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5M vaccination target for 2nd flat in lucky draw extended to Nov 30

Posted on 21 September 2021 No comments

By The SUN 

A second flat worth $12 million could be raffled off it the vaccination rate goes up to 5M by Nov 30

The organizers of a lucky draw that recently awarded a brand-new flat to a vaccinated permanent resident have extended by two months the deadline for giving away another house, if at least five million Hong Kong people have received at least one jab.

At the same time, they announced additional prizes of 200 stored-value or credit cards loaded with $10,000 each to vaccinated people aged 70 and above. The move is meant to prod more elderly people to get vaccinated, as this segment of the population has the lowest vaccine uptake rate.

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Sino Group’s charity, Ng Teng Fong Charitable Foundation Ltd and Chinese Estates Holdings Ltd announced today, Sept 21, that the registration for Phase 2 of its lucky draw has been extended until Nov. 30.

This means the previous deadline of Sept 30 has been extended for both the sign-up for the new prizes and the cut-off date for the 5 million targeted vaccinations, which given the continuing slide in the number of people applying for the jabs, is not likely to be achieved.

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Latest figures from the government show that a total of 4.4 million people have taken at least one dose of the vaccine, with the daily booking figure dropping to just around 4,000 from the previous 30,000 to 40,000.

As announced earlier, the organizers will also give away 20 scholarships in the form of stored-value cards or credit cards loaded with $200,000 each to vaccinated Hong Kong residents aged 12 to 17. These will be drawn as originally scheduled on Oct 7, regardless of Hong Kong’s vaccination rate.

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The new flat to be given away as the grand prize in Phase 2 of the lucky draw is said to cost $12 million, and is located in Grand Central, Kwun Tong.

This is the same estate where the first flat that was given away early this month, costing $10.8 million, is located. It was won by a 30-year-old chef surnamed Lee.

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The organizers also raffled off 20 stored-value cards loaded with $100,000 each, and one of the winners was a Filipina domestic worker.

Grand-prize winner Lee is flanked by organizers' representatives in photo taken in Grand Central

Daryl Ng, NTFCF director, said a high vaccination rate would reduce the severe impact of the virus on Hong Kong’s population. Getting inoculated is the most effective way of steering the people out of the pandemic and back to normal life, he said.

“Given the tight supply of vaccines worldwide, the HKSAR Government has made tremendous efforts to provide sufficient quantity of Covid-19 vaccines to the public,” Ng said.

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He said the vaccination rate in August was very positive, prompting the sponsors to extend the registration for the grand prize of the lucky draw to give unvaccinated people, in particular the elderly, more time to consult medical experts for professional advice.

“I hope those who are vaccinated will encourage their relatives and friends to act. If the average vaccination rate per day can return to the August level, the goal to get 5 million or more of Hong Kong’s population vaccinated will be achieved soon,” Ng said.

To be eligible for the grand prize draw, participants must be fully vaccinated Hong Kong permanent residents aged 18 and above. For the other prizes, even non-PRs can take part.

Eligible participants in the Phase 2 draw for the grand prize and additional prize can register from 9am on Oct 8 until 5:30pm on Nov 30, with details to be announced on the Lucky Draw website www.vaccinationluckydraw.hk in due course. 

Winners will be randomly drawn on Dec 7 by a specialist computer system designed by Ernst & Young Advisory Services Ltd, an external service provider.

The result will be announced on the lucky draw website on the same day and will be published in local newspapers on Dec 13.  

Potential participants are advised to seek medical advice before vaccination, and book their vaccination appointments on www.covidvaccine.gov.hk. For enquiries, participants can contact the dedicated Lucky Draw hotline 3697 9357 between 9am and 6pm, Monday to Sunday, or email enquiry@vaccinationluckydraw.hk

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CE says HK has no plan to ease gathering restrictions soon

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By The SUN 

CE Lam addresses the press on Mid-Autumn Festival day

Chief Executive Carrie Lam has marked Mid-Autumn Festival by saying that there will be no significant relaxation of Hong Kong’s social distancing measures anytime soon.

Speaking at the weekly press briefing today, Sept 21, CE Lam said that despite not having recorded any local Covid infections for more than a month, Hong Kong must remain on high alert.

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“Yes, we have not recorded any local cases for about a month, but we should not let our guards down because it will take only one case to creep into our community and cause an outbreak,” Lam said.

Thus, the 14-day and 21-day quarantine imposed on new arrivals outside of China, Macau and Taiwan, will remain for now, as well as restrictions on gatherings in public places.

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“The social distancing measures will be eased at a relatively low pace. Hong Kong must also focus on preventing the importation of cases.”

The city’s top leader made the statement as the Centre for Health Protection announced a sole imported infection today, involving a 34-year-old man who arrived from France on Sept 19 and tested positive on his arrival test at Hong Kong airport.

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He received two jabs of the BioNTech vaccine in Hong Kong, and also tested positive for antibodies before his trip abroad. He is asymptomatic.

Travelers from the Mainland can enter HK quarantine-free, but not the other way around

The Chief Executive said she has been lobbying Chinese officials to allow a quarantine-free entry of Hong Kong residents into the mainland.

"How we could achieve quarantine-free travel by Hong Kong people into the Mainland of China is also my top priority. That's why last Saturday during my meeting with the Vice Premier Han Zheng in Shenzhen, I have also, on behalf of Hong Kong people, appealed…that we are very earnest about a meeting between the two sides, with government officials and health experts and so on, so as to iron out a scheme or the set of conditions that will allow Hong Kong people to travel into the Mainland without quarantine.”

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She said that since Sept 15, about 400 non-Hong Kong residents traveling from the mainland have been allowed to enter the city without undergoing 21-day quarantine under the Come2HK Scheme. But that arrangement is only one-way at the moment.

“The remaining question is for Hong Kong people to travel into the Mainland without being subject to quarantine requirement, and I hope we will shortly have this meeting that I have been talking about,” she said.

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The Chief Executive added that if Hong Kong wishes to resume cross-border activities with the mainland, the city must convince mainland authorities of the effectiveness of its anti-epidemic strategies.

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Filipino resident jailed nearly 17 years for trafficking $2m worth of drugs

Posted on 20 September 2021 No comments

By Vir B. Lumicao

The High Court judge sent Benoza to jail for 16 years and 9 months

A Filipino former bartender was sentenced at the High Court to nearly 17 years in prison today, Sept. 20, for trafficking 3.6 kilograms of ketamine in January last year.

Richard Marc A. Benoza, 30, stared blankly at Court of First Instance Judge Audrey Campbell-Moffat as she sentenced him to 16 years and nine months in jail.

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“You pleaded guilty to one count of trafficking in a dangerous drug. You brought in from Bangkok 3,588 grams of ketamine on Jan 24, 2019,” Campbell-Moffat said.

The judge said Benoza left Hong Kong for Bangkok on Jan 22, 2019 with no luggage, stayed there for just two days and returned with a suitcase containing clothes, including women’s wear, and packets of ketamine disguised as dried mango and coconut meat.

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She said the value of the dangerous drug would have been $2,057,200 had it successfully reached the Hong Kong market.

Campbell-Moffat gave Benoza a 25% discount after a persuasive mitigation by defense counsel, barrister Oliver Davies, who said that the failure of others to take care of the defendant when he was young had made him vulnerable to exploitation.

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A kilo of ketamine would draw a 14-year jail sentence, and thrice that amount would draw no less than 18 to 20 years, Campbell-Moffat said. In Benoza’s case, the drug amount he brought in was more than three times, so, more than 20 years, she said.

The judge set a starting point of 20 years and six months, which she enhanced by two years because she said the defendant was encouraged by others to import drugs. She also cited the international element of the crime.

The ketamine that Benoza brought in from Thailand was packed as snacks

Davies said earlier in the session that trafficking dangerous drugs was out of character for his client, who was born in Hong Kong in 1990 to a Filipino couple but grew up with neither parent looking after him.

“When you’ve been left out by your parents, you become vulnerable,” Davies said.

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The lawyer said Benoza was only four years old when his parents divorced and left him in the care of relatives. At age 9, he ran away until he was taken by the Social Welfare Department and placed in the care of his maternal grandmother.

His father, who worked at the airport, had not contacted Benoza, the lawyer said. His mother, on the other hand, had left for Japan.

Benoza was educated up to Form 5 and did well in the school’s international program, said Davies. In 2001, he worked as a bartender in a pub in Exchange Square, Central, and lived with his girlfriend. Then he was enticed by some people to travel to Bangkok.

Davies said Benoza was aware that what he did was wrong but would not talk about the people who got him into trouble.

A handful of the defendant’s relative as well as his girlfriend attended the sentencing.

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Filipina DH who kept friend’s HKID as 'souvenir' to stand trial

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By Vir B. Lumicao 

Maing wants to ask her friend to return to HK and testify in her defence

A Filipina domestic helper who claims that the Hong Kong ID card found in her possession was given to her by a friend as souvenir, will stand trial next month after she pleaded not guilty to a charge of possessing a HKID card belonging to another person.

M.K. Maing entered her plea before Eastern Court Magistrate Andrew Mok today, Sept. 20.

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Her bail was extended until her trial set for Oct. 26.

The prosecution said it will present three witnesses while the defense said the owner of the HKID card found in Maing’s possession is being located so she may testify for the defendant.

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Maing was arrested during a spot check on May 12 after officers found two HKID cards in her wallet, hers and the card issued to her friend.

The helper was also charged initially with breaching her condition of stay by overstaying her visa. However, she managed to prove that she was just waiting for her new employment visa to be released on May 20 and she had an employer waiting for her.

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The prosecution withdrew the breach of condition charge on Aug 23 after confirming that a new work visa was about to be issued to Maing.

It also dropped its opposition to the defendant’s bail application in previous hearings after the Bethune House Migrant Women’s Refuge through its executive director Edwina Antonio told the court that it was willing to shelter Maing.

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Antonio and Maing’s two relatives, who were present in her previous hearings, escorted the defendant to the court today.

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Walk-in vaccination to open to all eligible residents from Wednesday

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By Daisy CL Mandap 

Any eligible person can now go to a CVC and ask for same-day ticket for vaccination

Starting this Wednesday, Sept 22, any eligible person can ask for same-day tickets for receiving a Covid-19 vaccine at any of the 21 community vaccination centres (CVCs) across Hong Kong.

A statement issued by the government today, Sept 20, said those who are issued tickets can use them to get vaccinated in a CVC at a designated time slot on the day of distribution.

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 "Under the new arrangement, members of the public can get vaccinated without prior bookings as long as there are quotas of vaccinations available at the 21 CVCs,” said the statement.

The walk-in system, which was launched on Jul 29 and originally targeted the elderly, was devised to get more people to get vaccinated before the CVCs close by the end of the year.

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It is now being expanded amid a significant decline in the number of people who book appointments for their first vaccine dose.

From a high of about 40,000 people booking appointments daily in July, the number has now dropped to less than a tenth of the figure. Yesterday, only 3,200 new booking were made.

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Meanwhile, 360 Sha Tin residents, many of them elderly, took part in the government’s outreach vaccination drive earlier today.

Participants were provided a one-stop service which included a health talk, medical consultation and vaccination with the BioNTech jab, which were all done at Lee On Community Services Complex in Ma On Shan.

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Showing support for the project was Secretary for the Civil Service Patrick Nip, who said elderly persons should receive vaccination immediately as they are at high risk of falling seriously ill and dying if they are infected with Covid-19.

Nip joined the outreach to reassure the elderly that Covid-19 vaccines are safe 

Government figures show the elderly has the lowest take-up for the vaccine among all groups in Hong Kong, despite repeated assurances that they have no reason to fear serious side effects from vaccination.

The elderly who have yet to get vaccinated are still being encouraged to take advantage of the walk-in vaccination service. They can send someone to pick up the ticket for them, who only need to show a copy of their HKID card.

The same-day tickets will be distributed daily until end of October, from 7:45am on a first-come, first-served basis, except between 1:30 and 2:30pm when the CVCs are closed for cleaning and disinfection.

The last vaccination session will be held from 7pm to 7.30pm.

Starting from November, the same-day tickets will be distributed 15 minutes before the CVCs open, and the last vaccination session will be held an hour before they close. 
 
Persons can collect a same-day ticket at a CVC by presenting their Hong Kong identity cards (HKID cards), or that of a family member who wants to get vaccinated.

The schedule for the second dose is given once a person receives the first dose of the vaccine of their choice.

But bookings are still being accepted on the designated website of the Covid-19 Vaccination Programme (www.covidvaccine.gov.hk) for receiving vaccinations at the CVCs or designated general outpatient clinics of the Hospital Authority.

Any eligible person can also make an appointment for a vaccination directly with the private doctor or clinic under the Programme.

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Filipina resident who came via PAL among 5 new Covid-19 infections

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By The SUN 

The Filipina resident was just on her 3rd day of quarantine at 4Points Hotel when found infected

A 53-year-old Filipina resident who came from Manila via Philippine Airlines flight PR300 on Sept 16 is among five new Covid-19 infections reported in Hong Kong today, Sept 20. 

The Filipina who received two Sinovac jabs in the Philippines on Jun 14 and Jul 12 tested positive on her third day of quarantine at 4Points by Sheraton Hotel in Tung Chung.

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She is the only one among today’s patients whose result for a variant tests still pending. All the rest were found positive for the L452R strain of the coronavirus.

One of today’s patients has no record of vaccination. He is a 20-year-old male who arrived from Myanmar on Sept 14 via flight KE 607. He tested positive while in quarantine at Ramada Harbour View Hotel in Sai Ying Pun.

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Two of the patients are related to each other, and flew in together from the United States on Sept 10 via JL 735 and stayed at Regal Airport Hotel in Chek Lap Kok.

One of them, a 51-year-old female, was asymptomatic while her companion, a 56-year-old male, developed symptoms on Sept 17.

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They both received the e BioNTech vaccine in Hong Kong between Apr 17 and May 26, and tested positive for antibodies on Aug 14.

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The last confirmed patient is a 38-year-old man who arrived from Kenya on Sept 16 via QR818 and developed symptoms the next day while in quarantine at Silka Seaview Hotel in Yau Ma Tei.

He received the BBIBP vaccine from Sinopharm in Pakistan on Jun 8 and Jul 20.

The additional cases took Hong Kong's total Covid-19 tally to 12,165.

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