Testing requirements tightened as 7,835 new Covid cases reported

By The SUN 

Those attending banquets will have to show negative results for either a 24-hr RAT or 48-hr PCR test

Starting on Sunday, everyone who attends banquets must present a negative result for a rapid antigen test done within 24 hours, or a PCR test conducted within 48 hours.

This was among the stricter anti-pandemic measures announced by Health Secretary Lo Chung-mau at the daily press briefing on Friday afternoon, during which an additional 7,835 Covid-19 cases were reported.

Also part of new measures is the requirement that workers at all the regulated premises, such as gyms, beauty parlours and mahjong halls, must undergo a rapid test every three days.

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Those who work in care homes will be required to undergo PCR tests on alternate days, as well as staff of the Hospital Authority.

In addition, those who test positive for Covid will be sent to isolation facilities with their families if any of them are at high risk and their living conditions are not suitable.

Patients aged 70 or older who aren’t vaccinated or have received only one jab will also be moved to isolation facilities so they can be looked after, Lo said.

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He urged the public to cooperate when issued with a quarantine or isolation order, such as those given a yellow or red health code. Should it become necessary, law enforcers will be called in.

Dr Lo said that at the current rate of increase of new cases, the number could soon double every two weeks, further burdening the health care system.

He rejected a suggestion that the rising trend is upsetting the government’s plan to further open up the border.

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“I would say that the rising trend should upset everyone in Hong Kong,” he said, adding that this threatens the most vulnerable members of society, like the elderly and the very young ones, for whom vaccination was allowed only a few weeks ago.

“If we cannot control the rising upward rising trend and relieve the burden on our health care system, the further opening up is not a realistic option at this point," he added.

Sec Lo says everyone in HK must be concerned about the rising number of infections

Responding to another reporter’s question as to why Hong Kong is tightening Covid restrictions while other places are relaxing theirs, Lo said:  “I’ve repeatedly emphasised that we are different from other countries.”

“We are glad that we are different from other countries, in a sense that, for example, UK has suffered a very high casualty during the Covid pandemic… We certainly don’t want to copy that.” 

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Among the new infections, 7,665 were locally transmitted, while the remaining 170 cases were all imported.

Seven more related deaths were logged, taking the tally in the fifth wave to 9,437. The fatalities were all males aged 79 to 95. Only three of them had received the third dose of a vaccine.

The number of patients being treated in public hospitals and infection control centers has gone up to 2,324 with 322 new patients being admitted in the past 24 hours.

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Among them, 40 are in critical condition, including 13 in intensive care, while 24 are in serious condition.

Of the 170 imported cases, 55 were detected on arrival at the airport, 38 during the 3-day hotel quarantine,  63 between days 4 to 7; and 12 after 7 days, which are likely re-positive cases.

The imported cases came from 38 countries, and the following had more than 10 positive cases each: United Kingdom, 22; India, 19; the Philippines, 18; the United States, 15.

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Lo stressed that the number of imported cases make up only a small portion of the daily infections.

In fact, while the number of inbound passengers has increased, the number of imported cases has dropped, he said. From about 4% of the total infections, imported cases now account for just 3.6% of the tally.

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Pinay, abswelto sa kasong panloloob

Napawalang-sala si Leah San Esteban sa pagdinig na isinagawa sa West Kowloon Courts.

Isang Pilipina ang napawalang-sala ngayon (Aug. 26) sa District Court sa kasong panloloob at pagnanakaw (burglary), kasama ang isang Indian na lalaki na umamin sa krimen at pinarusahan ng pagkabilanggo.

Ayon kay Deputy District Court Judge Newman Wong, hindi sapat na nakita sa video si Leah San Esteban, 41 taong gulang, na kasamang naglalakad sa Hennessy Road, Wanchai, si Maninder Singh Maria bago ito pumasok mag-isa sa isang gusali doon noong May 9, 2021, para sabihing may kinalaman ito sa krimen.

Isinantabi ni Wong ang akusasyong kasabwat sa krimen si San Esteban, na nagtataglay ng recognizance form - patunay na humihiling siyang huwag pauwiin nang puwersahan sa Pilipinas dahil baka siya saktan o patayin.

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“Kailangang ipakita na alam ni D1 (ang unang nasasakdal na si San Esteban) na may krimeng gagawin si D2 (ang ikalawang nasasakdal na si Maria). Nasaan ang ebidensiya para dito?” tanong ng hukom sa wikang Ingles.

Sa isang video na ipinakita noong dinidinig ang kaso sa West Kowloon Courts, nakitang magkasama ang dalawa nang dumating sa harap ng gusali. Pumasok ang Indian sa gusali at naiwang mag-isa si San Esteban sa kalye.

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Sa isa pang video, nakita si Maria na umaakyat sa gusali at nanghablot ng isang bagay mula sa kisame, pero pagkatapos nito ay walang nakitang bagay na hawak ang lalaki. Paglabas ni Maria sa gusali, sabay silang lumayo ni San Esteban. 

Inaresto ng pulis ang dalawa sa isang silid ng isang malapit na hotel, at doon nakuha ang damit na suot ni Maria nang siya ay manloob sa gusali. Isinangkot ng pulis si San Esteban sa krimen bilang lookout, o taga-bantay.

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Matapos basahin ang kanyang hatol, pinatayo ni Wong si San Esteban. “Dapat mong ituring na suwerte ka sa kasong ito…. Sana ikaw ay maging masunurin sa batas na miyembro ng komunidad,” ika ni Wong.

Nang isara ni Wong ang kaso, pinaligiran si San Esteban ng kanyang abogado at mga kasama nito. “Thank you so much!” ika niya.

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Ipinasok ulit siya sa silid ng mga akusado upang doon antayin ang pagproseso ng kanyang mga papeles at ibalik ang mga ari-ariang sinamsam sa kanya, bago siya palayain.

Si Maria, 34 taong gulang at permanenteng residente sa Hong Kong, ay naiwan sa korte upang patawan ng sentensiya sa kasong ito, at sa isa pang kasong isinabay sa pagdinig.

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Sa dalawang sakdal na iniharap sa kanya sa kaso nila ni San Vicente – dalawang beses na panloloob sa iisang gusali, kung saan kasama si San Esteban sa una at isang hindi kilalang lalaki sa ikalawa  – ay pinarusahan siya ng tig-22 buwang pagkabilanggo, na sabay niyang pagsisilbihan.

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Sa isa pang kaso na sangkot siya, ang tangkang panloloob sa Quarry Bay noong March 24 2021, pinarusahan siya ng walong buwang pagkabilanggo na pagsisilbihan niya pagkatapos ng nauna niyang sentensya. Sa kabuuan ay 30 buwan ang ilalagi niya sa kulungan.

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HK couple acquitted of rape, indecent assault on Filipina DH

By The SUN 

Lai, shown here all covered up in black, is the real victim in the case, says her lawyer

A local Chinese couple accused of conspiring in the alleged rape of their Filipina domestic helper more than four years ago were acquitted of all charges against them on Friday, after a trial that lasted for 15 days at the Court of First Instance.

All seven jurors found Chan Chim-tak, 48, not guilty of rape and attempted rape against the helper, X. His former wife, Lai Chi-san, 36, was also acquitted of the charge of indecent assault and aiding and abetting Chan in raping X.

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The unanimous verdict was reached earlier today after the jury made up of four men and three women deliberated for about four hours.

Afterwards, High Court Judge Alex Lee praised the prosecution and said the verdict was based purely on evidence.

Told about the outcome, X, who had gone back to the Philippines a few days after wrapping up her testimony, was said to be in shock. One of her friends in Hong Kong told The SUN X was in disbelief. “Bakit raw ganun ang hatol?” (Why was the verdict like that?).

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X reportedly said there was no reason why she would have made up such a serious allegation against her former employers.

Chan and Lai both pleaded not guilty to the charges against them. Chan said there was consensual sex between him and X, although he did give the helper $150 afterwards.

Lai, who had maintained that she was taking a shower when Chan and X had sex in the master bedroom, burst into tears when she heard the verdict.

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The court was told Lai had filed for divorce against Chan three days after the alleged rape in their house in Hung Fuk Estate, Yuen Long, on Jan. 21, 2018.

X, who was flown back to Hong Kong from the Philippines to testify in the case, had said it was Lai who suggested she should have sex with Chan.

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Lai allegedly pulled X from the kitchen and dragged her to the room where Chan was, naked. Lai, who was by then also naked, then allegedly touched X’s breast and stimulated Chan so he could succeed in raping the helper.

The day after the incident, X took the couple’s eight-year-old daughter to her school bus stop and went to the police. She brought with her the clothes she had worn during the alleged rape and tissue she had wiped herself with.

Chan (with a hat), claimed he had sex with X as part of  'a deal' 

A medical examination showed Chan’s DNA was found in X’s body. However, on being questioned by the police, Chan said what happened between him and the helper was just "a deal."

Lai’s counsel, on the other hand, had asked X repeatedly if she did not bear a grudge against the female employer who kept telling her off through text messages for not doing her work well.

During cross examination, the lawyers for Chan and Lai questioned X repeatedly about inconsistencies in the statement she gave to the police more than four years earlier and her testimony in court.

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A crucial issue was her use of the word “ginamit” (used) in complaining to a friend, Rose, about the incident, as well as in her police statement; and “hinalay (rape) which she used during her court testimony.

Rose, who also gave evidence, was firm in saying X had told her she had been raped. But towards the end of her testimony, when asked to choose between “sexual intercourse” and “rape” in describing how X had described the event in question, Rose said “intercourse.”

In her closing statement, Lai’s counsel described the defendant as the real victim in the case. After divorcing Chan, Lai moved into a partitioned flat and now works at a tea shop.

The lawyer added Lai wouldn’t be living such a “pathetic life” if she was indeed complicit in the alleged rape.

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Chan’s lawyer, on the other hand, pointed out that X could not have been dragged into the master bedroom by Lai who is visibly frail and small.

The lawyer also said X was lying when she claimed Chan had raped her while his baby was sleeping in a cot inside the room.

The court heard earlier that X arrived in Hong Kong in November 2017 to work for the couple who have an eight-year-old daughter and a baby boy who was then one-and-a-half years old.

After just a month, X said she had wanted to quit because of Lai’s poor treatment of her and of her own children. X served a month’s notice to terminate her contract on Jan. 8, 2018, two weeks before the alleged rape.

X, who has since returned to the Philippines, is married and has two children.

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HK people urged to step up protection as Covid-19 cases top 8,500

By The SUN

 

People are again urged to stay away from large gatherings to curb the spike in Covid-19 cases

Health officials have sounded alarm bells as they reported an additional 8,579 Covid-19 cases on Thursday, a new five-month record.

Dr Albert Au of the Centre for Health Protection said that judging from the rapid rate of increase in the number of infections it now looks certain the 10,000-mark would be reached soon.

Au said if this happens, the added strain on the city’s health system would be severe, and the government might be forced to tighten anti-pandemic restrictions again, with due regard for the possible impact on the economy.

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"There is a quite rapid increase in cases, indicating that the transmission in the community is increasing. There is a need for the general public to take additional precautionary measures in preventing transmission and infection," Au said.

He advised everyone to refrain from attending gatherings and to conduct rapid antigen tests (RATs), especially those in the high-risk category. If they develop symptoms they must test themselves and seek medical attention immediately.

He also said people who go out must ensure that their masks are well-fitted and if possible, to wear those that give better protection, like the N95 surgical masks.

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Dr Larry Lee of the Hospital Authority said the number of Covid patients being treated in public hospitals and treatment facilities have reached 2,234.

Among them, 40 are in critical condition, including 12 in intensive care, and 30 are severely ill.

Nine related deaths were recorded yesterday, which raised the death toll from the fifth wave to 9,430.

The deceased patients were aged 70 to 108, involving four men and five women. Lee said they believe that two of the patients, one man aged 84 and a woman aged 96, did not die of Covid-19.

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Three of the deceased had booster jabs and two had received two doses each. One was unvaccinated, a 90-year-old man who developed pneumonia and tested positive for Covid at Eastern Hospital.

Lee also said five more doctors who attended a wedding banquet on Aug 20 had come down with the virus, raising the tally to 11.

The doctors work at various hospitals, including Baptist and Kwong Wah, but no patients have been identified as close contracts.

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In response to the outbreak, the HA has cancelled the vacation leave of some doctors and adjusted deployments, said Lee.

Au said that of today’s caseload, 297 were imported from 53 countries. They include 144 identified at the airport, 86 in quarantine hotels, and 67 found in community testing centers, of which 9 were detected after Day 7 with high Ct values, indicating re-infection.

Nine of the countries recorded more than 10 infections each, including Thailand, the United Kingdom, India, the Philippines, Singapore, the United States, France, Canada, and Australia. 

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Pinay na may 2 HKID na magkaiba ang pangalan, iwas-kulong

 

Si Mylen Dumali habang pauwi na sa among taga Kennedy Town.

Isang Pilipina na kumuha ng Hong Kong ID gamit ay dalawang magkaibang pangalan, ang nakaligtas sa kulong nang patawan siya ng suspendidong sentensiya ni Deputy Magistrate Fung Lim-wai ng Shatin Magistracy.

“Para akong nabunutan ng tinik,” ika ni Mylene Dumali, 32 taong gulang, nang mapaupo sa lugar na hintayan ng mga tao sa labas ng korte.

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Ayon sa dokumento ng nagparatang sa kanya ng dalawang paglabag sa batas, dumating si Dumali sa Hong Kong noong Sept. 19, 2006 upang magtrabaho bilang domestic helper, gamit ang pangalang Erlinda Munchalog.

Umuwi siyang pansamantala sa Pilipinas, at nang bumalik ay kumuha ng HKID noong Oct. 22, 2021 sa pangalang Mylene Dumali, at sinabi niyang hindi siya nagpalit ng pangalan sa kanyang aplikasyon para sa kanyang visa.

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Ito ang naging basehan ng unang kaso niya, ang  paglabag sa Immigration Ordinance, na nagbabawal sa pagsisinungaling sa isang Immigration officer na gumagawa ng kanyang tungkulin.

Ang ikalawang sakdal, ang paglabag  sa Registration of Persons Regulations, ay dahil sa kanyang pag-apply ng bagong HKID noong May 4, 2022, bilang pagtugon sa kampanya ng gobyerno na palitan ng Smart ID card ang mga lumang HKID. 

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Dito nabisto sa pamamagitan ng fingerprint na mayroon siyang naunang HKID sa ibang pangalan.

Sa paglilitis na ginanap kahapon (Aug 24), iniatras ng taga-usig ang unang kaso laban kay Dumali, at umamin siya sa ikalawa.

Sinabi ng kanyang abogado na naiintindihan na ni Dumali ang kanyang pagkakamali at gusto pa niyang patuloy na magtrabaho sa kanyang among nakatira sa Kennedy Town.

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Dahil sa kanyang pag-amin, binigyan ni Magistrate Fung si Dumali ng 1/3 discount sa sentensiyang tatlong buwan, kaya dalawang buwan ang natira. Pinagmulta rin siya ng $1,000, na kukunin sa kanyang piyansang ganoon din ang halaga.

Pero dahil sinuspendi ni Fung ang sentensiya, hindi na makukulong si Dumali kung hindi na siya magkakasala sa loob ng dalawang taon.

Sa isang panayam matapos ang kaso, sinabi ni Dumali na iba ang ginamit niyang pangalan nang dumating siya sa Hong Kong dahil siya ay 16 na taong gulang pa lamang noon at bawal pang magtrabaho. 

Ikinuha daw siya ng passport na may ibang pangalan ng kanyang dating employment agency  na siya ding naglakad sa kanyang mga papeles.

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