HK musicians celebrate return of live music

By Daisy CL Mandap 

Bands will be back in bars starting Friday

Christmas came early this year for many musicians in Hong Kong. This is because after nearly seven months of being sidelined by pandemic fears, the city’s musicians will be back to on stage starting this Friday, Oct 30.

“Feeling awesome! ”, said an ecstatic Manuela D. Lo, chairman of the Hong Kong Musicians Union, shortly after Secretary for Food and Health  Dr. Sophia Chan announced the good news.

“All musicians can have a blessed Christmas (because of this),” Lo added.

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In her much-anticipated announcement, Dr. Chan said: “Live performances and dancing activities will be allowed to take place in catering businesses subject to the implementation of suitable infection control measures.”

The health chief also said that restaurants will now be allowed up to six people per table, while bars and nightclubs can seat a maximum of four people, from the present two.

Dr Chan at a news conference to announce the relaxed rules

In addition, the catering businesses will be allowed to operate up to 75 percent capacity, up from the current 50 percent, and extend their opening hours from midnight till 2am.

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Other leisure and sports facilities like theme parks, swimming pools and performance venues will also be allowed to admit people up to 75 percent of their capacity.

But the government decided to stick to the rule allowing no more than four people to gather in public, saying the plan is for a “gradual and targeted” relaxation of distancing measures.

Dr Chan made her announcement as no new local infection was again reported today, Oct 27. All five new Covid-19 cases involved people returning from overseas, four of them from India, and one from France.

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All eight new cases reported yesterday were also all imported, while on previous days, there was often only one locally acquired case detected, a sure sign that the current wave of infection has eased.

But in a separate address today, Chief Executive Carrie Lam announced she was pressing with an inquiry into the legality of making Covid-19 tests mandatory, in the wake of warnings from health experts that a deadlier fourth wave could occur this winter.

Dr Chan explained, “generally speaking, we urge the public not to gather (still). This is important).

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But for musicians, worries over the heightened restrictions are trumped by their joy at being able to go back to work and play music once more.

An HKMU member who was part of a small group Lo created to lobby support for the long-standing call of musicians for live performances to resume, said that all bands will be celebrating on Friday.

“No more karaokes,” he joked, and no more cat and mouse games with the police, which had been zealously checking on bars to ensure the government’s social distancing protocols were followed.

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Lo and her group of advisers had previously held talks with Tommy Cheung, catering sector in the Legislative Council, who later set up a meeting for them with top health officials.

During the talks, the HKMU stressed that the musicians were willing to propose their own safety measures, like singing with masks on, bringing their own microphones and not interacting with patrons during their performances, just to start working again.

Bars across Hong Kong were first closed on Apr 3 this year, after the coronavirus spread across four nightspots in Central, Wan Chai and Tsim Sha Tsui, leaving more than 20 musicians infected, and about 50 others in quarantine.

The bars were allowed to reopen briefly in July, but were promptly shut again after a third and deadlier wave swept across the city.

On Sept 18, bars were allowed to resume business, but with no live shows still.

Lo says the resumption of live music is an early Christmas gift to musicians

In a letter Lo sent to Cheung on Oct 1 asking for help, she said an estimated 1,000 musicians had been left jobless for nearly seven months by the bar closures.

She said “we have been unfairly shown to be the carriers of the virus, when we were in fact, victims,” referring to health data showing that bar patrons were the first to show signs of the disease, indicating they had infected the musicians.

“And yet, we are the ones who have suffered the most from that incident. Bars and pubs are always among the last to reopen when the government starts relaxing social distancing measures, and even when they are allowed to do business again, very strict regulations are put in place, including a ban on live shows.”

Now that she and her fellow musicians will soon be back at work, Lo has only one more wish, and that is, for them to continue performing in the months and years ahead. “Hopefully, continuous na,” she said.

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Musicians plead with health officials: ‘Let us go back to work’

By Daisy CL Mandap

HKMU led by Lo (middle, with glasses) poses for pictures
with Chui (3rd from left), Cheung and Chan after the meeting

Hong Kong musicians have made an impassioned appeal to health officials to let them go back to work by allowing bars and other entertainment venues to resume live performances as soon as possible.

The plea was made by officers of the Hong Kong Musicians Union, led by its chairperson Manuela D. Lo, during a meeting on Sept 29 with Deputy Health Secretary Howard Chan and Undersecretary for Food and Health Dr Chui Tak-yi.

The meeting was arranged by Legislative Council member Tommy Cheung, who represents the catering sector, and has been helping HKMU advance its cause.

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“Hear us, help us,” said an emotional Lo, as she told the officials how most of the 1,000 or so professional musicians in Hong Kong have been out of jobs since the bars were first shut on Apr 3.

Others became jobless even earlier, when the virus spread across four bars in key districts in late March, leaving more than 20 band members infected and about 50 others confined in quarantine centers.

She said many of the jobless musicians have been doing odd jobs like working for cargo companies, just to make ends meet. But others who are not permanent residents are not allowed to moonlight under their visa conditions.

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The bars were reopened on Jun 19, but were promptly closed down again when the third wave of infections swept across Hong Kong in early July. 

Lo said the tales of woes from the musicians have been heartbreaking, adding, almost in tears: “If you could give back their jobs, that would be great.”

While bars and other night spots were allowed to reopen starting on Sept 18, they are made to operate under very strict conditions. Everyone should wear a mask unless eating or drinking, and no more than two people can sit at each table, which should be kept 1.5 meters away from the next.

Bars were allowed to reopen last month, but without the live shows

Worse, especially for the musicians, is that the bars are still forbidden from having live performances, even if larger venues such as theaters and exhibition halls have been given the green light to stage shows before a live audience.

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Dr Chui replied that the government understood the difficulties faced by various sectors like the musicians, but it is now being more cautious in lifting restrictions, having learned its lesson from the recent outbreak that saw the number of infected persons rising to three digits per day.

He also noted that from just 7 deaths before the third wave of infections started in early July, there are now more than 100 casualties, which meant more than 90 patients had passed on in less than three months.

Chan assured the group that what the government wants is to ensure the safety of everyone, especially since another outbreak could come at the onset of winter.

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“All we want is to protect your health and the others, too,” he said.

He also raised concern about the spread of the virus among musicians staying in one dormitory in the second wave of infections, but was told that this was because they were imported workers, and hired by just one company that made them perform in the various bars where the disease spread.

Insomnia in Lan Kwai Fong was the first to close after the virus swept through bars

The health officials were also reminded that the infection in the bars appeared to have started not with the musicians, but with patrons, some of whom appeared to have brought back the virus from overseas.

Cheung assured the officials that the musicians were willing to undertake self-regulation to protect themselves and the community, and also convince the authorities to allow them to get back to work.

Among the measures they proposed were the following: (1) masks should be worn at all times inside the bars, even during performances; (2) all musicians must bring their own microphones and sterilize their own instruments; (3) no mingling with the guests; and (4) no bar-hopping, meaning performers will stick to one venue.

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At the same time, Cheung being a bar owner himself, said their sector could undertake to put up acrylic shields between the musicians and the audience to further lessen the chance of aerosol transmissions during a performance. 

He also suggested that wind instruments like saxophones and trumpets be not included in the repertoire for the same reason.

Tsui and Chan asked the musicians to list down all their proposals so the government can go over them and decide in the next week or two on whether they can be acted upon, as long as the situation continues to stabilize.

HKMU immediately took up the suggestion, and has already started a campaign to get their petition signed by as many musicians as possible over the holidays. The statement will then be sent to Cheung for endorsement to concerned government officials.

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Musicians urge live performances to resume as officials mull bar reopening

By Daisy CL Mandap

HKMU officers & advisers led by Lo (in green shirt) met with Cheung to air their concerns 

Musicians are calling for the resumption of live performances as Hong Kong officials have assured that bars, karaokes and nightclubs could reopen by next week if the infection rate remains at a low level.

Manuela D. Lo, chairman of the Hong Kong Musicians Union, says she hopes the reopening of bars could again lead to live shows being allowed to resume.

“Like before, they opened the bars first, then the live music,” Lo says.

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The head of one of Hong Kong's oldest unions has kept up an appeal for help, particularly for her 100 or so members who have been jobless for months because of the ban on live shows.

Lo estimates that about 1,000 musicians have either lost their jobs or have resorted to doing unrelated work to survive since the pandemic swept across the city early this year.

Including the forced closures from protest-related violence late last year, she says most musicians have been without income for about six months.

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Among those she has called upon for help is lawmaker Tommy Cheung, who represents the catering sector in the Legislative Council.

During a meeting with Cheung on Wednesday last week, the HKMU led by Lo proposed new social distancing measures that the legislator could present to government health officials to convince them to allow live shows.

These include barring musicians from interacting with customers during their performances, for everyone to wear face masks while on stage, and to use protective shields between the performers and the audience.

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Cheung said he had already forwarded their request to the relevant authorities, but it might help if they could appeal directly to the decision-makers. He suggested a meeting between the musicians and a top policy maker as soon as possible.

Live performances were first halted in early April, following an outbreak among about 50 musicians, food servers and customers of four bars in Central, Wanchai and Tsim Sha Tsui.

They reopened on Jun 18, only to close again after about a month when the third wave of infections swept across Hong Kong.

Cheung has promised to arrange a meeting between HKMU and govt decision-makers

In a separate interview earlier today, Sept 12, Cheung urged the government to reopen bars, karaokes and nightclubs as soon as possible, saying the industry is happy to implement new measures needed for their businesses to reopen safely.

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His call follows a statement made by Health and Food Secretary Sophia Chan last week that pubs, karaoke bars and nightclubs could reopen next if the Covid-19 situation in Hong Kong remains under control.

Starting last Friday, various business establishments previously shut like gyms, beauty and massage parlors were allowed to reopen, and the gathering restrictions relaxed further to allow up to four people to eat and gather together in public.

Cheung has proposed that his sector could take various anti-epidemic measures such as sterilising utensils with boiling water, using e-money and limiting customer stays in the restaurant to no more than two hours, but has yet to get a definite response.

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"We met with the Chief Secretary and a whole bunch of government officials from the FEHD and all that and make our proposals. So far we have no received any word – positive or negative – about our proposals," Cheung said in a radio interview.

Earlier, the chairman of the Lan Kwai Fong Group, Allan Zeman, also called on the government to make good on its promise to reopen bars from Sept 18.

"The traditional bars, just for drinking, they're having major problems, many of them are on life support, I don't know how much longer they can hang on,” said Zeman in a separate interview with RTHK.

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Musicians back in business, as gathering limit raised to 50 people

By Daisy CL Mandap

HK musicians hope popular night spots like Lan Kwai Fong will come alive again - soon

In a further sign that the coronavirus threat in Hong Kong has eased, health authorities announced today, Jun 16, that the gathering ban will be relaxed further, allowing up to 50 people to get together in public starting Friday, Jun 19.

Further, restaurants may now all operate at full capacity, and pubs and nightclubs may now offer live shows and singing, although performers must wear masks and keep a distance from patrons.

This latest piece of information has buoyed the spirits of Manuela D. Lo, chairperson of the Hong Kong Musicians Union, whose 120-plus members have all lost their jobs as a result of the ban on live performances, imposed since late Apr 3.

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“I am so thankful for this. Although I am not expecting instant relief, I hope that in due time, we can all go back work,” Lo said.

She has been at pains to offer help, not just to HKMU members, but also to musicians on temporary work visas, many of whom were affected when Covid-19 swept across four bars where they worked.

Of these musicians, 24 tested positive for coronavirus, and were hospitalized for weeks. A further 49 were put under quarantine. All of them were eventually sidelined when the bars they worked at were shut, and live performances were banned.

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But at least, their employers are still providing them rent-free accommodation, said Lo.

Musicians who are permanent residents are worse hit because they have to pay rent and provide for family members despite losing their jobs, she added.

Apart from helping the stricken musicians get whatever financial relief was available from both the Philippine and Hong Kong governments, HKMU has also done its own lobbying to revive the entertainment industry.

 

Lo says musicians hope they can all go back to work in due time

Last week, Lo said she and her fellow HKMU officers met with Legislative Councilor Tommy Cheung who represents the catering industry, to appeal for help in getting live performances back in pubs and other public venues.

Lo said they were relieved when Cheung assured them of his help.

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By this time, the outlook had gotten really grim for most, if not all, musicians in Hong Kong, she said.

Most hotels, including the big ones like the Peninsula and Hyatt Regency in Tsim Sha Tsui, Grand Hyatt in Wanchai and the Marriott in Admiralty, had stopped live entertainment, leading to massive job cuts that affected even to the most seasoned musicians.

Tunghayan ang isa na namang kwentong Dream Love.

Another fallout came just last week, said Lo, when BB Jazz, which is located in the same building as the Covid-infected Insomnia bar, decided to lay off all its staff after holding off closure for nearly three months.

“Hopefully the resumption of live performances will convince the owner to reopen the club,” said Lo.

In due time, she also hopes the entertainment scene which Hong Kong used to be famous for, will come alive again.

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In a further sign of normalcy, Disneyland is set to reopen after nearly five months, following Ocean Park’s example last weekend.

Hong Kong Book Fair, which has traditionally attracted thousands of visitors, will also open as scheduled on Jul 15.

Meanwhile, no new case of Covid-19 was reported today, keeping the total tally at 1,113. Yesterday, three imported cases were reported, involving residents who flew in from Russia and Indonesia.

Two of the patients, aged 10 and 47, were asymptomatic while the third, a 32-year-old woman who flew in from Indonesia, had fever, cough and no sense of smell.

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PCG says all Filipino Covid-19 patients have recovered

By Daisy CL Mandap

The Consulate announced today, Jun 4, that all Filipinos in Hong Kong who tested positive for coronavirus have recovered.

“Lahat ng mga Pilipino ng mga maysakit na Pilipino ay gumaling na at nakalabas na ng ospital,” said the advisory posted on the Consulate’s Facebook page.

No figures were mentioned, but various reports suggest that about 50 Filipinos, both residents and migrant workers, have been infected with Covid-19.

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A majority of these are musicians who fell ill when the virus raged across four bars they played at: Insomnia in Central, Dusk Till Dawn and Centre Stage in Wanchai, and All Night Long in Tsim Sha Tsui.

But around 20 are Filipino domestic workers, who were mostly infected at home by their employers.

They include two who were employed by a socialite member of the Hong Kong Jockey Club who appears to have also passed on the virus to her pet dog, and one whose elderly employer was infected at a hotpot dinner with family members.

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A few were found infected when they flew into Hong Kong after accompanying their employers to such places as Britain, France, Canada and the United States.

 

Insomnia was shut after its Filipino band soloist tested positive for Covid-19 in late March

According to Manuela Lo, chairperson of the Hong Kong Musicians Union, there were 24 infected musicians who were on temporary work permit, and were thus able to get financial aid from the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA).

HKMU helped them secure the relief aid from OWWA, as well as from Department of Labor and Employment’s Akap program, which extended US$200 for every sickened and displaced overseas Filipino worker.

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A further 49 musicians who did not get sick but were put under quarantine and subsequently lost their jobs when the bars were shut, also reportedly received the Akap cash assistance.

Lo said it was unfortunate no similar help was extended to affected musicians who were already permanent residents in Hong Kong.

Hong Kong health records show that also among those who caught the virus are Filipinos who worked in the bars as food servers. At least two of them passed on the virus to family members: one to her teenage son, and another to her husband.

While bars have been allowed to reopen, live entertainment is still not allowed, so the affected Filipino musicians are now left having to grapple with loss of income.

Filipinos are advised to avoid crowds and observe social distancing

In its advisory, the Consulate reminded Filipinos to remain vigilant, especially in the wake of a new cluster of local transmissions in the city.

They are told to maintain hygiene by washing hands frequently, wearing masks, avoiding crowded places, and by following the rule that no more than eight persons should gather in public places.

The advisory also had a message to employers, telling them to “respect” the day-off of their employees who choose to stay at home.

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