HK logs 31,402 Covid cases and 281 deaths

By Daisy CL Mandap 

A doctor at Queen Elizabeth is shown crying from frustration in a viral video

There’s been a marked dip in the number of coronavirus cases reported by Hong Kong Thursday, with the total figure for both PCR and rapid testing cases reaching 31,402, compared with over 58,000 the previous day.

But the reported death toll continued to hover around 300, with 180 being reported to have occurred yesterday, and an additional 101 from as early as Feb 28.

Dr Albert Au of the Centre for Health Protection said 24,390 positive results from PCR tests were recorded in the past day, while 7,012 were added from confirmed reports of from those who tested positive on rapid antigen tests (RAT).

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The new infections took Hong Kong’s Covid-19 tally from PCR tests conducted during the fifth wave to 604,788. There were an extra 41,760 confirmed RAT cases.

Au said it would appear that the infections had peaked between Mar 2 and Mar 4, when more than 50,000 cases were detected from PCR tests alone.

The number dropped to around 30,000 in the next two days, and it now hovers between 25,000 and 30,000.

“Judging from the PCR positive cases, we’re seeing a gradual decreasing trend and probably we have reached the peak.”

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At the same time, he said the figures from RATs look steady, and even dropped to below 10,000 from a high of more than 30,000 the previous day.

But he warned against complacency, saying people should remain indoors to prevent a new surge in cases, pointing out that a daily tally of between 30,000 and 40,000 is still high.

Meanwhile, the Covid-related death toll continued to climb, with 180 patients being reported to have died on Tuesday, with an additional 101 cases recorded from Feb. 28 and Mar 8.

Of the 9,350 patients being treated in public hospitals, 75 are in critical condition while 173 are seriously ill.

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Asked about the continuing rise in the fatality toll, Dr Sara Ho of the Hospital Authority said the “phenomenal surge” in cases, particularly the 50,000 plus that were reported last week, made it difficult for medical staff to cope.

She gave the same reason when asked about a viral video showing a A&E doctor in Queen Elizabeth breaking down while in a meeting with colleagues.

“The situation has been very serious in the past few days,” she said, before giving thanks to all frontline staff who have been battling to keep the surge in cases under control.

Inside North Lantau Infection Control Centre, one of 4 designated hospitals for Covid-19

To better manage the situation, Ho said several hospitals have been designated as all-Covid hospitals, and patient support and care have been enhanced in an effort to cut down on morbidity, mortality and infectiousness.

Ho said that apart from Queen Elizabeth Hospital which was mentioned yesterday, another hospital, the 360-bed Fung Yiu King Hospital will from today start accepting only Covid patients.

In future, Ruttonjee and Haven of Hope Hospitals may also be used exclusively for treating Covid patients.

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Of the 180 patients who died Wednesday, 123 were males and 57 were females, aged 47 to 112 years old.

Ho also said: (1) 94 of the deceased lived in care homes; (2) 122 were not vaccinated while 36 had one jab, 22 had two shots; (3) 167 were aged 65 and above.

Among the notable cases was a 48-year-old man with no pre-existing conditions. He tested positive on a RAT on Mar 6 and on Mar 8, was taken to the accident and emergency department complaining of stomach ache and constipation.

He was tested positive on admission and underwent surgery for viral sepsis which was not related to Covid-19. He passed away yesterday.

The other cases involved patients aged 47, 49, 54 and 57 who all had pre-existing ailments like cancer and kidney failure.

The 101 cases that were reported late involved 57 males and 47 females aged 52 to 103.

As of 9am today, 879 patients were treated and discharged from public hospitals.

The number of hospital staff who got infected rose to 12,554 among whom 4,455 have already returned to work.

Au said a study showed that Kwun Tong had the most number of positive cases detected in the past seven days, at 12.8%, followed by Yuen Long with 9.6% and Sha Tin with 9% of all cases.

There have been a total of 2,937 deaths in the fifth wave, leading to a rise in the death rate to 0.49%. The fatalities were aged from 11 months to 112 years old, with the median age remaining at 85. Five of the fatalities were below 10 years old.

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HK records 58,757 new coronavirus cases and 291 Covid-related deaths

By Daisy CL Mandap

 

CHP says the record daily tally includes 32k positive results from rapid tests

Hong Kong health authorities have reported a total of 58,757 new coronavirus cases Wednesday, including 32,776 that were reported by patients who tested positive using rapid antigen test (RAT) kits.

The remaining 25,991 infections had been confirmed through PCR or nucleic acid tests conducted by public and private laboratories.

The city’s total Covid-19 tally now stands at 585,937.

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The cumulative total is the highest daily tally ever posted for a single day, although previously, the cases that were confirmed only came from PCR tests.

Dr Albert Au of the Centre for Health Protection said that about 9,700 rapid test results were from Mar 6, the day before a platform for reporting RAT infections was set up.

In due time he said the reported daily results will better reflect the actual cases that are confirmed, both from PCR and rapid tests.

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Hospital Authority’s Dr Sara Ho said 195 with Covid died in public hospitals on Tuesday, while 95 more deaths had occurred earlier but were not reported on time.

CHP said another 76-year-old woman with chronic illness who was found dead at home on Mar 7 was found to carry the virus in the morgue.

Ninety-eight of those who died yesterday came from care homes, and 178 were aged 65 years old and above. Nearly 75%, or 145, did not receive any vaccination; 30 had one vaccine dose, 15 had two doses, and 1 had three.

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The youngest fatality, a 41-year-old woman, fainted at home and was found to have brain hemorrhage when she was taken to hospital. She tested positive at the hospital before she died.

Nine other patients who were below 60 years old had chronic diseases like cancer or epilepsy, or required long-term care.

The number of Covid-related fatalities stood at 2,869. Of these 2,656 occurred in the fifth wave of the infection.

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Of the 8,883 patients still being treated at public hospitals, 68 are in critical condition and 107 are in serious condition.

Ho confirmed an announcement made earlier in the day by HA director Tony Ko that 1,500 beds at Queen Elizabeth Hospital will be used to treat Covid patients from Mar. 13.

Other hospitals, like Ruttonjee and Kowloon Hospital, could be similarly transformed in future, depending on need

The conversion of QE to an all-Covid hospital is said to be part of the new strategy to reduce the number of infections and fatalities.

Later in the day the government also sent out an emergency alarm with a message telling residents in both English and Chinese about the conversion of Queen Elizabeth Hospital into a designated Covid-19 facility.

The message alert was meant to remind the public not to proceed to the hospital unless in an emergency or to take a Covid-19 patient for treatment.

The alert system was launched in November 2020 to notify the public via mobile phone networks about emergency situations, such as extreme weather events.

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Universal testing not a priority now, says CE

By The SUN

CE Lam she will hold daily press conferences at 11am to update the people on the Covid situation

In an apparent change of heart, Chief Executive Carrie Lam has said the planned compulsory universal testing is not the government’s main focus in its campaign to control the epidemic, but the need to prevent deaths from Covid-19, especially among the elderly.

Speaking at the first of the daily conferences she said she would be doing while the infection surge continues, Mrs Lam said, “We are still doing the planning and the preparation, but it (universal testing) is not our priority right now.”

She no longer gave a time frame for conducting universal testing, saying the government will be following closely the development of the epidemic to decide when it might be best to launch it.

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In late February, she said universal testing for all of Hong Kong’s 7.4 million residents will be done within this month, with each person being tested three times. Subsequent reports indicated a citywide lockdown might be imposed while the testing is held, prompting panic buying.

Today, Mrs Lam said, “Such a large-scale universal compulsory testing must be decided in accordance with the development of the epidemic situation. I would not ignore the reality just because I have given a date or spoken a statement.”

What the government is focusing on now, according to her, is to prevent more deaths from Covid-19, especially among the elderly.

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She noted that 2,365 people had died in the fifth wave of the epidemic, and most of them were the elderly and unvaccinated residents of care homes.

“We must spare no effort in protecting the lives of our elderly residents,” she said.

As part of such effort, Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Yau Ma Tei will be converted into a Covid-19 hospital. “From today, it will no longer admit non-Covid patients,” Lam said.

In the next three to four days, non-Covid patients at the hospital will be moved to other public or private hospitals.

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In addition, about 9,000 additional beds at other public hospitals will also be reserved for Covid patients.

In future, elderly patients with mild symptoms but require medical care will be moved to isolation facilities located at the Kai Tak Cruise Terminal and seven sports centres.

Altogether, an additional 16,000 beds will be freed up for Covid patients.

Queen Elizabeth Hospital stopped admitting non-Covid patients from today

To further protect elderly people, the government plans to vaccinate all of those who are in care homes by Mar 18, unless they are medically unfit to get the jab.

As a further protection, staff will be placed in a closed-loop arrangement in which they will be made to stay at designated hotels and driven to and from work to prevent them getting infected in the community and bringing the virus back into the care homes.

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As of Tuesday, 690 care homes for the elderly, making up 86.9% of the total, had reported coronavirus outbreaks. A total of 16,200 residents and 4,470 staff had been infected.

Care homes for the disabled have been badly hit as well, with 230 such facilities, or 68.7% of the total, reporting outbreaks. So far, 4,800 residents and 1,710 staff have tested positive.

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USD200 na benepisyo mula sa OWWA para sa nagka Covid, paano makuha?

ng The SUN 

Anunsiyo ng OWWA kung paano makakuha ng 'cash assistance' ang mga nagka Covid-19

Nitong mga nagdaang araw ay inulan ng batikos ang opisina ng Overseas Workers Welfare Administration sa Hong Kong dahil sa mahigpit nitong patakaran sa paggawad ng USD200 na ayuda para sa mga migranteng manggagawa na tinamaan ng Covid-19.

Ayon kasi sa anunsyo na inilathala nila sa kanilang Facebook account, kailangan munang may Gmail account ang isang OWWA member na nagpositibo para masagutan ang isang Google form na naka link sa kanilang official FB account.

Bukod dito, kailangan din nilang mag sumite ng “medical letter/certificate” bilang patunay na nagka Covid-19 nga sila. Pagkatapos ay kailangan pa nilang maghintay ng sagot na email sa kanilang gmail account.

Marami ang nabahala sa patakarang ito, lalo na at ang karamihan ng mga nagpositibo ay sa bahay lang pumirmi para sa kanilang “isolation” habang sila ay nagpapagaling kaya wala silang medical certificate o sulat na maipapakita. 

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Bilang tugon sa mga katanungan, pinaabot ni Welfare Officer Virsie Tamayao sa The SUN ang ganitong sagot: “RT-PCR test result and notifications received through SMS from HKSARG (Hong Kong SAR government) is accepted po.”

Ayon naman kay Consul General Raly Tejada, maari ding mag sumite ng kaparehong patunay kahit ang mga dumaan sa rapid antigen test (RAT) sa pamamagitan ng pag report sa website ng Centre for Health Protection: www.chp.gov.hk/cdpi/

Nitong Lunes lang ay may inilunsad na bagong online platform ang CHP na para lang sa mga dumaan sa RAT na maari ding gamitin: www.chp.gov.hk/ratp

Kapag sumagot daw ang CHP sa pamamagitan ng text message, maari na itong gamitin na pruweba sa pag-apply ng ayuda, ayon kay Congen Tejada.

Ang ganitong text daw ng CHP ay maari nang gamiting pruweba

Ang hirap ng pagpapatunay ng positibong resulta mula sa RAT ay nagbibigay ng problema kahit sa pamahalaan ng Hong Kong. Libo-libo kasi ang noon pa nagpositibo at gumaling na pero hindi na nai-report sa gobyerno nang biglang dumagsa ang bilang ng mga nagkakasakit.

Sa katunayan, sa loob lang ng anim na oras matapos ilunsad ang website para sa mga gumamit ng RAT ay umabot agad sa mahigit 17,000 ang nagpatala na nagpositibo nitong Mar 6 at 7 lang. Hindi muna isinama sa bilang ang mga nagkasakit bago ang mga petsang ito.

Mula sa kabuuang bilang ay mahigit 14,000 ang tinanggap dahil may mga dumoble daw sa paglista. Pero may 2,000 lang ang nakumpirma kinabukasan dahil sila lang daw ang nakapasa ng mga kailangang dokumento, kabilang ang litrato ng kanilang positive na resulta mula sa RAT.

Dahil sa patuloy na kaguluhan at sa dami ng mga tinamaan ng sakit ay malamang na matagalan pa bago ang mga maisaayos ang pagtatala ng mga kaso.  

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Ibig sabihin, lalong mahihirapan ang mga aplikanteng OFW na makakuha ng sapat na pruweba para makuha ang inaasam na ayuda mula sa OWWA.

Heto ang ilan sa mga komento na iniwan sa Facebook page ng OWWA ng mga apektadong aplikante:

“Huwag naman kaming pahirapan kasi nahihirapan na nga kami sa limitadong kilos namin dito sa bahay ng amo namin. Positive kami pero naka home isolation lang kami at yung antigen kit lang ang gamit namin...Pag lumabas kami para magpa medical test e mas may posibilidad na maikalat pa namin ang virus na dala dala namin, sana kaunting unawa naman po…”

“ Bagamat nai report ni amo na positive ako at naka isolation as of now wala namang certificate. If gusto niyo po tumulong sa amin na nag positive bakit need nyo pang madaming hinihingi. Matagal na kaming member ng OWWA pero ni minsan hindi kami nakaranas ng ayuda. Napaka unfair ninyo.”

“Sana pag tumulong lubusin na lang. Kagaya naming nag positive pero sa bahay lang at working pa din kahit sobrang sama ng pakiramdam. Minsan gutom pa. Tumulong na lang ng patas.”

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“ Hello po, mam, paano kung dito lang sa bahay nag quarantine kasi positive po ako kahapon hanggang ngayon. Tumawag si amo sa ospital pero sabi walang nasagot kaya dito na lang ako sa bahay nagkulong.”

“Good morning mam, di ba pwedeng yung mga naka isolate lang sa bahay na nag positive e yung mga amo na lang namin ang magpapatunay na nag positive kami na helper nila? Para maka avail kami ng assistance ng binayaran naming OWWA. Hirap na kami mam sa sitwasyon namin as positive, hirap din kami kumuha ng medical certificate na sinasabi nyong requirement, hoping for your kind consideration mam. Salamat.”

“OWWA Hong Kong, umaasa po kaming masagot po ninyo ang kasagutan sa mga tanong dito para po maging malinaw sa ating mga kababayan na nag positive sa antigen test at nag home quarantine lamang po. Posible po ba na picture na lang ng antigen test result na pirmado ng employer ang ipasa po sa inyo? Maraming salamat po.”

Bagamat marami ang nag home isolation, may ilan din na pinaalis ng amo sa bahay

"Sana bigyan naman nila ng kunsiderasyon yung mga nag positive na naka home quarantine at may legit message from CHP kasi po mahirap din po naging lagay namin na nag positive at  nag isolate sa bahay. Kung magbibigay po kayo ng cash assistance huwag naman ninyo na pong pahirapan yung mga OFW..”

“Pwede po ba yung sick leave certificate from the clinic? Positive po ako at nagpa check up po sa clinic na nag ko cover ng positive cases.”

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“Home quarantine po kami…walang medical certificate kasi di naman sa ospital. LOL.”

“OWWA, siguro naman po nagbabasa kayo ng mga nag co comment dito. Karamihan po ay  home quarantine dahil punuan po ang isolation facility. Saka yun din ang advice ng government, mag home quarantine. Kung tutulong po kayo huwag masyadong mahirap ang hinihinging requirement..”

“Nag email ako, until now no response.”

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Hair salons to reopen but gathering restrictions remain

By The SUN

 

Barber shops and hairdressers are being reopened from tomorrow due to public demand

In response to people’s demands, the government has allowed hair salons and barber shops to reopen while mandating the continued implementation of the social distancing measures until Apr. 20.

A statement issued by the government on Tuesday said, "In view of citizens' actual demand for relevant services..barber shops or hair salons will be allowed to reopen, with the full implementation of the vaccine pass requirement."

This means, anyone who enters these shops must have received at least one dose of a Covid-19 vaccine, and customers must use the LeaveHomeSafe app.

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As before, all staff members and customers must wear a mask at all times.

The other anti-gathering restrictions which will remain enforced during the next 14-day cycle, or from Mar 10 to 23, were gazetted yesterday, in accordance with the Prevention and Control of Disease Ordinance.

However, Chief Executive Carrie Lam had indicated previously that due to the surge in coronavirus cases in the city, all social distancing regulations would continue to remain in effect until Apr 20.

These include allowing no more than two persons to gather together in a public place, prohibiting multi-household gatherings in private premises, cessation of mass events and mask wearing in public, including in all public transportation.

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Most leisure and entertainment places churches will remain closed, while dine-in at all catering establishments after 6pm remains prohibited. But the businesses may remain open for takeaway and food delivery services.

Other restrictions on restaurants such as the prohibition on live performances, dancing, karaoke or mahjong will continue.

Customers who dine in may only take off masks while eating or drinking, and must scan the venue code of the restaurants using the LeaveHomeSafe app on their phones before entering the premises.

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Other venues that may open are event premises that cater to wedding ceremonies subject to a headcount limit, and religious premises used for funerals or weddings, again subject to a stipulated number of people.

The vaccine pass, which took effect on Feb 24, will continue to be implemented in clubhouses, hotels or guesthouses, shopping malls, department stores, supermarkets and markets, but subject to “passive checking” for compliance.

Under Cap 599I, any person who does not wear a mask in public transportation may be asked to leave, required to put on a mask, or disembark. In addition, the offender may be charged and ordered to pay a fine of up to $10,000.

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Other mask-wearing violations will incur a fixed penalty of $5,000.

For prohibited group gatherings, participants will be issued a fixed penalty of $5,000 each. Organizers may be charged and ordered to pay a maximum fine of $25,000 and imprisonment for up to six months.

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HK confirms more than 30k cases & 297 new deaths

By Daisy CL Mandap

 

Dr Au displays graph showing 14,715 verified new RAT cases were received as of midnight last night

The Centre for Health Protection today reported 28,475 newly confirmed PCR cases and an additional 2,018 infections through the newly set up platform for reporting positive results from rapid antigen tests (RATs), for a total tally of 30,493.

The actual figure could be higher, though, as 14,715 new cases reported to the website had been verified, but 12,697 of them could not be confirmed because supporting documents like photos of their HKIDs and positive RAT results were not submitted on time.

The Hospital Authority, on the other hand, reported a staggering 297 Covid-19 related deaths, 160 of which happened within the past 24 hours, and the remaining 127 dating back to as early as Feb. 21 but were not reported on time.

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CHP’s Dr Albert Au said the infection appears to have stabilized based on the recent number of cases detected, but the new reporting platform for RATs would provide authorities with a better picture of the situation.

Au said that as of midnight last night, a total of 17,236 reports were made of positive results obtained between Mar 6 and 7 alone through the new platform: www.chp.gov.hk/ratp.

But upon verification, they found that some of the cases had already been reported to them based on the patients’ HKID numbers that were submitted.

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Responding to queries on why the figures reported were much lower than the 200,000 or so people seen queueing within three hours of the platform being launched, Au said the positive results that were obtained between Feb 26 and Mar 5 were not being added to the tally yet.

But he said these cases will be eventually be added after confirmation “so we can have a more accurate grasp of the extent of the epidemic."

Au also said that while reporting a RAT infection is not mandatory – yet – patients should do so as their failure to report a Covid-19 infection will have future implications on their medical records, as when they should get a new vaccine dose if they need it.

Under Cap559 (A) or the Prevention and Control of Disease Ordinance, the government is also mandated to issue isolation and quarantine orders on people who get infected with Covid-19 and their household contacts so as to prevent the spread of the disease.

A liability could ensue if an infection is not reported, and there is an immuno-compromised person living in the same household whose life was put at risk.

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Au also reported four people with chronic illnesses, three males and one female, who were found dead at home by paramedics, and upon testing in the morgue, were found positive for Covid-19.

Their deaths were not included in the fatality toll which only counts patients who died in public hospitals.

An updated study of the deceased patients showed 94.8% of them were aged 65 and above, and 69.3% were over 80 years old. The death rate among those who were not vaccinated remained 20x more than those who received full vaccination.

Hospital data show the elderly and unvaccinated are at most risk of serious complications

Hospital Authority’s Dr Sara Ho, meanwhile, said 8,359 patients are currently being treated at public hospitals and three infection control centers. Of these patients, 74 were in critical condition and 105, in serious condition. Sixty-nine patients were in intensive care.

The 160 patients who died Monday were made up of 92 males and 68 females aged 4 to 105 years old.

Eighty-six of them came from residential care homes, and 116 had no vaccination dose at all – two factors that again highlighted the need to get more residents there to get vaccinated to save them from serious complications from a Covid-19 infection.

Ho said the case of the four-year-old girl with a congenital heart problem was reported yesterday. She was taken to Queen Mary Hospital after vomiting early on Monday, and was found to have no heartbeat. She was briefly resuscitated but died a few hours later.

She mentioned three other fatalities aged 20, 25 and 36, who all suffered from chronic ailments. The first had a heart condition, the second, cerebral palsy, and the third, both Down Syndrome and cerebral palsy.

The 127 additional deaths that were reported late involved 68 males and 59 females, aged 56 to 102.

A total of 178 recoveries were recorded as of 9am today.

The number of infected HA staff rose to 10,400 but 3,294 of them have gone back to work.

Ho said their focus now is on reducing deaths and infections so more facilities are being retrofitted so they could be used solely for treating Covid patients.

North Lantau Hospital, Tin Shui Wai Hospital and Kwong Wah Hospital have already been converted into Covid-only hospitals.

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