon as possible as long as they have no acute illnesses. All elderly people who have been given influenza vaccines previously can safely receive Covid-19 shots.

PINDUTIN PARA SA DETALYE

PADALA NA!

Call us!

CALL US!

Thousands more people line up on last Sunday of extended OVR

By Vir B. Lumicao 

The queue for OVR applicants starts at this nearby bridge, which remained packed by midday

About 1,500 Filipino workers endured exhaustion and hunger today, Oct 10, as they lined up for hours in a last-minute attempt to register as overseas voters for next May’s national elections. 

This is 50% more than the number of those who lined up the past few Sundays, as thousands of Filipinos tried to beat the deadline for overseas voter registration (OVR).

Call now!

At 1pm, three female workers at the head of the queue for taking the lift to the Consulate on the 14th floor of the United Centre in Admiralty said they had been lining up since 5am.

By then, about 1,000 people who got there ahead had already been called to go upstairs starting at 9am, according to Filipino community leader and volunteer Marites Nuval.

PRESS FOR DETAILS 

She said more people lined up for the OVR today than in previous Sundays, when most Filipino migrant workers are off work. The OVR, which has already been extended for two weeks, will last until Thursday, Oct 14.

From the bridge, the registrants are herded to the building's corridors

On Oct 18, the Resident Election Registration Board will convene at 4pm at the Consulate to hear applications for registration/certification, reactivation, transfer of registration, correction of wrong entries filed between Jul 1 and Sept 30 this year.

PRESS FOR DETAILS!

Those who have objections to the list have until today to file their objections in writing, said Consul Robert Quintin, RERB chairman, in a recent advisory.

Many of those who tried to beat the registration deadline today said they could not do so earlier as they were prevented from going out by their employers due to the coronavirus contagion.

PINDUTIN PARA SA DETALYE

But many others said they did not realize the registration for next year’s presidential vote was ongoing until they were told by friends, or they read about it in the news.

Nuval said when she got to United Centre at 7am, the line had already stretched to the footbridge leading to the government office at Tamar.

Tunghayan ang isa na namang Kwentong Dream Love

One Consulate staff who was marshalling the lines said there was some fuss earlier in the morning, as it appeared that scores of workers had jumped the queue.

The women who were in front said they were already lining up before 5am outside the United Centre gate when the guard told them to queue up on the footbridge.

When they did as told, new arrivals took up their places at the gate so they were the first to be called to go to the 14^th floor in batches of 10 when the Consulate opened for business at 9am.

This explained why a Filipina who finished registering around 1:15pm said she queued up at 6:30am, while another who was some 52 places behind said she arrived at 6am.

The homestretch is the Consulate's public hall, where the applicants have to line up some more

Farther down the line, a group of five young Ilocanas who were squatting on the floor said they joined the queue on the footbridge at 6am and by 1:30pm, they were still about 200 people away from the front.

The five said they had not eaten breakfast and lunch, and only made do with some rolls bought at a nearby store.

Nuval said she was sending up batches of 8 or 10 people each, depending on what she was told by the marshals upstairs. The number depended on how many other people were in the public hall, which is also used by those who have transactions with the Social Security System, Pag-IBIG and other government agencies.

At least three Filipinas said they managed to register online through the Commission on Elections’ Virtual Frontline Service, but they still had to go to the Consulate to have their biometrics taken.

PINDUTIN PARA SA DETALYE

PADALA NA!

Call us!

CALL US!

Workers 50 years up lukewarm to offer of free anti-flu shots at POLO

By Vir B. Lumicao

ALA Sunga talks to DCG Usudan (back to camera) who had the flu shot at Polo

Free vaccination against influenza is again being offered by the Hong Kong Health Department to all Filipinos aged 50 years old and above, at the Philippine Overseas Labor Office.

The free shots are being made available at Polo for two Sundays, Oct 10 and Oct 17. But at the end of the first Sunday of inoculation, only about 100 people responded to the offer. 

Call now!

This was despite earnest efforts by Assistant Labour Attache Angelica Sunga to get more people to take up the offer. She took time to go down to the 2^nd floor lobby of United Centre building to encourage those who were lining up to get into the lift to go for the free jabs.

“This free flu vaccination is being given today and next Sunday to the Filipino community. It is a seasonal outreach of the Hong Kong government,” said ALA Sunga, a registered nurse who is overseeing the project.

PRESS FOR DETAILS 

Five staff members of the department were at the Polo conference room to administer the flu shot, but many of the workers who were around seemed too occupied by other transactions, either at Polo or the Consulate, which is in the same building.

At around 1pm, most of the workers who were at Polo were busy filling up work-related forms, processing their employment contracts or taking up matters with the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration.

PRESS FOR DETAILS!

At the Consulate on the other side of the United Centre tower, OFWs who were lining up for the lift said they were not interested when told about the free inoculation. It could also be because they did not qualify for the free jabs because of the age requirement.

Only a few people were in queue for the flu shot

The Health Department has allocated 450 vials of Abbott anti-influenza vaccine for targeted Filipinos who want to get inoculated against the flu, which often afflicts people at the onset, or during winter.

Those who are aged 50 and above, or with underlying illnesses are being encouraged to take the shot as they are more prone to flu. Experts also say that the flu could worsen the symptoms of Covid-19, so vulnerable people should get themselves inoculated against it.

PINDUTIN PARA SA DETALYE

The annual vaccination outreach for Filipinos has been carried out by the HD in cooperation with Polo for the past several years.

With the lukewarm response from the OFWs, Consulate officers and staff seized the rare opportunity to get themselves jabbed for free.

Tunghayan ang isa na namang Kwentong Dream Love

Among those who took the flu shots were Deputy Consul General Germinia Aguilar-Usudan, who came with her teenage daughter and son; and Consul Leo Tito Ausan.

ALA Sunga said qualified Filipinos who want to get vaccinated against the flu under the limited-time offer can still get it at Polo next Sunday.

PINDUTIN PARA SA DETALYE

PADALA NA!

Call us!

CALL US!

Storm signal downgraded to 3 as Lionrock moves away

By The SUN 

A burst pipe caused heavy flooding as Lionrock swept across HK

As tropical storm Lionrock moved away from Hong Kong earlier today, the Strong Wind Signal No 3 was raised at 4:40am today, Oct 10.

It replaced Storm Signal No 8 which was issued at 6:40am Saturday, which meant it was enforced for 22 hours.

Call now!

The Home Affairs Department opened 21 temporary shelters in various districts yesterday, and 140 people have sought refuge.

PRESS FOR DETAILS 

While Lionrock did not come with strong winds commonly associated with Signal No 8 weather, it continued to bring heavy rains across the city, causing widespread flooding and some landslips.

PRESS FOR DETAILS!

However, most malls, restaurants and cinemas were reportedly open throughout the day on Saturday.

At 4am today the 1823 government call centre and Leisure and Cultural Services Department have received a total of 179 reports of fallen trees. Six flooding cases and three landslide reports were made to responsible government departments.

Despite T8, many people were out and most business establishments were open (RTHK)

The Hospital Authority also reported that a total of 14 people – three men and 11 women – have sought medical treatment at public hospitals due to typhoon-related injuries.

PINDUTIN PARA SA DETALYE

The Hong Kong Observatory advises people to remain cautious. “Strong winds are still blowing. Please do not yet relax taking precautions. It is not yet safe for small vessels to leave typhoon shelters,” said its advisory.

Tunghayan ang isa na namang Kwentong Dream Love

The unstable weather is expected to continue for the next several days as another brewing tropical storm moves closer to Hong Kong.

Tropical Cyclone Kompasu is forecase to intensify gradually and moves towards Luzon Strait in the next couple of days before heading towards the South China Sea by mid-week.

 

PINDUTIN PARA SA DETALYE

PADALA NA!

Call us!

CALL US!