Newly arrived travelers in HK may now take taxi to their quarantine hotels

By The SUN

 

Transport and health officials check out the designated quarantine taxis outside the airport

Inbound travelers who want to get to their quarantine hotels quickly after clearing arrival procedures at Hong Kong airport may now take one of 100 taxis specifically designated for this purpose.

This was announced by the government in a statement issued earlier today, Monday, in which it also said the new arrangement will be on a trial basis for now.

Passengers who opt to take a designated taxi instead of the free shuttle provided by the government will have to pay the metered fare directly to the driver, plus additional charges as may be applicable, such as tunnel tolls and luggage fees.

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The designated taxis operate from 8am to 2am daily and can be boarded at a specified place just outside the airport. Travelers who wish to take them should inform staff at the airport’s arrival hall after going through immigration and claiming their bags.

The government said the designated taxis will be prominently labeled for easy identification.  They can only transport new arrivals to their quarantine hotels, and will not be allowed to pick up any other passengers.

In its statement, the government said passengers in these taxis must use the back seats - and no one shall be allowed to sit beside the driver.

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Apart from being able to take a taxi to their quarantine hotels, travelers can also opt to take the self-paid limousine service provided by about 10 hotels. Passengers who wish to avail of this transport option should contact their hotels in advance to book a place.

The government said it has instructed operators and drivers of taxis and limousine service on anti-epidemic guidelines. These include requiring drivers to wear protective equipment, including masks and protective gowns; and to fully clean and disinfect the inside compartment of the cab after each trip.

Meanwhile the Health Bureau has reportedly asked the operator of the free point-to-point shuttle service to adjust their schedule and routes so more inbound travelers could avail of their service.

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Since passenger arrivals have increased in the past four months, the number of routes followed by the free shuttle coaches has gone up to 18. Each route covers three to five hotels and the travel time for each trip is less than two hours.

The operator of the hotel shuttle has added more staff to assist passengers and will explore the possibility of using information technology to enhance its service.

The government said it will closely monitor the operation of the various transport services that have been made available to all inbound travelers and will make adjustments as necessary.

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Yesterday, the government announced another measure aimed at speeding up the clearance procedure at the airport for all inbound travelers.

From Thursday, all Hong Kong-bound passengers will be asked to make an online health declaration and then obtain a QR code which they will need to present at check-in before they are allowed to board their flight.

Currently, passengers who fail to make an online health declaration are still allowed to board their flights to Hong Kong. They are given a printed health declaration form which they can either fill up aboard the plane or on arrival at the airport.

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Mga OFW, nanawagan na itigil ang pwersahang singilin sa kanilang 'SONA'

 

Ang ilan sa mga lider na nagsalita sa SONA ng mga migrante sa Hong Kong

Nanawagan ang mga grupong migrante sa pamahalaan ni Pangulong Ferdinand Marcos Jr., na magbibigay ng kanyang kauna-unahang  State of the Nation Address (SONA) bukas sa harap ng Kongreso, na itigil na ang pwersahang paniningil ng mga bayaring gaya ng PhilHealth, Pag-IBIG at Mandatory Insurance.

Isa ito sa mga isyu na tinakakay sa SONA ng mga Migrante sa Hong Kong na idinaos sa harap ng gusali ng Konsulado ngayon (July 24) upang iparating sa pamahalaan ng hinaing ng mga OFW.

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 “Nakaamba po ngayong Agosto ang pagpapataw ng mandatory Pag-IBIG at ang kapalit po nito ang hindi pagbibigay ng OEC (overseas employment certificate) kung hindi tayo magbabayad,” puna ni Dolores Balladares ng Asian Migrants Coordinating Body.

Idinagdag niya na dapat ding pagtuunan-pansin ng gobyerno ang mga isyu na gaya ng illegal recruitment at illegal collection, na nagpapahirap sa maraming OFW.

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“Nakikiisa rin tao sa panawagan ng ating pamilya sa pagbaba ng presyo ng mga bilihin, ng mga bayarin ng ating pamilya, ng presyo ng langis,” ika niiya.

“Nais po natin na sa pangmatagalan, hindi na mapwersa ang ating mga kababayan na lumabas ng bansa upang magtrabaho,” dagdag niya.

Ipinaliwanag naman ni Tess Campo Olleta, ang tagapagsalita ng Mamamayang Liberal, ang dahilan ng pagtutol sa sapilitang pagsingil ng PhilHealth contribution sa mga OFW.

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“Ang Universal Health Care Law, na kung saan nakapaloob ang mandatory PhilHealth contribution, ay napirmahan ni (Pangulong Rodrigo) Duterte noong March 14, 2019. Kung naalala nyo, proud na proud silang ibinalita sa publiko na ang Universal Health Care daw ay regalo sa mga Pilipino. Nagawa ang IRR (implementing rules and regulations) at naging epektibo noong Dec. 7, 2019.

“Nagpapogi, yun pala ipapapasan sa mga OFW,” dagdag niya. “Trilyones ang inutang ng gobyerno sa ilalim ni Duterte, hindi man lang naalalang pondohan ang pinagmamalaki nilang regalo sa mga Pilipino.

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“Para hindi mahalata ang kanilang pambubudol, inutay-utay ang pagtaas ng mandatory PhilHealth contribution. Nagsimula ng 2019 sa 2.75 per cent ng buwanang sahod, 2020 nasa 3 per cent, at ngayong 2022, nasa 4 per cent na o hindi lalagpas sa P3,200 kada buwan, o P38,000 kada taon. Sa 2023, 4.5 per cent ang taripa. Sa 2024 at 2025, nasa 5 per cent na ang kailangan nating bayaran sa PhilHealth buwan-buwan.

“Kung ang OFW ay hindi nakapagbayad buwan-buwan, at kung sakaling umuwi para magbakasyon pagkatapos ng dalawang taong kontrata, yung maiipon na bayarin sa dalawang taon ay papatungan ng compounded interest.

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“Ang isang OFW para makakuha ng OEC ay kailangang bayaran ang PhilHealth. Hindi tayo papaligtasin.  Halos aabutin ng P40,000 ang kailangang bayaran sa PhilHealth para lang makabalik sa trabaho,” ika niya. “At sa pagkakataon na paalis na saka tayo sisingilin ng mandatory OFW PhilHealth contribution na hindi naman magagamit dahil may sarili tayong insurance na provided ng amo.”

At, dagdag niya, “hindi natin nakakalimutan ang P50 bilyong anomalya sa PhilHealth.”

Ang ilan pang nagpahayag ng kanilang opinion ay mga kinatawan ng Tropang Angat, Filipino Migrant Workers Union, Gabriela Hong Kong, Unifil-Migrante HK, Bayan Hong Kong & Macau at iba pa.

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HK to test mandatory e-health declaration system for inbound travelers

By The SUN

 

HK will test the 'no health declaration QR code, no boarding' system from Thursday

Hong Kong says it will start testing an updated electronic health declaration form from Thursday that travelers will have to complete to get a QR code before boarding their flights to the city.

A statement issued by the government on Sunday said that if the trial is a success, the new system will be adopted next month.

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The new health code system is aimed at reducing the waiting time for inbound travelers at Chek Lap Kok prior to being cleared for their mandatory hotel quarantine.

"Completing the health declaration prior to boarding allows smoother arrival quarantine procedures for inbound persons at the HKIA," the statement said.

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"It will also facilitate the gradual introduction of electronic processing of arrival quarantine procedures, thereby reducing the need for manual processing and hence the waiting time and bottlenecks.”

The statement said most inbound travelers now use the electronic system which was introduced in Hong Kong as early as June 2020, but some still fill out health declaration forms on arrival, holding up the processing for those who have already completed the form.

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From Thursday, everyone must fill out the form electronically so they can download the QR code which they need to present at the check-in counters. The QR code will be valid for 96 hours, which means travelers can complete the health declaration form as early as four days before their scheduled arrival in Hong Kong.

With the upgraded e-health declaration system, inbound travelers will be required to provide, on top of the health and quarantine declaration, proof of completion of vaccination and reservation reference numbers of designated quarantine hotels (DQHs).

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During the trial run, inbound persons still need to present these documents when boarding a flight, but those who cannot produce the relevant QR code will still be allowed to board.

However, once the trial run is completed, all travelers will be required to present the health declaration QR code before they can board a flight to Hong Kong.

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If the trial run is successful, the government said it plans to upgrade the e-health declaration system by next month.

With the enhanced system, the pre-boarding documentation process will be gradually digitalised to include verifying proof of vaccination and DQH reservations. The verified information will then be integrated into the e-health declaration QR code, allowing passengers to go through the pre-boarding and arrival procedures a lot faster.

The same e-health registration system is already being implemented by the Philippines through OneHealthPass, which inbound travelers should complete within 72 hours of boarding their flights.

All arriving travelers must complete a form to register their personal data, health and flight information before they can get a QR code, which they must present when checking in. Failing to present the QR code could result in the traveler being offloaded from the flight.

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HK reports 4,250 new Covid cases, 8 deaths

By The SUN

 

Health expert says beds in public hospitals should be reserved for patients with severe illness

Hong Kong’s daily coronavirus tally has topped the 4,000-mark for the fourth straight day while recording eight new related deaths.

Health officials reported a total of 4,250 additional Covid-19 cases on Sunday, of which 186 were imported.

One expert said that given the continuing increase in the number of infections, it is likely that the daily tally could top 10,000 soon.

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The Dean of Chinese University's medical school, Francis Chan, said on a radio interview on Sunday that given the upward trend, he won't be surprised if the numbers went up to beyond 10,000.

Given this, he said beds at public hospitals should be reserved for patients with serious complications.

“For public hospitals, we have limited number of beds, so we can only cater for those with more severe illnesses or those with complications," he said.

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Chan repeated an appeal for everyone to get their booster shots if they have not done so yet.

At the daily press briefing on the Covid situation, Dr Larry Lee of the Hospital Authority said the newly reported deaths comprised four males and four females, aged between 75 and 103 years old.

Half of the deceased had not been vaccinated, two had one jab each, one had two jabs, and one had a third or booster shot.

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They took the death toll in the fifth wave of the infection to 9,256.

Lee also said an additional 172 patients were admitted to hospitals overnight, raising the number of those receiving treatment from public hospitals and the North Lantau infection control centre to 1,347.

Among these patients, 26 are in critical condition and 26 are seriously ill. Three of those critically ill are in intensive care units.

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Dr Chuang Shuk-kwan of the Centre for Health Protection said that of the 186 imported cases, 76 tested positive on arrival, 75 during hotel quarantine, and 35 after ending their isolation.

The imported infections came from 51 different countries, and four had at least 10 cases each. The United Kingdom had 31, the United States with 25, the Philippines with 17 and India with 15.

Chuang said health officials remain concerned about the rise in the daily infection tally, as it doubles every two or three weeks.

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She said they hope the numbers don’t spike up too much, and that people will continue to follow pandemic restrictions to prevent a new surge in cases.

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Searing heat to continue for few more days

By The SUN

The very hot weather warning remains in force throughout the week (File)

Hong Kong continued to swelter Saturday, with temperatures rising above 35 degrees celsius in many areas on the day the traditional Chinese calendar associated with the “Great Heat” solar system.

The Observatory said that on average, the maximum temperature recorded for the day was 34.9 degrees, making it the hottest Great Heat day on record.

But in some places in the New Territories, the temperatures were much higher, like in Sheung Shui where the maximum temperature recorded was 38.2 degrees, Yuen Long Park with 37.7 degrees and Tai Lung with 37.5 degrees.

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It was the ninth consecutive day that the Very Hot Weather warning was in force, and the Obsevatory said temperatures will remain at about the same level until Monday before dropping slightly towards the rest of the week.

For Sunday and Monday, the maximum temperature in the urban areas is forecast to remain around 35 degrees, and several degrees higher in the New Territories.

The weather will remain “persistently very hot and fine” for the rest of July, said the Observatory.

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The public is reminded to stay out of the sun as much as possible, drink more water and beware of heatstroke and sunburn.

A doctor interviewed on RTHK said some people had sought treatment recently thinking they had caught Covid-19 because they had low-grade fever and a headache. However, he said these were mild or preliminary symptoms of heat exhaustion of heat stroke.

He advised those who need to work outdoors to take a break under the shade every 30 minutes to prevent heatstroke.

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A statement from the government advised those who engage in outdoor activities to carry and drink plenty of water to prevent dehydration.

"Those engaged in strenuous outdoor activities should avoid beverages containing caffeine, such as coffee and tea, as well as alcohol, as they speed up water loss through the urinary system," said the statement.

Those who are more vulnerable to heat stroke like children, the elderly, obese and those with chronic illnesses such as high blood pressure and heart ailments should take particular care, said the government.

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Other measures that could be adopted are the following:

·       Wear loose and light-coloured clothing to reduce heat absorption and facilitate sweat evaporation and heat dissipation;

·       Avoid vigorous exercise and prolonged activities like hiking or trekking as heat, sweating and exhaustion can place additional demands on the physique;

·       Perform outdoor activities in the morning or the late afternoon;

·       For indoor activities, open all windows, use a fan or use air-conditioning to maintain good ventilation;

·       Do not stay inside a parked vehicle; and

·       Reschedule work to cooler times of the day. If working in a hot environment is inevitable, introduce shade in the workplace where practicable. Start work slowly and pick up the pace gradually. Move to a cool area for rest at regular intervals to allow the body to recuperate.

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When the ultraviolet index is high, everyone is advised to avoid direct exposure of the skin and eyes to the sunlight, use sunscreen lotion, wear a wide-brimmed hat or use an umbrella, and put on UV-blocking sunglasses.

“If symptoms develop, such as dizziness, headache, nausea, shortness of breath or confusion, rest and seek help immediately, and seek medical advice as soon as possible,” said the statement.

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