HK Covid-19 Cases Drop to Below 1,000

Children can soon finally play on playgrounds from April 21

Hong Kong reached a new milestone today -- 946 cases were recorded, the first time in over two months that the number has dropped to below 1,000.

Of the total, 471 cases were detected from PCR tests, 475 from rapid antigen tests, and 11 imported.

There were also 67 people who died, of which 36 passed away in the past 24 hours.

Chuang urges people to remain vigilant at Easter

While the infection number is lower than what it was a few weeks ago, Dr Chuang Shuk-kwan of the Centre for Health Protection advised people to continue to be vigilant by wearing masks and washing their hands regularly, especially now during the Easter holiday with more people going out there is a chance of cases rebounding.

Nevertheless the drop of cases to three figures also means the end of Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor hosting her daily press conferences.

At times she was combative with the media when it comes to their questions, either asking them to be more understanding about how tough her job was, to blaming them for not bringing up the correct facts in a question (where she was factually wrong). 

Lam ends her daily press briefings on Covid-19

Yesterday when a reporter asked Lam that since the numbers have dropped significantly, when would the government conduct mandatory testing and she side stepped the question completely. 

Inquiring minds want to know, Carrie! It's a legitimate question to ask.

Hopefully the downward trend continues, though there is word the sixth wave could come as early as June...

Covid-19 Numbers Drop to below 10K

Albert Au of CHP (left) reports under 9,000 cases today

This afternoon was a sign of good news -- in the first time since February 24, the number of coronavirus infections in Hong Kong dropped to below 10,000 to 8,841, of which 3,978 were from PCR tests, 4,957 from RATs. Six cases were imported. 

The Centre of Health Protection's Albert Au Ka-wing said that while the number of infections has definitely peaked, he urged people not to let their guard down. Also the number of deaths is still relatively high at 139, of which 114 are from the past 24 hours, 25 backlogged.

One of the deaths was a three-year-old girl, but she had pre-existing long-term health issues including severe brain lesions and was diagnosed with pneumonia. The Department of Health will investigate her death. The oldest person who died was 106 years old.

A quarantine room at the LMO from HK$10K

Meanwhile the lifting of the flight ban on nine countries from April 1 has led to non-stop inquiries from people overseas needing rooms in quarantine hotels for a week. The Landmark Mandarin Oriental has had a flood of people trying to book rooms, and with room rates from HK$10,010 (US$1,278) for a 83 sq metre room per night, it's yet another bumper year for the hotel in Central.

Then there are other hotels in the city that have converted into community isolation facilities to prepare for the possibility of universal testing. While this is good money -- HK$1,600 per room per night paid for by the government, some hotels are loathe to kick out long-staying guests.

One hotel in Sheung Wan has had people staying there for over three years. That's because they are elderly and have no family in Hong Kong to look after them and rely on the hotel's staff to check up on them.

It's quite sad to hear that they are living in these small hotel rooms, but this is the best way they can ensure there is someone looking out for them -- to help them get to the hospital for regular health check-ups, and for disabled guests who need physical assistance on a daily basis.

Rooms at Novotel Century are now for isolation

Luckily some hotels are taking pity on these people, while others have evicted some long-staying guests, leaving them with little choice but to find alternative housing. The Novotel Century Hong Kong in Wan Chai has turned into a community isolation facility, and one of its long-staying guests luckily managed to find accommodation at a serviced apartment nearby at very short notice. 

While this pandemic has turned people's lives upside down, we've all had to deal with the challenges the best we can. And finding compassion can be a godsend for many who need it.

Covid-19 May Have Peaked, Though Wait and See

Has Covid-19 peaked in this wave? May be too early to tell

Hong Kong may indeed have seen a turning point in the fifth wave of the pandemic, as the number of cases are starting to drop, but health officials warn people to continue to be vigilant and see what the situation is like in the next few days.

Today 31,392 cases were recorded, of which 24,380 were from PCR tests, 7,012 from RAT (rapid antigen test). 

However the number of deaths is still high at 281, of which 180 are new, 101 are backlogged. Of the 180 deaths, the age range is 47 to 112 years old and 122 were not vaccinated. Sound familiar? It's sad to hear someone 112 died because they were not jabbed, after all they have gone through.

Au can finally get a haircut with salons reopened

Dr Albert Au Ka-wing of the Centre for Health Protection says the wave may have peaked between March 2-4 when cases were over the 50,000 mark, and now are starting to drop.

"The RAT daily caseload seems to be steady and not increasing. We're starting to see a drop too, so this is positive and it seems there is a chance the numbers will go down. But the public should not let their guard down," Au said.

"The public have worked hard over the past two months to follow social-distancing rules and ramped-up testing. We hope they will continue to follow these measures to further cut off transmission chains so the numbers can keep falling."

He warned people not to be too optimistic because the case numbers were still in the five-figure range could rebound if they were not vigilant.

Government pandemic advisor David Hui Shu-cheong agreed, adding the situation needed to be observed for another week before coming to any conclusions.

Hui admits people not reporting positive results

"The number of positive PCR test results is indeed dropping, but a number of the public have used RAT and authorities told those who tested positive from February 26 to report it within two weeks. Many of them have not done so. Also, many of my friends and relatives chose not to submit their results," he said.

Telling admission from Hui, who is revealing how many people feel about catching Covid-19 and not wanting the authorities to know in case they will be dragged to isolation centres where they have heard horror stories of hygiene and not being allowed out immediately once they are confirmed negative.

However Secretary for Security Chris Tang Ping-keung warned that residents who refuse to go to an isolation centre would face a HK$5,000 (US$639) fine and two months' imprisonment, while those who left such facilities during quarantine could also face a HK$5,000 fine and six months behind bars.

So where is the incentive to willingly report that you're infected?

Currently about 18,800 rooms for isolation are being used, about 40 percent.

This afternoon a woman I met a few months ago forwarded a voice message to me. It wasn't her voice, but a man explaining how to treat Omicron with Chinese medicine. He explained the Lianhua Qingwen capsules were effective -- but even more so when removing the powdered medicine from the capsules and swallowing it directly to make them even more effective.

This herbal medicine does not cure Covid-19

This is so bizarre, first of all Lianhua Qingwen is not considered a viable medication to fight Covid-19. The Singaporean Health Sciences Authority released a notice from last November stating there is not scientific evidence that any herbal product, including Lianhua Qingwen can be used to prevent or treat Covid-19.

In addition, when capsules are swallowed, they dissolve quickly anyway -- how is swallowing powdered herbal medicine going to treat someone even faster? It was a ridiculous suggestion and for it to be spread through Whatsapp is irresponsible too.

But here we are, still spreading misinformation and disinformation in the third year of the pandemic.

Either way, people are figuring out how to treat Covid-19 in their own way to avoid isolation as much as possible!

 

Simple Goodbyes During Covid

Lovely portrait of Robin at the funeral

Today I said goodbye to a friend who died a few weeks ago from cancer. Robin Piers Lynam was 63.

I didn't know him that well, but more on a professional basis, and he was such a gentleman in an English sort of way. He was so knowledgeable on so many different subjects, from food to wine, music both classical and jazz, and was a musician too who played the guitar.

He was a Renaissance man who refused to get a mobile phone until he was diagnosed with cancer over two years ago and had to keep in touch with the medical clinics for his treatments.

Robin passed away at age 63 of cancer

The last time I saw him was about half a year ago at a lunch in Somm at the Landmark Mandarin Oriental, and I was so genuinely happy to see him as I knew he was battling cancer at the time and glad to see he looked well and had a decent appetite.

We said our goodbyes at the MTR station after, and I expressed hope to see him again soon.

That did not happen until today.

Due to Covid restrictions, 40 people were invited to come to the crematorium at Cape Collinson above Chai Wan, but only about 15 people showed up. We had a socially-distanced shuttle ride from Central that took less than 20 minutes.

When we arrived, his partner tearfully hugged everyone, and although she barely knew me she held me tightly.

Before entering the bare bones funeral hall, we scanned our Leave Home Safe app, where there were no flowers, just a plain room with seats on both sides, and on the left a rolling conveyor belt with a curtain to the crematorium.

Someone placed a portrait of Robin on the table and then the mini service began with his partner thanking us for coming, how they had 25 years together and was so grateful for every moment they were with each other.

She then invited each of us to say our goodbyes, which most people did briefly, including myself. His partner then said a few more words and played a lovely song in which she cried loudly throughout.

Cape Collinson is a no-frills crematorium

Periodically someone behind the curtain dressed in full protective equipment including goggles peered through to see if we were done yet.

When the folksy song ended, she pressed a green button and the coffin moved forward behind the curtain. Robin's partner will take his ashes back to the UK, as he and his older brother have predeceased his mother.

And that was it. We checked out of our Leave Home Safe apps and it was 16 minutes.

That's what a no-frills funeral is like these days.

Robin would probably be surprised to see how sparse the room looked, but maybe would think it was practical not to have flowers and having people fuss over him.

It was just so sad to see hardly any ceremony and not being allowed to have anything too elaborate. With so many deaths these days from Covid, the funeral parlours and crematoriums are very busy, though we did not see the next party come in.

I really enjoyed working with Robin -- he was so helpful whenever I had to publish say a supplement on wine or a wine magazine. He would ask me which wineries to include and then in a few weeks came out with practically flawless stories featuring the vineyards I had asked him to write about.

He was really a lifesaver.

Lam finally wearing a mask to address the public

Will miss his acerbic wit, knowledge on so many subjects and overall just a gentle soul to be around.

Hope you are resting peacefully on the other side.

On the Covid-19 front, today Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor made her first public appearance since February 22 to now give daily updates on the pandemic situation in Hong Kong. And for the first time she appeared speaking with a mask on!

So much for wanting to show people how she really feels, when as the leader of Hong Kong she should set an example and wear a mask indoors, as stipulated by pandemic regulations.

Today the city logged 58,750 cases (25,991 from PCR tests, 32,766 from RAT tests). The latter are considered confirmed after all the relevant information is inputted into the website and the government issues the applicant an isolation order. Many were backlogged cases from since February 26 to now.

The number of deaths was 195, of which 145 were not vaccinated, with ages ranging from 41 to 105. The youngest person was a domestic helper who had fainted and was found by her employer. At the hospital the helper was found to be infected after a RAT test, but it is not clear if the helper died of Covid as she was found to have a brain hemorrhage. Another female aged 45 had cancer. 

The alarming message

Infectious disease expert Dr Gabriel Leung has said on Twitter that according to the University of Hong Kong modelling, the fifth wave should have peaked on March 4 with over 1.8 million people infected.

When asked to comment on this, Dr Albert Au Ka-wing of the Centre for Health Protection said it was still a bit too early to know if the fifth wave had peaked yet, and would probably find out in another week or so as case numbers are still high.

In the meantime around dinner time everyone in Hong Kong received a fright on their phones with alarms going off because the government decided to send a very important text message letting everyone know that Queen Elizabeth Hospital is now only for Covid patients.

It was already announced yesterday.

Did they really need to do that? Everyone immediately complained on Twitter.

For some reason my phone went off an hour later... since then people have all changed our settings to not receive such alarms anymore...

Over 200K Register their Positive Tests

Those who test positive from RAT can now register online

Finally the Centre of Health Protection's website for people to register that they tested positive using rapid antigen tests was launched at 6pm today and within hours over 200,000 have done so.

While the CHP stresses this is a voluntary exercise, thousands of people have registered because they may be living in spaces where they cannot isolate, or are with family members and are too scared to infect them.

When they registered they had to give their personal details, as well as those of their household members, their symptoms and the condition of the others in the home. 

CHP will arrange isolation quarters for people

They also have to upload a picture of the RAT showing the positive result. And then health authorities will determine if they need to go to hospital or if their symptoms are mild to recover in community isolation facilities.

Registered users can also get a certificate of their infection from CHP so that it can be given to their employers to be able to take sick leave.

The CHP said today that only those who tested positive today should register, while those who found out they were positive from February 26 to March 5 could register later, with March 14 being the deadline to avoid overloading the system.

Today there were 25,150 cases logged, and 161 people died in the past 24 hours, another 119 who died were from backlogged cases. The death toll so far is now 2,287, the highest in the developed world. 

As if that wasn't tragic enough, two children aged four and eight died with underlying conditions. Both had received one jab of Sinovac. They will be included in tomorrow's death count.

Chan (left) had not date for consumption vouchers

A friend suggested that because of the past two years children have been wearing masks everyday and not exposed to as many germs as before, let alone the flu, perhaps their bodies were overwhelmed when they were infected with Covid-19. 

Meanwhile Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po gave an uneventful press conference announcing details of the electronic voucher, as another HK$10,000 will be doled out to 6.3 permanent residents 18 years and older, and new migrants from the mainland.

However, he stopped short of giving the exact date when the exercise would start, citing the pandemic, and yet wanting to dole out money soon to help businesses. 

"Because of the pandemic situation, many shops' operations have been interrupted. That also applies to other stakeholders and operators involved in this particular consumption voucher project. That's why, to be prudent, we're refraining from giving a specific date," Chan said.

The four options to collect and use e-vouchers

"We hope to do it as early as practically possible, but it really depends on the circumstances... I think it is important for us to do sufficient back-end work, with the system properly tested."

What is there to test? Practically everyone who registered the first time haven't changed their details unless they have left Hong Kong. 

Nevertheless, when reporters asked if the e-vouchers would instead be available in cash for those who would find it more useful, Chan said no, things would be the same. Nor was there a condition of getting the jab before receiving the payout. 

So where is the incentive to get people inoculated? Again there is no benefit to being vaccinated, and yet the city is going through the worst Covid-19 wave now.

It boggles the mind...

Security Bureau Involved in Covid-19 Battle

Seniors in care homes are the most vulnerable to Covid-19

Today is the second day the number of cases dropped to 30,000 -- 31,008 to be exact -- though the number of dead continues to be a shocking refrain. There were 233 deaths reported, 153 of them in the past 24 hours and of them 114 were not vaccinated. 

More seniors are finally getting vaccinated but it's the ones in elderly care homes that are the most vulnerable and need to be jabbed as soon as possible. It is in these old folks homes that the virus has spread so quickly and these patients' immune systems cannot cope.

Au (left) says Security Bureau now involved

Hong Kong now has the highest death rate from Covid-19 in the developed world with 2,007 dead since the start of the pandemic, 1,794 from the fifth wave alone.

Aside from being horrified by the number of dead each day, the Hong Kong government has now made it even more punitive for residents to be infected with Covid-19.

The authorities have setup a hotline for people to call in, Whatsapp or WeChat to report that they have tested positive and need to be moved to isolation facilities because they have mild or no symptoms, or are unable to do so at home.

However, this project is being handled by the Secretary for Security Chris Tang Ping-keung, who was the police chief during the 2019 protests.

Tang inspects Tsing Yi isolation units today

Perhaps even more frightening is that the Security Bureau is now involved in the operation and it is this department that will determine who goes into the isolation facilities. Retroactive cases will not be sent, but starting with those reported in the last three days, according to Dr Albert Au Ka-wing of the Centre for Health Protection.

So medical experts won't be deciding who gets to isolate at home and who doesn't?

It's getting more frightening as the days go on and still no word on how universal testing will be conducted and if there is some kind of a lockdown or not.

The last thing we need is more fear and stress, but perhaps that's exactly what the authorities intend to instil in us, that Covid-19 is a dreadful, deadly virus which is why we must reach "dynamic zero-Covid"!

HK Govt Dithers as Cases Surge over 34K

People were out panic-buying in supermarkets today

There is never a dull moment in Hong Kong. The situation changes not only day by day but after a few hours, and it has resulted in people becoming more scared, depressed and helpless.

This morning people heard Secretary for Food and Health Sophia Chan Siu-chee on the radio, saying the government was not ruling out a lockdown in order to limit people's movements during universal testing in March.

Right away people rushed out to supermarkets and cleared out shelves, terrified they may not be allowed to leave their homes for days or weeks at a time.

Many shelves like these were empty

Some shoppers claimed they just wanted to be prepared with everyday items they normally buy, while one man claimed he had already done his panic shopping a few weeks ago but wanted to get "alcohol and ice cream in a crisis".

Interesting combo.

There were even rumours that supermarket chain ParkNShop would close all its outlets from March 7, and the company had to later issue a statement refuting the rumour, that business would operate as usual.

But that did not stop others from buying what they needed -- just in case.

Meanwhile a slew of wet markets have closed because of infections, from Kennedy Town to Sha Tin, Kwai Chung and Peng Chau.

Later Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor told RTHK that it would be good to have a lockdown so that citizens will "stop moving around" before the results came in, they were still studying this, including if they should halt all public transport and the stock market.

This totally contradicts what she said last Tuesday, that a citywide lockdown would not be needed. Scientifically it is ridiculous to allow people to still continue as normal while still being tested for the virus.

Lam now says a lockdown could be necessary

The flip-flopping is not helpful at all, and creating anxiety among people because not enough straight-forward information is being given.

Residents have not been told at all when the testing will actually begin, and at first it was suggested that people would be called according to their HKID card number, but now it seems it will be by family unit. There is no information about how the tests will be conducted, for how long, what happens if you are tested positive and what kind of medical treatment people should expect.

Everything is vague and officials are "still studying" different scenarios. Why are they dithering so much? When it came to the national security law, its implementation was swift and ruthless -- overnight. 

And now when it comes to a matter of life and death, the government is still deciding what to do?

Should we remind Lam and her colleagues that there were 34,466 cases today, only four of which were imported. One hundred and twenty-four people died, 87 of them in the past 24 hours, the others were backlogged.

Of the 87 who died, 67 were not vaccinated, 10 had taken one shot, the other 10 two shots. There is no further information on which vaccines they took, and 49 of the deaths were in elderly care homes.

Dr Albert Au Ka-wing, principal medical and health officer at the Centre for Health Protection gave some analysis of the first 442 fatalities in the fifth wave.

Au gave a breakdown of the 442 deaths so far

Four were between the ages of zero and nine;

Two were aged 10 to 19

19 were aged 20 to 59

35 were aged 60-69

80 were aged 70-79

292 were 80 and above.

The median age was 84.

A total of 359, or 81 percent were not vaccinated, while 44 had one shot, and 39 had two.

These numbers should be compelling enough to urge people to get vaccinated, but many still refuse to budge, mostly due to mistrust of the government. And given what the city has gone through since the anti-extradition protests in 2019 it is understandable the lack of trust in the authorities, but still, the numbers of deaths don't lie here.

Also shocking as mentioned yesterday is that dead bodies are not being transported to public mortuaries fast enough, and funeral homes are too scared to accept them, leaving families in a bind because they want to have a ceremony for their loved ones first. There are now options to have the bodies immediately sent to crematoriums, but not many are choosing this.

Isolation units being constructed in Tsing Yi

In Tsing Yi today isolation facilities are being built at a fast clip, though from pictures it seems there are bars on the windows, as if further punishing people for testing positive.

Can we also add that now there will be no notifications on people's Leave Home Safe apps because there are too many to record. So why even bother scanning the app now if it doesn't tell you that a shop or building you went to had someone who tested positive?

The disaster is unfolding very fast and furious, and yet the government is still deciding what to do... its lack of decisiveness has left us residents very worried and frustrated that we have to fend for ourselves. Staying health and getting vaccinated is the only protection we have.

Horrific Covid-19 Stories Continue

Easier job, more pay at isolation facility at AsiaWorld-Expo

Sorry for the repetitious refrain, but Hong Kong recorded a staggering 26,026 cases today, almost all of them local.

What is frightening is that bodies of those who succumbed to Covid-19 are piling up in hospitals and not enough resources to transport them to the public mortuary. Sounds like New York in the early stages of the pandemic and yet here we are more than two years later and Hong Kong is completely unprepared for the impending onslaught.

Check out fatalities for those 80 and over

The Centre for Health Protection and the Department of Health released data on the first 284 Covid-19-related deaths in the fifth wave, and a shocking 91 percent were not vaccinated. The vast majority of the deaths are those over 80 years old. 

Meanwhile staffing of hospitals is getting thinner and thinner, as not only doctors and nurses contract the virus, but also caregivers in public hospitals are being lured to a community isolation centre treating patients with mild symptoms in AsiaWorld-Expo near the airport with promises of salaries of up to HK$50,000 (US$6,403) a month.

There are worries many will resign and leave even more work for those left behind on the front lines of public hospitals which are treating seriously ill patients with Covid.

Nothing is done to alleviate the labour shortages in public hospitals and they are left to fend for themselves. 

Then there are tragic stories of people who are crammed in sub-divided flats and test positive. 

A couple slept in this stairwell for several days

There was one story of a construction worker who tested positive for the virus along with his wife and live with their children and extended family in a tiny flat. In order to self-isolate, the couple slept on the roof and when it was raining in the stairwell. They asked their family to give them a bucket of water and they defecated into plastic bags.

Another was a foreign domestic helper who was found sleeping in her employer's car after she tested positive. A volunteer group that helps foreign helpers managed to persuade her to go to a shelter and even had to help her call her employer to reassure her that she wouldn't be fired. She was literally locked in the car and couldn't leave to go to the washroom and had nothing to eat.

These two instances show how little comprehension the government has for people in precarious living conditions and what solutions they have for them, let along compassion.

In the end the couple was treated, but not before their children also became ill... 

And what is with all these lawmakers and government officials and their helpers and drivers all catching Covid? Sounds like the chauffeurs are all hanging out together... the latest is Police Commissioner Raymond Siu Chak-yee's drive -- the sixth government official's driver to test positive. 

Thousands of restaurants are temporarily closing

The restaurant industry is hurting badly now, with people too terrified to eat out. Many restaurants, cafes and even fast food outlets are temporarily closed. Cafe de Coral will now limit its services to only takeaway. 

Some restaurants say they will open in a week, others don't say. It's devastating to see everyone struggling so much because of the government not handling this fifth wave fast enough and wasting time getting the elderly vaccinated.

One acquaintance got his booster yesterday and thought he was smart to get it in this thigh, as this was recommended for children to prevent any issues with their hearts. But today he reported his leg hurt so much he couldn't walk properly! 

So pro-tip -- don't get your jab in the thigh. Just get it in the arm. One person suggested moving your arm around afterwards to quickly distribute the vaccine... don't know if it's true, but every suggestion is worth a shot. haha!

Government Officials Looking Busy

Mainland expert team (in maroon) seeing things done in HK

For days Secretary for Food and Health Sophia Chan Siu-chee was no where to be found, publicly that is.

She finally emerged today, apparently busy showing around a mainland epidemiological expert delegation on the third of their five-day trip here that was documented in a press release.

Chan promised tracking every confirmed case

They visited the Contact Tracing Office which is under the Department of Health, and then also the Environmental Protection Department where officials explained its work on environmental transmission of the virus within buildings, while the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department talked about the requirements for indoor ventilation systems in government buildings, and guidelines for improving air quality indoors.

But perhaps most surprising in the press release was Chan's declaration: "The Government is in a race against time with the highly transmissible Omicron mutant strain. In order to contain the epidemic, we have to trace the close contacts of every confirmed case as soon as possible and conduct environmental investigation rapidly."

Uh... does she know there are currently 30,525 active cases?

Meanwhile her colleague Secretary for Labour and Welfare Law Chi-kwong is upset that Hong Kong residents were crowdfunding to help pay for the fines that foreign domestic helpers were getting from the police for allegedly not social-distancing to two people in public spaces. Last Sunday it was reported 17 fines of HK$5,000 each were handed out.

Police swarming domestic helpers at Tamar

The crowd-funding page had received over HK$100,000, but Law said he would ask the Justice Department to look into whether legal action needed to be taken.

"You may have good intentions, but we can't rule out that you are maliciously obstructing our whole anti-epidemic effort. Because you are helping a big group of foreign domestic workers to congregate, to violate the gathering limit, [this] will affect the epidemic, and affect many families," he said. "We must not be soft on this."

Definitely. As his boss Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor said, "No mercy".

As a result, the organiser of the crowd-funding page had to stop accepting donations.

"Upon advice, we have decided that we should not proceed to pay the fines of the group of domestic helpers who received fixed penalties on Sunday, 13 February 2022, and have closed the fund. All sums collected will be returned to the original donors through the website."

Today there were 6,063 cases recorded, and 15 deaths with the age range between 45 to 93 years old, and only about two were vaccinated.

C'mon people! Free protection right here!

Another statistic that might persuade people to finally get vaccinated: in this fifth wave there have been 46 deaths so far. Of those, 40 were not vaccinated. Of those who were jabbed, three who died had had two doses of Sinovac, two had one dose of Sinovac, and one had two doses of BioNTech.

Why doesn't the Centre for Health Protection emphasise this to prove the point that people need to get vaccinated?!

Hong Kong Continues to be in Tatters

Many interpret Xi's message as a rebuke, others say it's support

There was a lot of chatter about General Party Secretary Xi Jinping's directive to the Hong Kong government to put the current fifth wave under control to prevent social instability. While many interpreted his message to be a rebuke, others tried to spin it as encouragement towards the local authorities.

Regardless it was another day of mounting cases -- 6,116 today, and another 6,300 preliminary. There were also 24 deaths in the past 24 hours.

What has Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor done today?

The iclub Ma Tau Wai Hotel in Tokwawan

She managed to procure 20,000 hotel rooms -- double the number she asked for to house close contacts of coronavirus patients, and infected people with mild symptoms.

The hotels are scattered all over town and it was recommended not to use those that are attached to shopping malls to avoid further transmission of the virus. The first batch of hotels are located in areas such as Tsuen Wan, Fortress Hill, and Tokwawan.

Meanwhile some 300 taxi drivers have been recruited to ferry patients who have tested positive to clinics for treatment. The drivers will get masks and gowns as well as goggles, but it might be hard to see the road clearly wearing those all day...

This evening my colleagues and I received an email from our company saying someone this afternoon tested positive for the virus, which meant the office would be deep-cleaned all weekend.

While those who were in the office these few days could get self-tested, the Centre for Health Protection did not deem them as "close contacts" and so testing was not mandatory. This just shows how different the policy is from two years ago, when anyone who was near the infected person had to go into quarantine camp for two weeks despite testing negative.

Luk Yu Tea House is temporarily closed

After a few appointments in Central this afternoon I went to visit a few shops and was disappointed to find they were shut. The pandemic had made it unfeasible for them to open now, including one that has just opened last week.

Many restaurants have either temporarily closed -- including the iconic Luk Yu Tea House -- or have drastically scaled back their days and hours of operation in a bid to survive. 

A hotel restaurant I visited earlier today said they were supposed to have 50 diners, but 10 cancelled because they were scared of dining out.

I suggested they spread the tables out further and the manager said they had put them much further apart than the government regulations. 

The Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong has begun promoting takeaway from its Michelin-starred Chinese restaurant, which was unheard of last year. Will people really want char siu using Iberico pork, or fried rice vermicelli with crab meat and egg? By the time they bring it home it's cold...

Rapid antigen tests are the must have item now

The hottest must-have item now besides N95 or KF94 masks? Rapid antigen tests. Pharmacy chain Watson's had practically sold out of all of them except one -- at HK$118 (US$15) a piece.  

The other day Lam had said the government had ordered millions of RATs, but where are they? They should have been handed out to people this week, but no, they still aren't here.

This is not how to battle the pandemic with determination and speed. 

Again, the residents have to protect themselves with whatever resources they can get their hands on. 

Covid-19 Cases Continue to Surge

People waiting in long lines to be tested for Covid-19

There was more shock today to see Hong Kong log another record breaking 1,325 cases today and over 1,500 preliminary positive, which means there could be close to 2,000 cases tomorrow.

Chuang (left) announced 1,500 preliminary cases

If this is not horrifying enough to get people to get vaccinated, I don't know what else to say.

In the last few days there have been some elderly deaths related to Covid-19, practically all were not vaccinated, or had one jab. Unfortunately the Centre for Health Protection does not disclose whether those inoculated had Sinovac or BioNTech; the health authorities will only say both are effective in producing antibodies... 

But there was also a four-year-old boy on Yuen Long who died after having a fever since February 9 and vomited before he passed out and then died. It turns out now from his autopsy that he also had Covid-19.

Lee leads a delegation to Shenzhen tomorrow

Tomorrow Hong Kong and mainland officials will meet in Shenzhen to discuss how to battle Omicron, with the strong possibility of setting up a makeshift hospital. Some people on Twitter are suggesting Hong Kong International Airport's third runway that is being built now be the site, since there aren't anymore flights coming in or out.

Chief Secretary John Lee Ka-chiu is leading the delegation that includes the secretaries for security, health mainland affairs, and transport and housing. 

Hundreds of Cantonese-speaking medical and lab personnel have already come to Hong Kong to help process mass testing.

"The first two batches of colleagues, a few hundred of them, already crossed the border into Hong Kong last week. We gave priority to those who can speak Cantonese, as they will need to interact with Hong Kong people," a Guangdong health official said.

He added these people were mentally prepared to be in Hong Kong for a long stint, as they could not return to the mainland without having completed along quarantine.

How about using third runway for Covid hospital?

It makes being sent to the city sound like a hardship posting...

More Severe Restrictions To Fight 5th Wave

A restaurant worker watches Lam detail the latest measures

The Hong Kong government has finally announced it will be implementing the vaccine passport from Thursday in restaurants in a bid to clamp down on the fifth wave of the pandemic, something that should have been instituted months ago to get people vaccinated.

Then from February 24, people must show their vaccination status on their LeaveHomeSafe app in order to enter shopping malls, supermarkets, wet markets, hair salons and religious venues. When the virus tampers down the vaccine pass will be extended to places like gyms, beauty parlours, swimming pools and cinemas.

4.30pm briefing gave more details to restrictions

People have until the end of April to get their first jab, then the end of June to get their second, and after that their booster. 

Why wasn't this implemented earlier like in the summer and early fall when we had zero cases? We wouldn't have 625 cases recorded today, 621 of which are local infections.

Dr Chuang Shuk-kwan of the Centre for Health Protection said many of the cases were a result of family gatherings during Chinese New Year, and so now only people from two different households can meet at home, though officials admitted there would be no police checks per se or court orders to search people's homes.

For restaurants that are type B or C they can only have two people per table, whereas at type D places where all staff are fully vaccinated, then four people can sit together. How they come up with these numbers is arbitrary. And perhaps another stinging regulation is that only two people can be together in a public place. How are families supposed to walk around then? It's all quite maddening.

I asked my cousin if his parents would finally get vaccinated, otherwise he will be burdened with the task of shopping for food for the family, and he's not exactly a food shopper. He admitted his parents will probably hold out as much as they can, but will eventually give in and get the jab, albeit reluctantly.

Lam said the infection numbers were shocking

For the last year or so I can't understand their stubbornness at not getting inoculated -- for their own protection.

Meanwhile my male colleagues were worried about not being able to get their hair cut and I advised them to do it tomorrow before the deadline on Thursday. I reminded them that hair salons would reopen by February 24, but that they would need to show their vaccine passport.

Sighs of relief all round.

The whole day was consumed with watching Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor this morning talk about how shocking the infection numbers were, and then finally hearing from her at 3.30pm what the measures would be. However she refused to give details and said those would be revealed at the 4.30pm press briefing with health officials that we all dutifully watched and took notes.

And to scare people even more, those who do not obey compulsory testing orders will be fined not the current HK$5,000, but HK$10,000. The government added another HK$26 billion in the anti-epidemic relief fund, which was passed by "patriots in power", but will that be enough to help everyone in dire straits?

We're back to dining restrictions from 2020

Residents in short-term employment will get a one-off HK$10,000 handout, while those on the pandemic frontline, such as cleaners, security guards and airport cargo workers will receive a monthly stipend of HK$2,000 for five months from February.

Sounds like peanuts again, but better than nothing.

Despite these measures, infectious disease experts say they might not be enough, and that the vaccine pass may need to be implemented for public transport. How will people ever get onto the MTR on time if that's the case? Imagine all the arguments people would have with bus drivers and mini bus drivers? 

Everyone is so stressed as it is, and these latest social-distancing restrictions pile on more doom and gloom to the situation that seems to never end.

It's going to be a long February even though it's the shortest month of the year.

The quote of the day goes to Lam who misspoke a common expression. Instead of saying "killing two birds with one stone", she said: "Killing two stones with one bird".

That's one strong bird.

Living with Covid Does Not Violate NSL

77 local cases of Covid-19 were detected, many untraceable

Some top Hong Kong infectious disease experts have been hinting publicly that it is time that Hong Kong live with Covid-19, as "zero-Covid" is not attainable in the long run.

Pro-Beijing lawmaker Junius Ho Kwan-yiu jumped on this, suggesting that the strategy should be viewed as violating the national security law.

Ho suggested living with Covid violated NSL

When he spoke to the media on Saturday, he explained guarding against the importation of cases and the resurgence of domestic infections is a national-level strategy, and anti-pandemic measures are equal to defence and diplomacy.

Therefore, the strategy of "living with Covid" may "breach national defence and disrupt the order of the society," he continued.

However, the government issued a statement on Sunday clarifying that "general remarks and discussion" on the effectiveness of the official zero-Covid strategy were not illegal.

"Hong Kong must cut the transmission chains as quickly as possible, with an aim of achieving dynamic zero infection, otherwise the consequences could be dire," the statement added.

Chuang warned about gathering for CNY

This is the state of the city now -- where anything could be considered violating the national security law and the government has to issue a statement to deny it.

At least that's one thing that's not related to the national security law, but still...

In the meantime Hong Kong recorded 81 new cases -- first time in double digits in a week -- 77 of which are local. There are 70 preliminary positive cases.

"Although the number of daily cases is declining, the proportion of untraceable cases has increased," said Dr Chuang Shuk-kwan, head of the Centre for Health Protection's communicable disease branch.

"The transmission chains in the community remain unclear; we do not know what some of the transmission paths were."

Govt says living with Covid not illegal

She also asked that families be careful when gathering for the Lunar New Year festivities, especially around seniors who may not have been vaccinated yet. "If they get infected, there may be complications," Chuang said.

You don't say!