Covid cases top 9k, highest in two months

By The SUN

Health officials give the bleak picture at a rare press conference

Health authorities have reported 9,219 new Covid-19 cases on Thursday, 719 of them imported. This is the first time the daily caseload has topped 9,000 in more than two months.

Thirteen new Covid deaths were also reported, which took the total tally for the past week to 78, or 14.7% more than the previous week. 

The officials warned the elderly could again become more vulnerable, especially with the approach of winter.

Speaking at a rare press conference, Dr Chuang Shuk-kwan of the Centre for Health Protection said the average daily number of cases has risen by 25.6% compared to last week.

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Hardest hit by the renewed surge in cases are schools, with 82% more staff and 32% more students coming down with the virus in the past seven days compared to the previous week.

Residential care homes are also seeing a marked increase in cases, with 44% more institutions being affected in the current week.

Chuang said the surge in cases may be due to a number of factors, such as an increase in social activities as well as the number of travelers, which is turn, has led to a rise in imported cases.

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It could also be due to the waning immunity of vaccinated people, especially those in care homes for the elderly.

She reported that more Omicron variants are now being found locally, including XBB and BQ1.1. However, the dominant variants among local cases are still BA.4/BA.5 and BA.2.

Chuang added the number of cases may keep rising in the coming days.

The CHP noted that there has been a 24% increase in the caseload compared with last week, and that the daily tally has averaged around 7,300. Many of the cases have been recorded in schools and care homes.

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The number of imported cases has also risen, and they now make up 7.4% of all cases. About 55% of the imported cases were detected on the patients’ arrival at the Hong Kong International Airport, and the rest, between days 2 and 7 of their arrival.

The number of people getting hospitalized is also on the upswing, with about 350 new patients being admitted daily.

Currently, around 2,500 Covid patients are admitted in public hospitals, marking a 40% increase since early October.

More than 100 of these patients are in serious or critical condition, which is about 10 more than in the previous week. 

Dr Lee tells people not to panic because the vaccine that targets Omicron is coming soon

Despite the bleak scenario, Undersecretary for Health Dr Libby Lee advised people “not to feel frustrated or panic,” adding that the BioNTech bivalent vaccine which targets the Omicron variant, should be available early next month.

Lee also said the current Covid restrictions will stay in place, and will only be tightened if the public health system becomes unmanageable.

"If the situation turns very, very bad, like the whole medical system is collapsed, patients with Covid or no Covid cannot access any medical services, at this juncture, of course we will need to tighten the social distancing measures," said Lee.

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"Yet this is the last thing we would like to do."

The doctors again advised people to remain cautious and alert, especially about maintaining personal hygiene. They must wash hands more often and wear masks properly.

They should also get tested for Covid-19 more often, either through rapid antigen or PCR tests. Testing becomes particularly necessary when someone feels unwell.

Anyone who tests positive and is not vaccinated should seek medical help at once. But patients who are vaccinated and need help should contact the Hospital Authority instead of rushing to the hospitals’ emergency rooms.

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Pilipinong nakasagasa at nakapatay ng matanda, kulong ng 16 buwan

 

Ang Pilipinong driver na nakasagasa at nakapatay ng isang 69 taong gulang na lalaki sa Wanchai noong July 28, 2021 ay hinatulan ngayon ng 16 na buwang pagkabilanggo.

Pero dahil nakakulong na mula nang mangyari ang aksidente si Roland  Ducusin, 41  taong gulang at may visa bilang domestic helper, inaasahang lalaya siya bago matapos ang buwang ito.

Sinabi ni Deputy District Judge K.K. Leung ng District Court, sa kanyang paglapat ng parusa na ginawa sa West Kowloon Magistracy, na ang pinakamabigat na parusang itinakda ng Road Traffic Ordinance sa pagsanhi ng pagkamatay ng tao dahil sa mapanganib na pagmamaneho, ay 10 taong pagkabilanggo.

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Pero aniya, ang parusang iginawad niya kay Ducusin ay 24 buwang pagkabilanggo dahil ang ganitong klase ng aksidente ay nasa medyo mababang antas ng pananagutan sa batas.

Isinaalang-alang din niya ang pagsisisi ni Ducusin at record nito sa pagmamaneho, na malinis maliban sa pagparada sa isang lugar na bawal kung saan pinagmulta siya ng $400 noon.

At dahil agad umamin si Ducusin sa pagkakasala, binigyan siya ng 1/3 discount kaya naging 16 buwan na lang ang sentensiya niya.

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Kapag inawas ang ilang takdang araw gaya ng mga piyesta opisyal sa kanyang sentensya, ay lalabas na napagsilbihan na niya ito.

Ayon sa demanda, nasagasaan ni Ducusin ang matandang lalaking tumatawid sa King’s Road, habang ang sasakyang minamaneho niya ay papalabas sa Amoy St. sa Wanchai matapos niyang sunduin ang nanay niya na kapwa niya DH sa iisang amo, mula sa isang kalapit na palengke.

Ang pagkakamali niya ay lumiko siyang pakanan, kahit ang mga sasakyang dumaraan sa Amoy St., na one-way at may iisang lane, ay obligadong lumiko pakaliwa ayon sa road sign at dalawang traffic sign sa kanto.

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Nabundol ang tumatawid na lalaki, na kinilalang si Lee Kwok-leung, 69 taong gulang. At dahil umandar pa ng limang metro ang sasakyan ni Ducusin, nasagasaan din ng likod na gulong si Lee, na namatay isang oras matapos dalhin sa kalapit na Ruttonjee Hospital, dahil sa mga nabaling buto at marami pang pinasala sa katawan.

Pinatunayan ng taga-usig ang pagkakamali ni Ducusin sa pamamagitan ng tatlong video clip, kasama na ang isang mula sa dash cam ng sasakyan niya, na nagpapakita ng nangyari sa sandaling iyon.

Sinabi ni Judge Leung na naiwasan sana ang aksidente kung naging maingat si Ducusin at sumunod sa mga traffic at road sign.

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Si Ducusin, na may asawa at dalawang anak na babae sa Pilipinas, ay dumating noong 2013 upang samahan ang ina na nagtatrabaho sa kanilang amo mula pa noong 1992.

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Bus companies ask for fare hikes of up to 20%, Star Ferry wants to charge double

By The SUN

Public bus companies want fares to go up by 10 to 20% (File)

Public bus operators have asked for an increase in fares by 10 to 20 percent, according to the Transport and Logistics Bureau.

The news comes a day after the operator of the Star Ferry applied for a 50% fare hike, which would result in the regular adult fare on weekdays rising to between $5.20 and $6.40 for a trip between Tsim Sha Tsui and Central, or TST and Wan Chai.

In a statement issued Wednesday, the bureau said the bus companies submitted their applications in the first half of the year, but the government is still considering them.

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The companies sought the fare rise, citing as reasons the rise in operating costs and the fall on patronage due to Covid-19.

The bureau said any increase will depend on several factors, including public impact and the operators’ operational costs and income.

The applications will be forwarded to the Legislative Council’s panel on transportation affairs and the Transport Advisory Committee for review before they are passed on to the Executive Council for final vetting.

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The bureau pointed out that the government had previously exempted franchised buses from paying tolls when using government toll tunnels, with the operators required to keep the toll saved in the dedicated fund accounts they set up.  

Star Ferry wants to double fares, scrap free rides for elderly

Meanwhile, the Star Ferry operator cited the sharp drop in tourist arrivals as the main reason for its fare hike application.

A report by the Legislative Council’s panel on transport, the Star Ferry’s daily patronage fell to around 10,700 passengers on average in March, from around 53,900 in 2018.

Under the company’s proposal, those who sit on the lower deck will pay up to $5.2 on weekdays, and $6.40 on the upper deck.

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For weekend trips, the fare on the lower deck would go up to $7.20 and $8.40 on the upper deck.

Star Ferry has also asked for permission to scrap its free rides for the elderly and instead charge them the government-subsidized HK$2 trips.

But Ben Chan of the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment of Hong Kong said the operator should look for other sources of revenue instead of a fare increase, such as posting advertisements on the boats’ exterior and renting out their vessels for local tours.

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Chan also suggested the company could charge tourists more than locals, saying higher fares could lead to an even bigger drop in patronage.

Fellow lawmaker Michael Tien supported the fare hike, however, saying a ferry ride would still be around 40% cheaper than taking the MTR or a cross-harbour bus.

But he rejected the operator’s proposal to double the monthly ticket fare from HK$160 to HK$320, saying low-income workers who take the ferry to work across the harbour would be badly hit.

The Star Ferry is owned and operated by Wharf Real Estate Investment, under a 15-year franchise granted by the government, set to expire in March 2033.

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Electricity charges to rise by up to 46% next year

By The SUN

A current electricity bill shows fuel surcharge amounts to 70% of the basic charge

Hong Kong people will pay as much as 6.4% more for electricity next year compared to what is charged them this month, after the city’s two power companies announced further rate hikes. 

This is on top of the hefty increases in the monthly "fuel clause charges" that both CLP Power and HK Electric have imposed since February this year. 

Thus, residents of Kowloon, the New Territories and Lantau will effectively pay 19.8 percent more to CLP Power by next year, while those on Hong Kong island and other outlying territories will pay a whopping 45.6% percent more to HK Electric.

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CLP Power said during a Legislative Council meeting on Tuesday that it would keep its basic tariff unchanged for a third consecutive year at 93.7 HK cents (12 US cents) per kilowatt-hour. But it would increase its fuel charge to 62 cents per kWh, which would mean a 6.4% increase in its January billings compared with this month’s level.

HK Electric said it would increase its basic rate by 5 per cent to 114.5 cents per kWh, and raise the fuel charge to 82.5 cents per kWh, up 3.7 per cent, amounting to an overall increase of 5.5 per cent compared with this month’s prices.

While the basic tariff rate has been frozen this year, the two companies are allowed to charge higher fuel charges each month. 

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The announcement of the power rate increase was met with calls by politicians for the electricity companies to accept lower profits and help residents cope with the economic downturn.

They also pointed out that the single-digit increases announced by CLP Power and HK Electric did not give a true picture of the rate increases.

“The increases are astounding,” said Edward Leung Hei of the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong.

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“That of HK Electric is exceptionally shocking to the 1 million residents living on Hong Kong Island. Also, the way in which the government has put the increases into context is seriously misleading.”

Secretary for Environment and Ecology Tse Chin-wan told the legislators the government had asked the power companies to keep their increases to a minimum. 

He reminded them that under an agreement with the government that remains effective until at least the next decade, both companies are allowed an 8 per cent annual rate of return.

Tse said the arrangement assured Hong Kong of a safe, reliable and efficient electricity supply at a reasonable rate.

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But several lawmakers challenged this view, saying it ran counter to what Chinese President Xi Jinping had said during his visit to Hong Kong last July that the government had to “break through the barriers of vested interest”.

DAB head Starry Lee was scathing in her comment.

“You have tried to squeeze every penny out of the 8 per cent guarantee under the agreement and passed on the fuel costs to consumers,” she told the representatives of the two fuel companies.

The lawmakers called on the government to find more stable sources of fuel, including nuclear energy from the mainland, to help residents cope with the burden of paying hefty electricity bills.

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ATIS-HK, 30 taon na!

 

Masaya ang naging pagdaraos ng ika-30 anibersaryo ng ATIS HK sa Victoria Park

Tagumpay na nairaos ng mga miyembro Abra-Tingguian Ilocano Society (o ATIS) Hong Kong ang selebrasyon ng kanilang ika-30 taong anibersaryo sa Victoria Park sa Causeway Bay nitong Linggo,  Nov 20.

Buong-galak na sinalubong ng kanilang pangulong si Ludy Guinaban ang may 100 katao na nagtipon-tipon para samahan sila sa pagdiriwang ng isa sa pinakamahalagang okasyon para sa kanilang grupo.

Aniya, tatlong taon nilang hindi naisagawa ang nakagawian nilang malakihang pagtitipon para ipagdiwang ang kanilang anibersaryo ng dahil sa pandemya, kaya natutuwa siya na nagawa nila ito ngayon, sa kanilang ika-30 taong anibersaryo.

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Isang hamon naman sa grupo ang naging mensahe ng kanilang tampok na panauhin na si Cynthia Tellez, general manager ng Mission for Migrant Workers.

Pagkatapos niyang batiin ang ATIS sa pagiging matatag nito sa loob ng nagdaang tatlong dekada ay sinabi niya na sana ay makahanap pa sila ng mas makahanap pa sila ng bagong paraan para mahikayat na sumapi sa kanila hindi lang mga taga Abra, kundi pati yung mula sa iba pang parte ng Pilipinas.

“Pero kaya pa ninyong pasidhiin, kaya pa ninyong payabungin (ang inyong grupo),” sabi ni Tellez, gaya daw ng tema ng kanilang pagdiriwang na “Advancing the rights and welfare of migrants and their families.”

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Dagdag pa niya, kailangan ng kasapian na pakinggan pa nang mas mabuti ang mga pananaw ng mga miyembro, kahit yung taliwas sa sarili nilang adhikain; pero kasabay nito ay dapat din nilang ipaunawa na mahalaga na ang katotohanan lang ang kanilang dapat paniwalaan.

“Unity, truth and peace with justice” (pagkakaisa, katototahan, at katiwasayan na may hustisya) – ito daw ang dapat na maging sandigan ng grupo.

“Walang imposible sa ATIS,” sabi ni Tellez bilang pangwakas.

Nakisali si Tellez (may ribbon) sa pagsasayaw ng katutubong sayaw ng mga Abraeno

Ang isa pang tagapagsalita, si Eman Villanueva, pinuno ng Bayan Hong Kong at Macau at isa sa mga pangunahing lider ng mga migrante sa Hong Kong, ang nagbigay-pugay naman sa tatag ng ATIS.

Marami nang mga organisasyon ang nabuwag nang dahil sa usapin sa pera o intriga, sabi niya, pero nanatiling buo at matatag ang ATIS sa loob ng 30 taon.

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Sa tagal ng kanilang pagsasama ay napatunayan nila na ang kanilang grupo ay nabubuhay dahil sa malalim na prinsipyo ng pangangalaga at pagsasamahan, dagdag ni Villanueva.

Pinuri naman ni Daisy CL Mandap, editor ng The SUN, ang husay ng pamamahala ng mga lider ng ATIS mula sa founder nilang si Caring Bachiller, dating president na si Vicky Cabantac, hanggang sa kasalukuyang pamunuan, dahilan para patuloy na maging matatag ang grupo.

Bukod sa pagtutok sa mga pangangailangan ng kanilang mga miyembro at kababayan ay aktibo din sila sa pagpapalalaganap ng mga makatotohanang pananaw sa mga usapin na may kinalaman sa mga migrante at pati na ng lahat ng mga Pilipino.

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Hindi daw makakalimutan ng The SUN na sa pagpili nila ng pinakamahusay na grupo ng mga migrante may 20 taon na ang nakakaraan ay ang ATIS agad ang lumutang na panalo dahil sa dami ng kanilang mga makabuluhang proyekto hindi lang sa Abra kundi pati sa Hong Kong.

Ang pasinaya ay tinampukan din ng pag-aabot ng mga premyo ng mga nanalo sa patimpalak para sa Miss Atis 2022, na nauna nang napili sa pamamagitan ng balota.

Ang nagkamit ng titulo ay si Marielle S. Lingbaoan ng Licuan-Baay HK Association, pumangalawa si Faye Averille B. Tacanay ng Bangued Migrants Organization, pangatlo si Marisol C. Bites ng Timpuyog ti Tayun at pang-apat si Jellybin T. Balbalec ng Lagangilang Overseas Association.

Kasali din sina Shirley G. Biares na taga Manabo, Joanalyne Mae A. Dreu ng La Paz, at Liwanag T. Pacios ng San Juan.

Napili ng mga hurado si Biares para sa kategoryang Miss Congeniality at si Balbalec para sa Best in Ethnic Attire.

Natapos ang pagdiriwang sa masayang kainan at pagpapakuha ng litrato ng lahat ng mga dumalo.

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March 6-7 trial set for Filipino accused of threatening Consulate staff

By The SUN

Bondoc is accused of entering the Consulate 3x to threaten staff  (File)

The case against a Filipino accused of entering the Philippine Consulate three times last February and March, and threatening its staff, will be tried on March 6-7 next year, with Eastern Court Principal Magistrate Ada Yim telling both prosecution and defense to ensure it pushes through.

“We do not want this to be a test of memory of the the defendant and prosecution witnesses,” she told both sides after noting that due to postponements, the trial would be held one year after  the incident that gave rise to three criminal charges against Ronald Bondoc, 41 years old.

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Bondoc, whose bail of $500 was extended, is accused of criminal intimidation for a telephone call last Jan. 22 in which he threatened a female staff member, Lhyndzie Anne M. Orozco, with “injury to the property of the Consulate General of the Philippines in Hong Kong” and with injury to a male employee identified as Arnel.

He is also accused of common assault for returning to the Consulate two days later and pushing down to the floor a male employee named Edmound Cortes.

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The third charge, loitering causing concern, arose from his returning to the Consulate on March 28, causing “any person reasonably to be concerned for his safety or well-being.”

The defense lawyer said only Bondoc will testify on his behalf to explain his behavior.

He also said defense will question the admissibility of a voice recording to be presented as evidence for the first charge, saying the way it was recorded – using a mobile phone to record the telephone conversation between Bondoc and Orozco – makes it susceptible to tampering.

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But Magistrate Yim told the defense lawyer to prove his assertion with evidence during the trial.

She also advised the prosecution to serve a copy of any new witness statement to the defense by Dec. 28.

The trial was supposed to have been held last Oct. 30 in Court No. 5 but was adjourned to today due to a delay in getting permission from the Department of Foreign Affairs in the Philippines to allow Orozco, an attache with diplomatic status, to testify.

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When both sides appeared, and the prosecutor said the prosecution witnesses were ready, presiding magistrate Philip Chan sent the case back to Magistrate Yim’s Court 1 so that a new trial schedule could be set.

“I don’t want this trial to be aborted because of this issue,” she said, referring to the problem with the witness.

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Chief Executive John Lee tests positive for Covid-19

 

 

CE Lee with his officials who joined him on the visit to Bangkok (Govt file photo)

Hong Kong’s Chief Executive John Lee has tested positive for Covid-19 on his arrival last night, Nov. 20, from his first overseas trip as the city’s leader.

His office made the announcement early this morning through a press release posted on the government’s news site.

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The statement said the Chief Executive is undergoing isolation in accordance with the guidelines of the Centre for Health Protection but will work from home, and attend meetings via videoconferencing if needed.

The results of his daily antigen tests conducted during his four-day visit to Bangkok had all been negative.

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During his visit, he attended the two-day Asia-Pacific Economic Conference (Apec) summit and met with various leaders in the region, including Chinese President Xi Jinping.

He spent the last day of his trip visiting two major Thai companies, as part of the city’s bid to expand trade ties.

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Speaking to reporters at the end of the two-day conference, Lee had said he had separate meetings with the leaders of Thailand, Indonesia, Singapore and Vietnam, and they had agreed to strengthen ties.

He also said he had updated President Xi on the latest situation in Hong Kong, and that the latter encouraged him to keep up his hard work.

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According to the government statement, all officials who accompanied CE Lee on the trip to Thailand all tested negative through PCR tests done on their arrival at the Hong Kong International Airport.

CHP is still assessing whether they should be classified as close contacts, but have been told to temporarily work from home until the assessment is completed.

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