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67 cases now linked to bars, but imported cases top the list

Posted on 29 March 2020 No comments
By The SUN

The latest cases reported involve 3 staff members of All Night Long in Tsim Sha Tsui

A total of 67 cases of Covid-19 infections have now been linked to cases involving at least four bars across Hong Kong, including not just musicians, staff and their family members, but also patrons.

Hong Kong health officials also said today, Mar 29, that four bars apart from those already identified, have emerged as the cause of some new infections. They did not,  however, name the four new bars.

Still, most of the newly confirmed cases are of people who have just arrived from abroad, mostly college students returning from their schools in the United Kingdom.

Over the weekend, a total of 123 new confirmed cases were recorded, for a total tally of 642. Saturday’s 64 new cases nearly matched the record 65 cases reported on Friday.


Among the new cases involving the so-called Lan Kwai Fong cluster was a family of four in Mid-Levels, who were all recorded as having tested positive on Mar 28. They included a bar staff, his wife and two sons, aged 15 and 7.

Four other linked cases were reported on the same day, involving two bar employees and two customers.

On Mar 29, three more patients were linked to the cluster cases, all employees of All Night Long bar in Tsim Sha Tsui.
The other bars have been identified as Insomnia in Lan Kwai Fong, and Dusk till Dawn and Centre Stage in Wan Chai. All of the bars, along with nine bands made up mostly by Filipinos, are reportedly managed by a company called Step-by-Step.

Separately, a 40-year-old woman reported to be linked to the bar cluster, had tested preliminary positive on arrival in Hong Kong, after vacationing in Macau for five days. During her vacation, she reportedly ate everyday at a Jollibee outlet, but also went shopping for groceries.

Consul Paul Saret, head of the Consulate’s assistance to nationals section, says they have reached out to all Filipino patients who have been infected and are in hospitals.
“We have responded to their simple requests, like sending them battery packs for their cell phones so they can continue communicating with their family members,” he said. “Some only asked for fruits.”

He said Hong Kong health authorities have yet to update them on the total number of Filipino patients, likely because of the huge number of new cases being reported each day for the past several days.
 
The cases are called the Lan Kwai Fong cluster because the first reported infection was traced to Insomnia on this street 

As of the latest Consulate tally, 16 Filipinos are still in hospital, while four have been discharged after recovering. Most work as domestic helpers, but they also include six musicians.

The huge spike in new cases has prompted Hong Kong health authorities to warn that public hospitals are about the run out of isolation rooms.

Sundan ang Kuwentong Dram Love

Dr Sara Ho, the Hospital Authority’s chief manager of patient safety and risk management, said:  “We’re indeed very worried that the situation will worsen. No matter how hard we’re trying to have more isolation beds, we probably cannot meet the growing demand.”

As of Mar 29, there were 540 patients under isolation, while 118 have been discharged after treatment. On this day alone, 204 new admissions were reported.

Residents found ill on arrival, or shortly after arrival, in Hong Kong, make up the bulk of the newly confirmed cases.

On Mar 28, 47 had traveled during the incubation period, and 26 were overseas students in the U.K.

A big number of the students did not show symptoms, prompting health officials to start testing all new arrivals, including those who are asymptomatic, from Mar 29.

All new arrivals will be provided with specimen collection containers which they are encouraged to submit immediately to the testing center at Asia World-Expo. Those who prefer to go into home quarantine immediately are advised to get family members or friends submit their specimen immediately.


Among the returning students from the U.K. is a 14-year-old teenage male who is believed to have transmitted the virus to his parents and a brother. They all returned positive results in the first tests. Another 3 preliminary cases are airline crew members.
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Philippines top origin of dengue cases in HK this year

Posted on 28 March 2020 No comments
By The SUN

Dengue is caused by the Aedes Egypti mosquito, which abounds in the Philippines

Travelers from the Philippines have accounted for seven of the 18 dengue fever cases recorded in Hong Kong since Jan 1, a report from the Department of Health said.

Four cases were imported from Indonesia, two each from Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam, and one from Cambodia, the CHP said.

The Centre for Health Protection released on Mar 27 the latest data on dengue cases, as it strongly urged the public to maintain strict environmental hygiene, mosquito control and personal protective measures locally and when traveling.


From Mar 6 to 26 alone, the CHP recorded three imported dengue cases. Two patients had been to Indonesia and a third had been to the Philippines during the incubation period.

The CHP also said it has been closely monitoring the latest dengue fever situation in neighboring areas and other countries. Among these is Guangdong province in China, which recorded 15 cases of dengue during the past year,  while Taiwan said it had 49 imported cases.

The mosquito-borne disease has been plaguing the Philippines for a few decades now, but it was only last year that dengue was declared an epidemic by the government.
Statistics released by the World Health Organization show that in 2019, the Philippines had 429,409 dengue cases, the second biggest number after Brazil, which recorded 2.23 million cases. For this year so far, the Philippines reported 37,058 cases.

The CHP said the public should stay vigilant and carry out effective mosquito prevention and control measures.

“Travelers returning from areas affected by dengue should apply insect repellent for 14 days upon arrival in Hong Kong. If feeling unwell, seek medical advice promptly and provide travel details to the doctor,” a spokesman for the CHP said.
He said to control mosquito breeding, the public should: 
·     Thoroughly check all gully traps, roof gutters, surface channels and drains to prevent blockage;
   ·     Scrub and clean drains and surface channels with an alkaline detergent compound at least once a week to remove  any deposited mosquito eggs;
   ·    Properly dispose of refuse, such as soft drink cans, empty bottles and boxes, in covered litter containers;
   ·    Completely change the water of flowers and plants at least once a week. The use of saucers should be avoided if possible;

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 ·    Level irregular ground surfaces before the rainy season;
   ·    Avoid staying in shrubby areas; and
   ·    Take personal protective measures such as wearing light-colored long-sleeved clothes and trousers and apply insect repellent containing DEET to clothing or uncovered areas of the body when doing outdoor activities. 
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Cautious customers shun restaurant across infected Wanchai bars

Posted on No comments
By Vir B. Lumicao

Cinta-J faces two of the virus-infested bars along Jaffe Rd in Wanchai

A popular Wanchai restaurant favored by Filipinos and their friends faces a tough time, after reports that the dreaded coronavirus disease had swept through two adjacent bars across the road.

Cinta-J, which has been in business for more than 30 years, finds itself at the receiving end of a fallout from the infection that swept through staff and performers at the now shuttered The Centre Stage and Dusk Till Dawn bars on Jaffe Road.

The two bars, along with Insomnia in Lan Kwai Fong, Central, and All Night Long in Tsim Sha Tsui, have been identified as the sources of a cluster infection that has struck down 27 musicians and staff, along with 16 customers.


On Friday, Mar 27 alone, 10 staff and a performer at Dusk and Insomnia were reported as having contracted Covid-19, along with nine patrons.

The reports appear to have spooked customers of Cinta-J, a restaurant-bar across the road that serves both Indonesian and Filipino food, and also provides live entertainment at night.

“Dati laging puno ng tao rito, kahit lunchtime, lalo na kapag araw ng Biyernes tulad ngayon,” said Jackie Flores, a 38-year-old waitress at Cinta-J, said.
 
Flores, left, and a fellow waitress, sit amid an empty Cinta-J restaurant
She said that before the contagion, the restaurant would normally have dozens of office workers lining up to eat or order take-out food for lunch.
At night, the place would be even more crowded, with many people coming in to listen to their in-house band perform starting at 6pm.

But on this day, Flores, along with two other staff, were the only people in the eatery.

“Ngayon ay wala na sila, walang dumarating simula kanina,” she said referring to lunchtime. 
She said customers would usually start arriving at around 3pm for some snacks and drinks. Many would stay on for the performances of their all-Filipino band that belts out a wide range of songs, from English and Tagalog ballads, to classic and modern rock.

Guests would pour in until late at night, especially for their favorite part, when band members would start accepting song requests, or invite members of the audience to sing along.

Sunday is usually the busiest day at Cinta-J because many Filipinos migrant workers hankering for food from home gather there to celebrate special occasions, or just to meet up, dance and sing.
That, too, has changed since Hong Kong was hit by the coronavirus infection, and the government advised migrant workers to stay at home on their rest day. Many employers seized this as an opportunity to stop their helpers from taking their usual Sunday off.

But the biggest whammy came on Mar 25, when a record five musicians who played in Insomnia and the two bars, along with a waitress, were included in the day’s list of new Covid-19 infections.

“Bale dalawang araw na kaming zero,” said Flores.

She said the crowds began thinning after the first band member tested positive on Mar 23.

“Kitang-kita ng mga customer namin noong pinuntahan ng ambulansya ng mga taga-Health Department ang dalawang bar na iyan,” Flores said.

Health workers also went up to the band members’ flat in Hang Shun Mansions just above the two bars, to disinfect the place. Many of the performers, who were mostly recruited from the Philippines on short-term contracts, lived in the flat.

Flores said she understood the customers’ fear, although Cinta-J itself has not been infected. But she can’t help but worry about the economic repercussions of the contagion.

At lunchtime on Mar 27, very few people were on Jaffe Road, some of them office workers scurrying through, with lunchboxes bought from other restaurants in the area.

Both Dusk till Dawn and Centre Stage have been boarded up after the outbreak

Inside the shuttered bars, two or three people could be seen moving behind the translucent window panes of Dusk Till Dawn.

Asked if they were employees of the bar, Flores said they were health workers disinfecting the entire pub after cleansing the Centre Stage.

The same grim picture emerged over at Lan Kwai Fong, where Insomnia, identified as the epicenter of the biggest outbreak in the entertainment scene, stands forlorn, its dim, empty interior watched over by a stone sculpture of a horned head.

Its entrance, once a place to be seen in the most popular nightspot in the city, is now blocked by two decks of wooden bar stools, lined up behind a pair of green plastic chains.
 
Once the place to be in Lan Kwai Fong, Insomnia is now shuttered after disinfection

A sign in front says, “Due to the pandemic, we are closed until further notice. Keep safe and healthy.”

The sad saga of what was once one of Hong Kong’s favorite bars may not be over yet.

Hong Kong’s health officials say more than 120 people working in the bars have been quarantined. A number of their friends are also being checked in case they, too, have been infected.

But they have also been quick to say that the source of the outbreak has not been determined, so there should be no finger-pointing, or laying blame on anyone.

The musicians, the food servers and other staff, are the least to blame for the outbreak. They are, in fact, victims. They got struck while doing their jobs.


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HK limits public gatherings to 4 people as 65 new Covid-19 cases recorded

Posted on 27 March 2020 No comments
By The SUN

CE Lam making the announcement at press briefing

Hong Kong has decreed that no more than 4 people can gather in public places, both indoors and outdoors, as part of the toughest restrictions it has introduced so far to halt the spread of the coronavirus disease.

Chief Executive Carrie Lam announced the new measures Friday night, after the city’s health officials reported a record 65 new cases of Covid-19 infections.

The measures, adopted following a meeting of the Executive Council, will take effect for two weeks from Sunday, Mar 29. Offenders face up to six months in prison, and a maximum fine of $25,000.
The 4-people rule will apply even in restaurants, which are also required to take in only half their previous seating capacity. A maximum of four people will be allowed to dine together, at tables that should be at least 1.5 meters apart.

Diners will be required to wear face masks which they can remove only while eating. Restaurants should check customers’ body temperature, and provide them with hand sanitizers.

However, the restriction will not apply to private homes and offices, public transport, the courts, government buildings, Legislative Council and District Board meetings, plus weddings and funerals.\

Big gatherings like this one in Central will be forbidden from Sunday

As part of the new restrictions, the government has also ordered the closure from 6pm tomorrow, Saturday, of public places that attract large crowds, including cinemas, gaming centers, saunas, fitness centres, party rooms and pool halls.
The clampdown comes as the city recorded its highest-ever daily tally of Covid-19 cases.

Most of the new cases involved residents with recent travel history, but a significant number also came from a cluster infection in bars, and a gathering at a party place that drew in around 100 people.

Lam said the total number of cases have shot up to 518, a threefold increase from the 138 recorded two weeks ago.

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“Many of the infected people went to bars, weddings and private parties, which we categorise as social interactions,” she said.

But the top official dropped her proposal to stop restaurants and bars from selling alcohol, a move deemed insufficient by her advisers, but sweeping by industry leaders.

Officials speak with the government's new slogan as backdrop

The government unveiled a new slogan for the crisis at the press briefing: “Stay home, keep safe.”

Also at the briefing was Health Secretary Sophia Chan, who announced that all new arrivals will now be tested for the virus.

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Each arriving passenger will be given a bottle for specimen sample which they can deliver straight to the testing facility at AsiaWorld-Expo, or ask their relatives to submit, as they will have to start their 14-day home quarantine.

Secretary for Security John Lee, meanwhile, reported that police had caught 77 people who violated their quarantine orders to isolate. Around 40 of the offenders were reported by the public to the police.


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