HK confirms 986 new Covid-19 infections and 1 death

By Daisy CL Mandap

 

Long queues in Discovery Bay, where all residents have been told to get tested for Covid-19 (FB photo)

Health officials have confirmed 986 new Covid-19 cases today, Feb 10, only one of which was imported, and the rest, locally acquired.

One death was reported, the third in two days. The fatality is a 94-year-old woman who was admitted to Queen Mary Hospital with breathing difficulty on Feb. 7 and when tested, was found infected with Covid-19. She succumbed at 1:33pm today. She was unvaccinated.

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According to Dr Larry Lee of the Hospital Authority, more than 1,000 confirmed cases are now receiving treatment at various treatment centres and 14 public hospitals.

Three patients are in critical condition, six in serious condition, the biggest number of severe cases to be recorded in the fifth wave of the infection so far. The rest of the patients are stable.

The three critically ill patients are all males, aged 48, 80 and 97 years old. The youngest patient who is in Tseung Kwan O Hospital, is unvaccinated.

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The two others tested positive after being admitted to hospital and have no case numbers yet. The first received two doses of a vaccine while the second is unvaccinated.

The six patients who are seriously ill are aged between 50 and 91 years old.

The elderly and unvaccinated are said to be at high risk for serious complications from Covid

According to Dr Lee, the nine patients are either unvaccinated, had only one dose of a vaccine, or had their second dose a few months ago, and should have had a booster shot.

He reminded people, especially the elderly, to get themselves jabbed for their own protection.

Dr Chuang Shuk-kwan from the Centre for Health Protection said that of the 959 local cases confirmed today, 26 carried the Delta strain while 888 were likely Omicron cases.

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She also said that as of 4pm today, more than 800 preliminary positive cases were detected, indicating that the daily surge in cases is bound to continue.

From Dec 31 until yesterday, she said 5,200 Omicron cases have been detected, and the patients ranged in age from a few months old to 104 years old.

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Dr Chuang also reported more cases have been discovered in Discovery Bay Plaza, where residents have all been put under compulsory testing notice.

The new cases involved shopkeepers cleaners, reception and concierge staff. The mall has been asked to close for disinfection.

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Another case she mentioned were those that were found in elderly care homes. She said that so far, the fifth wave has hit at least 20 of such care homes.

Dr Chui Tak-yi, Undersecretary for Food and Health, has said that yesterday’s tally of 1,161 new cases was the highest recorded in the last two years of pandemic, which was why the most severe social distancing measures have been put in place.

Asked if the government was aware that people who were issued compulsory testing notices had to wait between three to four hours at community testing centres, Dr Chui answered in the affirmative, and offered an apology for those affected.

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He said “enhanced measures” have been put in place starting today to ease the situation.

These include setting up a dispenser for quota chits in Tsuen Wan so people only needed to get a queuing number and not stand in line, deploying 200 civil servants to help in crowd control and arranging for “caring crews” that will look after pregnant women, the frail and the elderly.

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Pinay, pinagmulta ng $2k dahil sa pananakit sa kapwa DH

 

Nagyakap ang akusado at ang umalalay sa kanya mula sa Mission pagkatapos ng kaso

Tanggap na ni M. L. Tambaoan, tubong San Fabian, Pangasinan, na makukulong siya nang umamin siya sa salang pananakit sa Eastern Court kanina sa harap ni Magistrate Jason Wan Siu-ming. Kaya naiyak siya nang sabihin ni Magistrate Wan na hindi kulong ang kailangang parusa sa kanyang kaso, kung hindi multa na $2,000.

“Handa na akong sa kulungan magcelebrate ng birthday ng bunso ko,” salaysay ni Tambaoan matapos lumabas sa korte.

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Noong una ay “not guilty” ang sagot niya sa akusasyon na sinaktan niya si Helen Garcia na kapwa niya domestic helper sa isang bahay na may anim na helper sa Mid-Levels. Pero sa ginanap na pagdinig ngayon ay nagdesisyon siyang aminin ang sakdal na pananakit.

Nagdesisyon si Magistrate Wan na hindi ipakulong si Tambaoan dahil sa loob ng 11 taon na pagtatrabaho nito sa Hong Kong ay ngayon lang siya nasampahan ng kaso. Sabi din nya, ang nangyaring pananakit ay bugso ng emosyon, at ang natamong pinsala ni Garcia ay hindi seryoso.

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Bukod dito ay nawalan pa ng trabaho si Tambaoan dahil na-terminate siya pagkatapos ng insidente -- isang bagay na itinuring ni Magistrate Wan na sapat nang parusa kay Tambaoan.

Samantala, nasa labas ng korte si Garcia at naghihintay na tawagin upang tumestigo dahil sa unang naging pagtanggi ni Tambaoan sa kaso. Nalaman na lang niya sa bandang huli na inamin na ni Tambaoan ang sakdal at tapos na ang kaso nang maglabasan ang isang grupo ng mga Pilipina na kasama ang nanakit sa kanya.

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Tinangkang pag-ayusin silang dalawa ni Esther Bagcawayan, case officer ng Mission for Migrant Workers na tumulong kay Tambaoan, pero nabigo ito. Humingi ng paumanhin si Tambaoan, ngunit pinili ni Garcia na lumakad palayo.

Nangyari ang pananakit noong July 4, 2021.

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Ayon sa binasang akusasyon, itinulak ni Tambaoan si Garcia, na napaupo, pagkatapos silang magtalo sa bahay ng amo. Nagpunta si Garcia sa Ruttonjee Hospital upang magpa-eksamin, kung saan nakita na may pasa siya sa dibdib. Si Tambaoan naman ay nag-report ng nangyari sa police.

Sa sumunod na buwan, kinasuhan ng police si Tambaoan at pinagpiyansa ng $500. Sinesante din siya ng amo.

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Pinatawan ng mahistrado ng multang $2,000 si Tambaoan matapos isaalang-alang ang kakayahan nito na magbayad. Pagkatapos ibawas ang kanyang piyansang $500 ay nagbayad si Tambaoan sa korte ng dagdag na $1,500.

Ngayon ay plano niyang maghanap ng bagong employer upang makabawi sa anim na buwang hindi siya nakapag-padala ng sustento sa kanyang tatlong anak sa San Fabian. Siya ay hiwalay sa asawa.

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‘Vaccine pass’ required in Category D restaurants starting today

by The SUN

 

Under the new scheme, four diners can sit together if they have at least one vaccine dose

The government’s vaccine pass scheme kicks off today, Feb. 10, when certain restaurants or catering premises will have to ask diners to show their vaccination record to be able to seat four to a table. 

This is despite the concurrent implementation of tightened social distancing rules that allow a maximum of two people to gather in public places.

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Under the Type D mode of operation restaurants can allow four diners to sit together if they have all received at least one dose of a Covid-19 vaccine, and are able to show proof of this.

In addition, staff who serve them must have also received at least a dose of a vaccine, or have a Covid-19 medical exemption certificate. 

Restaurants that fall under the Type D mode could accept customers to its full capacity, but banquets are still not allowed.

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For now, vaccination proof is still not required of those who eat in restaurants operating under Types B and C mode of operation.

However, customers in such restaurants can only sit two to a table. Type B eateries can only accept up to 50% of their capacity, and Type C, 75%.

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When the vaccine pass scheme takes effect on Feb. 24, all customers will have to show proof of vaccination before being allowed to dine in. Staff, too, will have to get vaccinated, unless exempted for medical reasons.

In a statement, the Food and Health Bureau said it was issuing a strong appeal to operators of catering premises under the Type B and Type C modes of operation “to make necessary arrangement for their staff to vaccinate as soon as possible, so the business can meet the requirements and continue to operate when ‘vaccine pass’ comes into effect on Feb. 24.”

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The FEHD also reminded restaurants that the dine-in ban after 6pm has been extended until Feb. 23. This means that they still cannot sell food or drinks for consumption in their premises from 6pm to 4:59am on the next day. However, they may still sell or supply food or drinks for takeaway or deliveries.

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Restaurants are also required to seal off sections where food or drinks consumed in their premises is sold. Further, they should set up notices that people who buy food or drinks from them cannot consume them in adjacent premises.

Under the current restrictions no live performances, dancing, singing or mahjong playing will be allowed inside catering venues.

Live performances including dancing are still not allowed inside catering premises

Other restrictions will remain in force, including (1) diners must not eat or drink or take off their masks when away from their tables; (2) all customers must use the LeaveHomeSafe app using their mobile phones before entering for dine-in; (3) tables should be placed at least 15 meters apart or have some form of partition to separate them; (4) body temperature screening should be done before entry; and (5) hand sanitizers should be provided to customers.

Under the extended social distancing measures, other places of entertainment like bars, karaokes, night clubs, massage parlours and swimming pools must remain closed.

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Updated versions of the LeaveHomeSafe app for customers for easy display of vaccination QR codes and the QR Code Verification Scanner for operators of the business establishments are now available, and everyone is enjoined to use them.

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PCG starts partial work-from-home amid Covid-19 surge

By The SUN

PCG staff now report for work on alternate days but the office hours are as before (File)

The Philippine Consulate General has shifted to work-from-home arrangement for some of its staff in response to a call from the Hong Kong government for offices to help reduce the number of people on the streets and stop the surge in coronavirus cases.

“We have shifted to work from home as an alternative mode starting (Tuesday),” said Consul General Raly Tejada. “We now have two teams alternately reporting for work.”

But, he quickly added that the office hours of the Consulate remain the same.

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During the third wave of infection in early July to August 2020, the Consulate also allowed its staff to work from home on alternate days, and also shortened its work hours.

Since Feb 4, Hong Kong government staff, save for those providing essential services, have been told to work from home for a week amid fears of mass outbreak of infections after the Lunar New Year holidays.

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With the cases continuing to mount, it is likely that the arrangement which is due to end Friday, will be extended for at least another week.

In announcing the new work arrangement, the Civil Service Bureau appealed to employers in the private sector to also allow their staff to work from home to minimize social contacts among them and reduce pedestrian traffic.

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Congen Tejada also allayed fears that unvaccinated people will no longer be allowed to enter the Consulate starting on Feb 24 when the vaccine pass scheme is due to take effect.

“We will not discriminate,” he said. “Pagsisilbihan po natin ang lahat ng Filipino.” (We will serve all Filipinos.

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The fear appears to stem from the government’s statement that private premises where many people gather like malls, supermarkets, department stores, churches and even beauty salons, will soon be requiring people to show proof of vaccination before being allowed entry.

United Centre building where the Consulate and the Philippine Overseas Labor Office are located, is partly commercial, so it could technically fall under the mall category.

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But in explaining the new regulation, the Permanent Secretary for Food and Health Thomas Chan said there will be no one checking for vaccination proof of everyone entering the scheduled or restricted premises. Instead, random checks will be conducted to ensure people inside the premises had at least one dose of a Covid-19 vaccine.

But he also said offices (like the Consulate) are exempted from the vaccine and social distancing regulations.

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HK posts record-high 1,161 Covid-19 cases with 2 new deaths

By Daisy CL Mandap 

The government aims to test 300k people daily amid HK's worst Covid-19 outbreak

Even with the strictest pandemic protocols in place, Covid-19 cases have continued to surge in Hong Kong, with the number of cases breaching the 1,000 mark for the first time today, Feb 9.

Dr Chuang Shuk-kwan of the Centre for Health Protection said at the daily news briefing that a total of 1,161 confirmed cases were recorded as of midnight last night. Another 800 have been reported as preliminary positive.

All but eight of the new cases were locally acquired, and as in the past few days, most could not be immediately linked to a previous infection.

For the first time in about half a year, two new deaths were also reported.

Dr Larry Lee, a chief manager of the Hospital Authority, said two elderly male patients passed away at Caritas Medical Hospital early this morning, taking the death toll to 215.

One was a 73-year-old man who was admitted to the hospital “in dire condition” and died at 4:45am. He had two doses of Sinovac vaccine.

The other fatality was a 76-year-old man with pulmonary diseases who also passed on early this morning. He was unvaccinated.

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Of the 1,990 patients still receiving treatment in public hospitals, two are now in critical condition, an 80-year-old man who is not vaccinated and a 57-year-old who received vaccination.

Three are in serious condition. Two of them, both males aged 50 and 56, each had a dose of a Covid vaccine. The third is a 77-year-old woman who is unvaccinated.

Lee again urged everyone, especially the elderly, to get vaccinated, saying that most of those suffering from severe symptoms now were either not fully jabbed, or had not been vaccinated at all.

Isolation wards and beds at public hospitals are near to capacity 

He also disclosed that 90% of all isolation beds and wards in public hospitals are now fully occupied while about 200 patients with little or no symptoms have been moved to the isolation facility at Penny’s Bay.

Meanwhile, 606 people identified as close contacts or second-level contacts are now under home quarantine for either 14 or four days.

Lee said that because hospitals are nearing full capacity, a new protocol for discharging patients will be implemented.

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Patients who have no symptoms need not wait anymore for 10 days to be discharged. They will be allowed to go home and continue their medical surveillance there for 14 days.

Those who experience mild symptoms and have not been tested are being urged not to go to hospitals, but to a private clinic or hospital. “If you test positive, ask a relative or a courier to submit a sample for confirmatory test,” he said.

If the second test also yields a positive result, Lee said the patient has to stay at home and wait to be booked in a hospital.

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“Some patients may need to wait for a few days to be sent to a hospital,” he said, adding that a hotline will be provided for those with urgent concerns.

Lee disclosed plans to set up more community isolation facilities like the one in Penny’s Bay for patients with mild or no symptoms, and reserve hospital spaces for those with more severe symptoms.

He also called on retired health workers to step up and help the Hospital Authority cope with the worsening situation, and for those with health experience to help man the hotline for patients.

Asked about the 79 hospital staff who were stricken by the virus recently, Lee said they were infected in the community and not at the workplace. While admitting that their infection has brought more hardship, hospitals are determined to continue providing care to those who need it.

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·         Chuang said there are about 1,400 cases still deemed as untraceable, and 500 of them were from yesterday’s confirmed cases. The cases were mostly detected in Sham Shui Po, Yuen Long, Tai Po, Kowloon City, Wong Tai Sin, Kwun Tong and Shatin – places where previous outbreaks had been recorded.

Thus, she said experts believe that these untraceable cases within the same area had some from the same source, although a direct link to one particular case has yet to be established.

·         She said many of the cases were still from big family gatherings held over Chinese New Year. Many of those infected are homemakers, elderly people and retirees who do not usually go out much except to go the market or have an occasional meal out.

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Asked about the mass testing ordered for Discovery Bay residents, Chuang said she did not have details of the waste water there testing positive for the coronavirus. But she did say a number of cases had been detected among several people working as cleaners, customer service and concierge staff at Discovery Bay Plaza.

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Court throws out employer’s theft accusation vs Filipina helper

 

The Filipina was cleared of the theft charge at Kowloon City Courts

A Filipina who was accused by her former employer of stealing items ranging in value from two notebook computers to a hair clip, was cleared of theft charges today at the Kowloon City Courts.

Liezel S. Yape, 39, from Dumaguete City, burst into tears as she listened to an interpreter translate to Cebuano the verdict being read in English by Magistrate Chung Wing-sze. She then hugged barrister Belinda Ma, who defended her in the case.

Yape’s ordeal began when her employer, Alice Li, 72, accused her of stealing several items from the house on June 28 last year.

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According to the magistrate’s recounting of facts, Li and Yape had just returned to the employer's house in Tsim Sha Tsui after its renovation. They had to stay in a hotel previously. 

Yape was unpacking household items – contained in 60 boxes labelled in Chinese -- under her employer’s supervision when Li asked about a number of items that she felt were missing. When Yape could not tell her where the items were, Li accused her of stealing them and called the police.

Officers searched Yape’s sleeping area, and found three items containing her belongings -- a luggage, a rucksack and a handbag. In the luggage was a tablet computer which Yape said Li had given to her and which Li said she stole. Yape was arrested but released two days later, after posting bail of $2,500.

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Yape  and a cousin later went back to Li’s house and asked for her passport and personal belongings that were left behind when she was arrested, but the employer refused to let them in. She said she needed police permission to release Yape’s belongings. So the two asked for police help, and two officers arrived.

When Li showed police the three items that Yape was claiming, they were found to contain the tablet computer, two notebook computers, an external hard drive, a cable, a baking thermometer, measuring spoons, an alarm clock, sandals, earrings, a box of hand sanitizers, a pair of sunglasses – even a hair clip which Li claimed to be hers. 

These and Yape's three bags were held as evidence for the court case.

As holding someone else’s passport was a crime, Li was persuaded by police to return Yape’s passport.

In court, Li testified as prosecution witness along with two policemen. Yape did not.

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In her decision, Magistrate Chung described Li’s testimony as “incredible” and “may not have been truthful.” She also noted that Li’s answers were indirect and unsure in some instances.

For example, she said that when police first inspected Yape’s three bags, they found only her belongings inside. The second time these were inspected, they contained the things which Li claimed were stolen by Yape. 

During the period between the two police inspections, Yape was not able to enter Li’s house and could not have touched her bags, Magistrate Chung noted.

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As to the tablet computer which Li accused Yape of stealing, Magistrate Chung said Yape unlocked it with her own password, which indicated that she had openly used it in Li’s presence before and therefore could not have been stolen.

She noted that Li also stored some of her own belongings in Yape’s sleeping quarters, which was an open area.

Magistrate Chung also noted that Li had hired and fired four domestic helpers before Yape in the previous three years.

After acquitting her, Magistrate Chung ordered Yape's belongings returned to her.

With the case behind her, Yape said she was anxious to have her visa extended at Immigration so she could find another employer and be able to resume remittances to her two children, and to the Consulate for advice on what to do next. 

One possible next step: go to the Labour Department and claim for benefits she is entitled to, against her employer.

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