Covid-19 cases down to 794, as flights from Amsterdam, Vancouver suspended

By The SUN 

Drs Chuang Shuk-kwan and Larry Lee at the daily Covid briefing 

Health officials have confirmed 794 new Covid-19 cases, the second day in a row that the daily infection tally has fallen to below 1,000.

Among the new cases were 12 imported from overseas, including nine travellers who arrived yesterday and three who were already undergoing hotel quarantine.

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Of the new arrivals, four came on flight KL819, three on CX865, one on flight 3S516 and one on TR980. As a result, flight KL819 from Amsterdam and CX865 from Vancouver were both suspended for a week in line with anti-pandemic restrictions.

Dr Chuang Shuk-kwan of the Centre for Health Protection said of the day’s infections, 499 were confirmed through PCR tests and 345 were reported by people who self-tested using rapid antigen tests.

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Chuang said the total tally from the fifth wave of the pandemic now stands at 1,184,447.

Dr Larry Lee of the Hospital Authority reported 41 deaths involving Covid patients, which pushed the fatality toll to 8,897.

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Among these, 34 were recorded in public hospitals on Friday. Among them, 14 were residents of elderly homes, 13 had no vaccination record and 31 were aged above 65.

The three relatively younger patients were two men aged 55 and 57, and a 44-year-old woman who all suffered from chronic diseases.

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The older man had been at Ruttonjee hospital since since suffering a stroke on Feb 22. He tested positive on Apr 10 and died yesterday. He had two doses of a Covid vaccine.

The younger man had one vaccine dose and suffered from lung cancer. He was admitted to the emergency room of Princess Margaret Hospital on March 14 and tested positive for Covid on April 2.

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As for the woman, she suffered from a heart condition and a kidney disease. She was admitted to the emergency room of Yan Chai Hospital on Mar 24 and tested positive for Covid the same day.

Lee also reported seven deaths between March 7 and Thursday that were not logged on time, involving two men and five women aged 81 to 91.

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As of the latest bulletin, 8,280 patients are still confined at public hospitals and other treatment facilities.

Among them, five are in critical condition and are among 52 in intensive care while three are in serious condition.

A total of 802 patients have recovered and been discharged.

Dr Chuang repeated the call for children to get vaccinated ahead of the resumption of face-to-face classes after the Easter holidays.

Record daily tally of 3,400 posted in Overseas Voting

By Daisy CL Mandap

 

Another busy day at the name and precinct verification desk
 

The Good Friday tally in the ongoing overseas voting for Filipinos in Hong Kong has surpassed the number set last Sunday, when the queuing had to be stopped because of huge crowds and inadequate vote counting machines.

Consul General Raly Tejada gave a rounded figure of about 3,400 for the day’s turnout, citing a resolution from the Commission on Elections that purportedly says they cannot give out information on the daily tally.

For Thursday, he also gave a ballpark figure of “more than 1,700”.

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On Sunday, the turnout reached a total of 3,285 despite the quick cut-off when police were overwhelmed by the huge number of people that turned up from the early hours at Bayanihan Centre where the month-long voting is being held.

Using all the numbers supplied so far by the Consulate, the total voters’ turnout for the past six days is already at least 13,292 - with the daily tally never dipping below 1,000 even on a weekday.

With the next few days being general public holidays and with the number of VCMs and the corresponding precincts having been doubled since Tuesday, the number could swell up further.

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This means, Congen Tejada’s forecast that this year would register the biggest turnout in the history of overseas voting in Hong Kong could well be true.

Queuing outside Bayanihan for overseas voting always starts early 

Long queues were seen at Bayanihan even before polling started at 8am, but the feedback from the voters had been generally positive.

However, by the end of the day, an obviously irked Consul Bob Quintin who is tasked with overseeing the overseas vote, posted an advisory on Facebook reminding poll watchers not to try to lord it over (maghari-harian) at the polling venue.

Without naming names or mentioning any party affiliation, Consul Quintin warned the poll watchers that they are not supposed to interrupt proceedings inside the precinct and to follow orders from the Special Board of Election Inspector (SBEI).

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He also warned the watchers not to do live video reports while inside Bayanihan, or face being reported to Comelec.

“Most of all, you are also not supposed to be conducting exit polls or any form of survey outside the Bayanihan while you are serving as Poll Watchers,” he said.

“Please be reminded that we have the discretion to cancel your accreditation immediately for cause,” he said.

The warning came after a known supporter of presidential aspirant Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. was reportedly pictured doing a live report and whispering to voters going up to Bayanihan while wearing a volunteer’s ID.

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But supporters in the same camp belied this, with one challenging Consul Quintin to immediately accost offenders in the act if they were indeed abusing their volunteer privilege.

Pollsters outside Bayanihan are shown in the photo shared by a Facebook commenter

Others applauded Quintin’s move and said they had indeed seen people conducting surveys outside  the polling place while wearing poll watcher’s IDs.

Quintin emphasized that the role of a poll watcher is to observe proceedings, nothing more.

“Ang priority sa loob ng botohan ay ang botante. Your role is to observe and inform yourselves of the proceedings. Kung hindi kayo makakatulong, e huwag na lang din kayong dumagdag sa mga problema,” he said.

(The priority inside the polling place is the voter. Your role is to observe and inform yourselves of the proceedings. If there’s nothing you can do to help, do not add to the problem.).

Earlier, he warned that since there was an expectation that a large number of voters would turn up, more police officers would be deployed in the vicinity.

He also said that because it was Good Friday, voters should emulate Christ’s example of humility, forgiveness and love for one another.

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CE cancels daily press conference as Covid-19 case fall below 1k

By The SUN

 

CE Lam holds the last of her daily press briefings as the number of Covid-19 cases dropped to 946

Health authorities reported Friday that the number of newly confirmed Covid-19 infections fell to 946, the first time it has dropped to below 1,000 since Feb. 10.

The report was followed by an announcement from the government that Chief Executive Carrie Lam will no longer hold daily press briefings on Covid-19 starting Saturday, due to the easing of the pandemic situation.

CE Lam had earlier said the press briefings would be cancelled when Hong Kong’s daily caseload fell to below 1,000.

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But the statement said the CE will continue to meet the press, including the Tuesday morning sessions she holds before attending the Executive Council meeting.

She started holding the 11am briefings on Mar 9 when the fifth wave of the infection surged to record levels.

Friday’s figures included 471 cases that were detected via PCR tests, while 475 were declared by people who did rapid self-tests. They took the infection tally from the fifth wave to 1.196million.

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Eleven of the cases were imported. Four came in from Doha and tested positive on arrival, prompting a seven-day suspension of the Qatar Airways flight.

Officials also reported 67 additional deaths, including those of 36 people who passed away on Thursday.

The youngest among them was a 59-year-old woman who was unvaccinated and had a vascular disorder. She was also suspected of having lung cancer.

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The death toll from the Omicron wave has now risen to 8,856, with the fatality rate at 0.748 percent.

Dr Chuang Shuk-kwan from the Centre for Health Protection said the reproductive number of local cases, as measured by the University of Hong Kong, is now around 0.4, suggesting that the city’s virus situation is no longer on an upward trend.

But she said the daily figure is still high compared to the peak periods during the previous two waves.

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She again urged people to wear masks and maintain personal hygiene as people turned out in droves on the first day of the Easter holidays, which will last until Monday.

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Ban on multiple household gatherings to be lifted, 4 to a group allowed from Apr 21

By The SUN 

CE Lam says the lifting of gathering restrictions will be done gradually

The gradual relaxation of social distancing rules will go ahead as planned starting on Apr 21, or a week after the Holy Week break.

This was announced by Chief Executive Carrie Lam who was joined in her press conference today by Health Secretary Sophia Chan and Leisure and Cultural Services Director Vincent Liu.

Among the changes that will come into effect are: allowing up to four people to gather in public, removing the ban on household gatherings, and allowing restaurants to serve dinner and operate until 10pm, and sit up to four people to a table, instead of two.

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Most other premises that were  ordered to close – including theme parks, sports venues, beauty and massage parlours, gyms, cinemas and churches - will be allowed to reopen but can only operate at 50 percent of their capacity and everyone must wear masks.

Bars and pubs, however, will remain shut.

CE Lam said the relaxation of rules will surely pose risks of a new Covid outbreak, but it is important to balance this with the need for life to return to normal.

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“At this point in time and into the near term, Hong Kong is much, much better prepared to handle another wave. Nobody wants a sixth wave, but if a sixth wave hits us, we are now much, much better prepared,” she said.

Pointing to the thousands of isolation and quarantine rooms that have been built or designated, as well as the ample supply of Covid vaccines, she said “it will be very, very unreasonable and perhaps unacceptable” to continue to close the premises.

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In addition to reopening the scheduled premises, Chan said certain cinemas can also serve food and drinks if their staff and all visitors inside the venue are triple-jabbed except children under the age of 12 or are newly recovered Covid patients.

Local tours will also be allowed to resume if all participants are vaccinated.

Chan says there will be no more restrictions on private gatherings

The existing rule prohibiting the gathering of members of two households in private homes will be scrapped totally.

“Starting Apr 21 we will lift the rule against the mixing of more than two households in private premises,” said Chan.

But outdoor gatherings will still be restricted to only four people to a group.

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The CE reminded people to continue observing the stricter protocols during the Easter holidays which start tomorrow, especially the wearing of face masks when they’re out in public.

She also said no details of the next phase of the relaxation of social distancing measures were announced because they want to monitor the situation after the East holiday, and take into account any sudden increase in confirmed cases that might occur.

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Paalala ng Labour sa mga FDH; dalawahan pa rin sa grupo

Ang Central, gaya nitong bungad ng underpass patungong City Hall, ay isa sa babantayan.

Nagpaalalang muli ang Labour Department sa mga foreign domestic helper na labag sa batas ang magkumpol nang sobra sa dalawa katao at hindi pagsuot ng facemask sa mga pampublikong lugar, para ngayong semana santa.

Sa isang patalastas, sinabi ng Labour na magpapakalat ng mga tauhan ang ilang ahensiya ng gobyerno upang magpaala sa pamamagitan ng sound system sa mga FDH na nakaistambay sa mga lugar na gaya ng Central, Tamar Park sa Admiralty, Victoria Park sa Causeway Bay, North Point Promenade, sa footbridge sa Mong Kok Road, Star Ferry Pier sa Tsim Sha Tsui, Morse Park sa Wong Tai Sin, at Tseung Kwan O Waterfront Park.

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Ang multa sa mga mahuhuling lumabag ay $5,000.

Maliban sa Labour, ang mga ahensiyang kasama sa operasyon at may kanya-kanyang batas na ipinatutupad ay ang Hong Kong Police Force, Food and Environmental Hygiene Department, Home Affairs Department at Leisure and Cultural Services Department.

Ipinayo rin ng Labour na mas mabuting magpahinga na lang muna sa bahay kung maaari upang maiwasang mahawaan ng Covid-19.

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Kasabay nito ang paalala rin sa mga employer na may karapatan ang mga FDH na mag day off.  Dapat ay sang-ayon lagi ang FDH na hindi lumabas kundi ay labag ito sa pinirmahan nilang kasunduan ng employer.

Batay sa Employment Ordinance, kung magkasundo man ang dalawang panig na hindi muna lumabas ang FDH ay dapat na bigyan siya ng kahaliling day off sa loob ng buwan ding iyon.

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“An employer who compels his/her FDH to work on a rest day without the agreement of the FDH or fails to grant rest days to the FDH is in breach of the Employment Ordinance and is liable to prosecution and, upon conviction, to a maximum fine of $50,000,” dagdag ng Labour. (Ang amo na pumilit sa kanyang FDH na magtrabaho sa kanyang araw ng pahinga na walang pagsang-ayon ang FDH o hindi magbigay ng araw ng pahinga sa FDH ay lumalabag sa Employment Ordinance at pananagutan sa batas at, kung mahatulan, ay magmumulta ng hanggang $50,000.)

Kung may hindi pagkakaunawaan sa gitna ng FDH at kanilang amo, pwede silang tumawag sa FDH hotline 2157 9537 (manned by 1823), mag- email sa fdh-enquiry@labour.gov.hk o sa online form sa www.fdh.labour.gov.hk.

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Tinawag naman ang Gabriela, isang grupo ng kababaihang Pilipino, ang pahayag na ito ng Labour na  diskrimisnasyon laban sa mga migrant domestic worker (MDW).

Sinabi ni Shiela Tebia Bonifacio, pinuno ng Gabriela: “Sa halip na magbigay ng panuntunan para sa lahat ng mga taga HK ay sini-single out na naman ang mga MDWs na para bang sa mga area lamang ng mga migrante posibleng magkaroon ng virus infection. Nagkakaroon din ng malaking tipunan sa loob ng mga malls, MTR (at) market ngunit hindi nila dito iniimpose ang istriktong social distancing.

Dagdag niya: “Bakit sa tuwina ang pinupuntirya ng LD ay ang day off ng mga MDWs habang ang mga lokal na residente sa HK ay malayang nakakalabas-masok sa bahay?

“Sa halip na idiscriminate ang mga MDWs, mas mabuti na ang ipanawagan ng LD sa HK society ay mag-ingat ang lahat at isama sa protective scheme ang mga domestic workers. Dahil hindi sagot sa virus ang hindi paglabas ng mga MDWs.”

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New Omicron BA.5 variant detected in imported case

By The SUN 

So far, the Omicron BA.4 and BA.5 variants have not been seen to be more severe or infectious 

Health authorities have reported detecting BA.5, a new Omicron variant that is being monitored by the World Health Organization in a male traveler from South Africa who arrived in Hong Kong via Ethiopia and Thailand on Apr 6.

Speaking at today’s press briefing on the Covid-19 situation, Dr Chuang Shuk-kwan of the Center for Health Protection said the 24-year-old patient tested negative at the airport but positive on day 3 and 4 of his stay at a quarantine hotel.

He developed symptoms on Saturday, including low-grade fever and coughing, but has now recovered and is continuing his stay in an isolation hotel.

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Chuang said the WHO has yet to determine whether the BA.5, along with BA.4 which is also being monitored, are more severe or transmissible, but Hong Kong will continue to keep an eye on them.

Meanwhile, 23 new imported cases were detected among a total of 1,043 new Covid-19 infections reported today. The overall tally from the Omicron outbreak is now at 1,182,707. 

The patients had flown in from Indonesia, Australia, the UK, Thailand, Singapore, the United States, Korea, Greece, Portugal and the Philippines.

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Among them, 15 arrived yesterday and tested positive at the airport, while 8 were detected while in hotel quarantine.

Of the new cases, 579 were detected from PCR tests while 464 were reported by people who did self-tests.

Hospital Authority’s Dr Larry Lee also reported 54 more deaths linked to Covid, including 33 people who died at public hospitals in the past 24 hours.

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They took the death toll from the fifth wave to 8,789, pushing the fatality rate to 0.74%.

The number of patients still being treated at public hospitals and infection treatment facilities has fallen to 8,702.

However, 58 are in intensive care including the seven who were classified as critical today, while 13 are in serious condition.

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Chuang reminded everyone to pay attention to personal hygiene and practice social distancing ahead of tomorrow’s start of the Easter holidays.

She also warned of a possible rebound in the infection figures when the gathering restrictions are eased starting on Apr 21.

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