The Final Farewell

Hong Kong's skyline is so famous, yet it has changed so much

After 836 days I am finally back home. The coronavirus pandemic prevented me from visiting -- or rather I should say it was the Hong Kong government's strict measures, from 21 days' hotel quarantine to a battery of tests after arriving, as well as the threat of flight bans that stopped me from flying.

But now I am home for good -- at least I think I am -- and sadly am relieved to be out of Hong Kong, the city I love so much.

Since the national security law was implemented on June 30, 2020, Hong Kong has irrevocably changed so much that it is hard to fathom the sweeping changes that happen almost on a daily basis. At one point people were being arrested daily. 

This is not normal.

A friend asked how Hong Kong was different from China. On the mainland you know where the red lines are, whereas in Hong Kong, they are constantly changing; what was something normal or done with regularity is suddenly banned and it's hard to anticipate what is next, or if you will be implicated because of where the red line is drawn.

So I have joined the tens of thousands of others in the mass exodus, saying goodbye to people I have known for years professionally and personally, for them feeling another pang of emptiness as yet another friend or relative leaves.

For me I didn't realise how much I had impacted their lives personally and professionally. They reminded me of the things I had done for them or experiences we had together that affected them so profoundly. It was good to hear I had made a meaningful contribution to their lives.

I also didn't realise how much stuff I had -- even though I had moved into a serviced apartment for the last few months, I still had bags and boxes of things I gave away to friends, charities, recycling and so on. I even dug out an old iPhone 3 and iPhone7 and took them to the nearby recycling centre. The security guard was so excited to see my iPhone7 that he claimed it right away and turned it on to make sure it worked. 

Hong Kong is the city where I started my career when I was a fresh graduate, unsure of what path I was going to take, but only knew that I was willing to work hard and see where I could go. I returned again in 2010 with an even greater appreciation for the city and what it offered.

But after 2014 and even more so after 2019, and the events that followed, this place will never be the same again, and many others feel the same way.

Hong Kong was known as a city of refuge from war and revolution, but now it is the place people are fleeing from to seek safety elsewhere.

I will continue to watch Hong Kong's developments from afar, but it is still close to my heart.

A friend has asked me to write a to-do list on how to exit Hong Kong, but after that, The Fragrant Harbour will end, and I will start another blog and will add the link.

Thanks for reading!

PS: Here is the new link: https://goodbyehkhelloyvr.blogspot.com/

Tech Firms Describe Sackings as "Graduation"

JD.com and Bilibili have turned sackings into "graduations"

Chinese tech stocks have taken a beating recently, which has led to numerous layoffs in companies like JD.com, Bilibili, and ByteDance. However, these firms are using euphemisms to describe employees being given the pink slip.

"Sorry, you are terminated" is now replaced with "congratulations, you graduated" in dismissal notices issued by some Chinese technology companies, sparking controversy.

The translation of one dismissal letter

Large firms usually describe massive layoffs as business "optimisation", JD.com and Bilibili are using the term "graduation" which led to many fired employees to angrily post their dismissal notices on social media.

The employers don't describe the large-scale job cuts as layoffs because that often invites the intervention of labour authorities, and is seen as a sign of market weakness.

The JD.com termination letter offered "congratulations on your successful graduation" from the company, and gave details on how to handle social security issues, employment records and other administrative matters, while Bilibili's dismissal letter has the title "graduation day" and provided instructions on human resources issues.

The authenticity of the letters was confirmed by the companies' current and former employees, and it was also pointed out that they would also get this letter if they resigned voluntarily.

Referring to work colleagues "schoolmates" is part of the culture at many Chinese tech firms, including TikTok owner ByteDance.

Tech firms like TikTok call staff "schoolmates"

The layoffs at JD.com were mainly at its group-buying business Jingxi, which is expected to sack 10 to 15 percent of its staff, or about 400 to 600 people.

Another JD.com business unit that handles books, pet products and cross-border e-commerce also plans to cut 15 to 20 percent of its staff.

Bilibili started laying off staff last year, mostly in its gaming department, where nearly 20 percent of its staff were sacked.

Some social media users were angry at the use of the term "graduation". One Weibo user said sarcastically that JD.com was "too merciful" because it paid employees but "did not ask them for tuition fees".

Another asked why an employee who got sacked should be congratulated.

A third Weibo user said everyone who left JD.com was called a "graduate" whether they were fired or resigned. 

Staff "graduate" if they resign voluntarily too

"Doesn't the work experience one received before the layoff count as personal growth?" she asked.

Meanwhile Hong Kong's Covid-19 count continues to drop, though incrementally.

Today 6,639 cases were reported, 119 deaths, of which 102 were in the past 24 hours, and 17 backlogged.

Rich Chinese Offloading HK Flats

Some Chinese owners are selling their flats in Mid-Levels

Not only are locals and expats offloading their properties to leave the city, but also mainland Chinese who need to cover their stock market losses.

About 10 to 20 percent of mainland homeowners in Mid-Levels have reduced their prices because they are in urgent need of funds or are shedding their holdings, said Samuel Lai, senior direct sales director at Midland Realty.

"Homeowners in urgent need of money may cash in for having burnt their fingers in the stock market," said Lai, who anticipates another 5 to 8 percent will lower their asking prices until the pandemic and stock market volatility ease.

One buyer is offloading his flat at The Morgan

However, who is willing to buy now? Prices could go down even further in the coming months, and these transactions may take a few months to be completed. Perhaps even worse, the current fifth wave has made potential buyers anxious about even viewing the flats, thus further stalling the property market.

Hong Kong's stock market has been a rollercoaster ride in the past two weeks with mainland Chinese tech stocks taking a serious beating, and on top of it the war in Ukraine and the rise in Covid-19 cases in China causing jitters.

Property owners in Mid-Levels have cut prices by up to 15 percent since Lunar New Year because of the aggravating factors, said Lai, adding that prices may fall further by another 5 percent until midyear.

Sun Hongbing is the younger brother of mainland Chinese developer Sunac China Holdings' chairman, who sold three luxury flats at The Morgan and Arezzo in West Mid-Levels at a loss of a whopping HK$126 million (US$16.10 million) this year.

Another flat is at Arezzo on Seymour Road

He sold the 2,343 sq ft flat with a 460 sq ft rooftop at The Morgan for HK$138 million, 27 percent lower than the HK$189 million he bought it for in October 2018. The overall loss totalled HK$109 million, the biggest loss since the coronavirus pandemic erupted two years ago, if the 30 percent stamp duty is taken into account.

The creditors of another Chinese tycoon from Zhejiang province put two foreclosed duplex flats and two parking spaces at Marinella in Wong Chuk Hang for sale at HK$283 million. 

Looks like things are financially tight for everyone...

Questions of Press Freedom during Pandemic

Lam continually thanks the central government for its help

Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor's daily press briefings have now become a concern for press freedom after a reporter's question led to pro-Beijing figures and media to accuse the journalist of spreading hate speech.

The Now TV reporter asked Lam how Covid-19 patients should lodge complaints over mainland Chinese medical professionals who are working in the city to help battle the fifth wave of the pandemic. The mainland medical staff are in Hong Kong to help alleviate healthcare staff shortages.

This is a legitimate question to ask as these temporary workers are exempted from obtaining local licences under an emergency regulation introduced last month. Typically, patients' complaints are handled through the Medical Council of Hong Kong, the industry's registering body, but it does not have the jurisdiction over these workers. The Hospital Authority said it bore ultimate responsibility for the mainland workers.

Lam greeting hundreds of Chinese healthcare staff

But the reporter's question led to a flurry of criticism from pro-Beijing groups and individuals. One association called Politihk Social Strategic launched an online petition that accused the reporter of spreading hate speech and questioning whether she breached the national security law.

Under Article 29, it is a crime for anyone to provoke hatred among residents "which is likely to cause serious consequences" towards the central or local governments.

The group even called for the reporter to be sacked, which led to fears that press freedom was further being eroded in Hong Kong.

Others who criticised the reporter include former chief executive Leung Chun-ying and pro-Beijing paper Ta Kung Pao.

This led to Now TV issuing an apology on Thursday, saying: "We are deeply sorry for the attention and frustration caused by a question asked by our reporter regarding mainland medical staff."

The company vowed to "humbly listen to" public criticisms and be subject to scrutiny, while continuing to provide updates on the pandemic.

Now TV apologised for the reporter's questions

Now TV even added: "With the fifth wave of the pandemic still raging, we are very grateful for the selfless help from the central government and mainland."

The news outlet is owned by Richard Li Tzar-kai, son of Li Ka-shing, and offered help to combat the pandemic during a meeting chaired by Luo Huining, director of the Beijing liaison office.

However, it should be pointed out the same accountability question of the mainland medical staff was also asked by lawmaker Tang Fei, of the Hong Kong Federation of Education Workers. 

Media lecturer Grace Leung Lai-kuen said the incident demonstrated the "cultural shock" journalists in Hong Kong were facing as the city became increasingly intertwined with the mainland on many levels.

She said journalists in Hong Kong have always questioned local officials over their responsibilities.

But the mainland side could be struggling to understand why it is still facing scrutiny while having taken the extra step to help the city," she said.

"I would say things are different now if you ask me whether it has undermined press freedom," she said.

Just what we needed -- another level of anxiety to add to our pandemic woes.

Covid Numbers Climb; Oscar-Nominated Ascension

Babies and toddlers seems more at risk of Covid-19 now

Hong Kong had another record day of cases -- 7,533 -- and sadly 16 deaths, one of which was an 11-month old baby girl. There is a big concern now about children becoming infected and how they are not getting vaccinated or are too young to be vaccinated in the case of this baby.

Meanwhile the government is still going ahead with the vaccine pass that starts on Thursday. In order to get a haircut or go to a religious service you must have at least one jab and have this vaccination certification uploaded on your LeaveHomeSafe app.

Uploaded vaccine passport is on left, none on right

If you are going to a shopping mall, supermarket, department store or wet market then you may need to show your vaccine pass if a security person stops you. So there may be some people who are not vaccinated and may take the risk of going into a supermarket without having to show anything. How is this helpful?

And perhaps even worse, no vaccination is needed at all to go into a hotel! Why is that when almost all hotel staff were pushed to get the jab? It boggles the mind.

Something completely unrelated to Covid -- I watched a documentary called Ascension that was nominated for Best Documentary at this year's Academy Awards.

I didn't know quite what to expect and was surprised at the end and how it all came together.

Oscar-nominated documentary Ascension

There is no one main character, no particular storyline, but it becomes more apparent the longer you watch it. It starts off with scenes of people looking for jobs and those trying to entice them with decent labour conditions, like free wifi, air conditioning in the dormitories, but the pay is very low at around 20 kuai (US$3.15) an hour. We are not sure what the jobs entail, but some say you get to sit while working, others say the job is in an office.

People get rounded up and taken in coaches to their new destiny.

Some make rugs for Ikea, components for spray bottles, bottles of water, others make microchips, Christmas trees, jeans, and shirts. 

Perhaps the most amusing scene is watching mostly women putting sex dolls together. They are made of silicone, with large pendulous breasts, and curvy bottoms. They have permanent surprised expressions on their faces. Each one is custom made -- "Her nipples need to be pink!" one worker says, another has her wig changed from blonde to brunette. Another flings the doll's legs apart to inspect her down there. Each one is photographed to make sure it is correctly done up.

Worker checks the sex doll's face with the order

An interesting tidbit is that director Jessica Kingdon said a subsequent talk that all the sex doll factories they went to were owned by women.

Then the film shifts to jobs that have been created in the last few years, such as cryptocurrency mining (mostly young guys playing video games and eating lots of junk food), men collecting rented bikes that are dumped in a pile, people talking into their smartphone streaming online to sell things, and what looks like a pyramid company, where everyone is aiming to make over 10 million yuan in three years.

There's also people who are training to be bodyguards, hitting each other until there are scratches and bruises on their chests, and to be professional-looking assistants where they should smile to show eight of their upper teeth, while others are training to be butlers, measuring the distance between glasses and plates. The instructor asks them if they have ever watched Downton Abbey and none of them have, leaving them with little understanding with what career they have chosen.

It's an interesting look at what Chinese wealthy people think what being rich should look like, and the butlers trying to fulfill that fantasy. They probably assume everyone in England lives like that, ringing a bell for the butler to appear. 

People waiting around to get work in factories

This is similar to the aspirations of China's middle class. They think they have made it when they buy luxury brands or they go to a water park and sharks swim around them in an outer pool. It's all quite overwhelming the sheer numbers of people all trying to enjoy themselves at the same time.

Kingdon herself has an interesting background. Her father is Jewish-American, her mother is Chinese. Her brother went to China for a few years, learned Mandarin and persuaded his sister to come look at the country.

Before Covid-19, Kingdon and her small crew filmed in 51 different locations around the country and she says in interviews she had the best Chinese food. Kingdon also managed to meet relatives on her mother's side, one of which is now a cousin who works in Silicon Valley in the US.

Nevertheless, the title of the film comes from her great grandfather who wrote poems. One of them is Ascension, where he writes that the higher one climbs, one is horrified by what they see down below.

Director Jessica Kingdon, her mother is Chinese

This encapsulates the film -- how people are struggling to get ahead in some way, whether it's factory work to escape the poverty in the countryside, or to become a butler in the hopes of getting away from a terrible work environment. And with all this production and capitalism leads to terrible environmental damage, climate change, and exploitation of labour.

But Ascension doesn't preach a particular message, nor is it judgemental -- it has a fly-on-the-wall approach to the film and lets the viewers see what is going on and decide for themselves what they see in the documentary.

Ascension

Directed by Jessica Kingdon

97 minutes

No Lockdown, but No Priority of Vaccines Either

Lee (centre) flanked by senior ministers this evening

When it was announced before 8pm that Chief Secretary John Lee Ka-chiu would be holding a press conference at 9pm, it sounded terribly serious. People on social media began speculating if it was to announce a lockdown. 

Earlier in the day my unvaccinated relatives texted me to suggest that I stock up on pasta and noodles as there was the possibility of a lockdown. I said it was logistically impossible for that to happen, but they were on their way out to buy more food.

Lee said no lockdown, but more help from China

They already have two fridges packed with food and lots of pasta, tissue paper, toilet paper to last them over a month. But they had to get more food...

In the wet market and the supermarket there wasn't much of a panic, people buying what they needed, no shelves were cleared out, and yes there were still lots of vegetables.

It has been announced that Lee along with the secretaries for health, transport, mainland affairs and security would be going to Shenzhen to meet with mainland officials to see how they could clamp down on the fifth wave, which logged a record 1,514 cases, five of which were imported. There are another 1,500 preliminary positive.

So the 9pm press conference ended up not being an announcement about a lockdown, but instead a reiteration of the mainland's support for Hong Kong, and supplying help in genetic testing, more rapid antigen tests, more isolation facilities and more PPE for medical workers. 

There will also now be a joint Hong Kong-mainland expert committee to figure out the best way forward for the city. 

There was talk of getting more testing assistance

When asked by reporters why a lockdown was not considered, Lee said the latest social-distancing measures would be good enough, and with assistance from the mainland, a lockdown was not necessary at this time.

However, this is what medical experts had called for in order to reach zero Covid, but apparently the suggestion caused a lot of pushback, concerned it would cause panic. 

Like my relatives... who now have even more food... 

One reporter asked what the vaccination strategy would be going forward, but Lee skirted the question, which demonstrates how much of a priority getting the population inoculated, particularly the elderly is.

Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor has said she has set the target of 90 percent vaccinated... is Hong Kong anywhere near that? 

As of today 75.75 percent have had at least one jab, 67.34 per cent are fully vaccinated, only 16.33 percent have had their booster.

But still the most vulnerable, those in the 70s and up are still not vaccinated, whereas those 40-49 are 94 percent jabbed.

More tests for residents to endure in fifth wave

With Lee not stressing tonight the importance of getting vaccinated and having a strategy of getting people jabbed then Hong Kong will continue to be in this situation of exponential cases and not enough being done about it.

It just reflects the weakness of the Lam administration in not being able to be tough with getting its residents inoculated and yet still pushing for "zero-Covid" when over 1,500 cases a day is making this goal practically impossible to reach.

Lam Drops Hotel Quarantine to 14 Days

Lam announces hotel quarantines will be reduced to 14 days

Today Hong Kong recorded a record 164 Covid-19 cases, the most logged in a single day since the pandemic began in January 2020. There is now a new cluster in Wong Tai Sin.

It was not surprising then that Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor announced that social-distancing measures would continue until February 17, while in-person classes will be suspended until February 21.

One bright spot was that travellers coming back to Hong Kong would only need to do hotel quarantine for two weeks and then one week at home starting from February 5. 

A record number of 164 cases logged today

The decision to shorten the quarantine period came after persistent complaints from travellers and companies paying high quarantine costs for employees.

Currently Hong Kong residents who return to Hong Kong must undergo quarantine for 21 days in designated hotels, while those arriving from countries with serious Covid issues like the United States must first quarantine for four days at Penny's Bay before completing the rest of the quarantine in a hotel.

Finally today a tycoon spoke out about the tough measures the government has implemented in a bid to have a "zero-Covid" goal, saying the restrictions were seriously impacting businesses. 

Ronnie Chan, chairman of Hang Lung Properties has read reports that the Omicron variant is much like the influenza, and should be treated as such.

"It seems Omicron is going in the direction of becoming flu-like. It is possible to consider how the policy needs to progress. There may be a need to study the possibility of a change," he said on Thursday.

Chan said the current zero-Covid policy would make sense if the virus caused a high percentage of deaths. He said an approach based on building herd immunity would be "fine" if the current wave of infections does prove similar to influenza.

Chan calls for easing of social-distancing 

Hang Lung is the first Hong Kong developer to openly call for a change in Covid-19 policy.

Chan said the city is "in a difficult situation". It is "stuck in the middle", between the need for people to cross the border with mainland China freely, and the desire to align with other countries.

"Of course, Hong Kong is a big international city. So we need to align with the world," he said. "The fact that the staff of big companies [have not been] able to return to Hong Kong without [undergoing a quarantine of] three weeks, is extremely difficult to accept in terms of commercial sense."

When will other tycoons start voicing their opinions as well? Surely they are tired of being stuck in their mansions on The Peak and want a chance of scenery like the rest of us?

Seems that Lam did listen to him and shorten the hotel quarantine time, but it is still 21 days for no specific scientific reason, when Omicron can be detected within the first few days.

In any event, the 15 days of Chinese New Year are completely cancelled, and Valentine's Day too.

The Year of the Tiger will not be off to a roaring start... will we have better news after the Winter Olympics are over?

One can only hope.

Fifth Wave Persists in Kwai Chung

100 local Covid-19 cases were logged in Hong Kong today

It is disheartening to see another triple-digit count of Covid-19 infections in Hong Kong today, 100 new cases related to the Kwai Chung housing estate. So far 334 cases are related to 12 of the 16 housing blocks here. 

Residents there are concerned that some may have become infected just from waiting in line to get tested or being in the elevators, let alone all the rubbish left strewn around.

It seems the situation there is also mishandled, or is the system overwhelmed and not enough staff?

Testing continues in Kwai Chung housing estate

A resident tested preliminary positive on Tuesday morning and she and her infected youngest son still hadn't been sent to the hospital by 3pm on Wednesday -- 35 hours after receiving an SMS message with the results.

The two had already developed symptoms like coughing and a fever, she could only take painkillers to relieve her symptoms, while her husband and two older sons were not infected. She and her youngest son are isolating in a bedroom, but they still have to share the bathroom with the rest of the family, so she was worried about transmitting the virus to them.

"Officials gave me multiple calls at 5pm [on Tuesday] and told me I will be sent to hospital and my husband and sons to Penny's Bay... But we still do not know when we can leave our home," she said. "They said they were arranging it for us, and said it was manpower issues."

There were concerns of poor waste management

Not a good excuse when Omicron is so contagious... and Hong Kong is insistent on its "zero-Covid" policy.

Meanwhile there are concerns that China may not open the border with Hong Kong until 2024 which has shocked a lot of people. 

However, it has been proven that Sinovac vaccines only have a 51 percent efficacy in preventing symptomatic disease, and its effectiveness wanes after six months. Meanwhile a University of Hong Kong study has found Pfizer BioNTech has nearly 10 times the average level of antibodies compared to Sinovac, 

But China doesn't want to buy proven mRNA vaccines from overseas and is developing its own and then will vaccinate its population -- again before even considering lifting its border restrictions.

By 2024 what will Hong Kong be like? Can it even financially survive to that point without any foreign tourists and businesspeople and investment coming in?

Earlier we were hearing November 2022, but another two years of this will be too much for many people to bear.

China is developing its own mRNA vaccines

A friend has poured HK$13 million of his own money into a bar that he will open this Friday during social-distancing restrictions. He has renovated a space complete with a stage, special lighting and of course a good sound system.

But he can only open it till 6pm.

How is he ever going to make back his HK$13 million?

Omicron Weighs Down on HK

More testing unveiled another 98 local positive cases

The Omicron wave is wearing down on Hong Kong with another 109 new cases confirmed today, 98 of them local. There is another 100 preliminary positive cases for tomorrow.

Most of the infections have come from Yat Kwai and Ying Kwai houses, the housing estate in Kwai Chung, and now there is the possibility of another cluster forming in Wong Tai Sin, that may be linked to an infected hamster.

Meanwhile a friend who lives in Pui O told me tonight that her daughter's classmate who lives near them had tested positive, and several of the pupils and their families have been sent to Penny's Bay to quarantine. 

CHP warns of possible cluster in Wong Tai Sin

My friend and her husband are already thinking if they need to quarantine, what kinds of items they would bring. Her daughter suggested clothes, while my friend thought a power strip would be more useful...

She said Omicron has suddenly become more real for them. No kidding.

Hope she and her family don't get roped into Penny's Bay. It would be a drag having to spend Chinese New Year there...

Speaking of quarantine, there's a quirky story from China hailing a pilot for being the modern Lei Feng, the Mao-era soldier who symbolised selfless giving, modesty, and dedication, that resulted in the Communist Party using him for propaganda purposes.

Today there's China Southern Airlines A380 pilot Ma Jian, and his employer last week proclaimed him the "King of Quarantine". He earned the honour after spending a whopping 189 days in quarantine in 2021 -- 52 percent of the calendar year, so he could deliver "thousands of passengers and supplies around the world."

Pilot Ma Jian spent 189 days in quarantine

So Ma is considered a hero for spending more than half the year sitting around in hotel rooms to pass the time?

Doesn't seem half as productive as a Chinese man surnamed Yue who was trying to look for his 19-year-old son who went missing in 2020. 

The 43-year-old Yue quit his job as a fishing boat sailor and searched for his son in northern China. While he was doing that he picked up all kinds of part time work to support his wife and younger son, as well as pay for his elderly parents' medical bills.

It turns out Yue worked day and night. In Beijing he worked at construction sites, restaurants, office buildings, residential compounds, a trash collection point, and a shopping mall. Over the span of two weeks, he did 31 gigs, including many overnight ones, and only ate out once.

How do we know all this? Because he contracted Covid-19 and his detailed itinerary was revealed publicly in a bid to do contact tracing.

The posting of his itinerary reminded many middle-class people how difficult life is for migrant workers and how poorly they are treated in terms of work conditions and pay.

The 43-year-old toiled day and night. This month, in Beijing, he worked at construction sites, restaurants, office buildings, residential compounds, a trash collection point, and a shopping mall. Over the course of two weeks, he did 31 gigs, including many overnight ones, and only ate out once

China-style Lockdown in Hong Kong

Chan announced the lockdown measures this evening

China's severe lockdown practices have come to Hong Kong in a bid to keep its zero-Covid strategy. Will we see people in hazmat suits bolting down people's homes a la Wuhan next?

Tonight, some 2,700 residents in Yat Kwai House, a housing block in Kwai Chung Estate will be stuck in home quarantine for the next five days to prevent the possible spread of Omicron. There were 20 positive cases found in this residential area.

The housing block will be locked down for 5 days

Secretary for Food and Health Sophia Chan Siu-chee made the announcement this evening at at 6pm press conference -- when there's a late press conference on a Friday evening it's not going to be good news.

"We understand with this operation, people might feel there is some inconvenience such as not being able to go to work," Chan said. 

"We really appeal to employers if they have employees caught in this operation that, I hope, they will treat this in a more open and understanding manner so they won't deduct people's salary and things like that.

"The most important aim is really to identify or detect cases within the building, and secondly we want to stop the transmission chain from going further, therefore this is for the common good."

While Chan explained it was not necessary to evacuate residents because the outbreak was due to environmental contamination, not building structural issues, the main reason is because Penny's Bay quarantine camp is full.

The last time the government ordered a lockdown lasting more than 24 hours was last January, when residents in 70 blocks in Jordan could not go out for 48 hours.

People must be tested each of the five days

Residents of Yat Kwai House will have to be tested everyday for five days, and breakfast, lunch, and dinner will be provided for them. Anyone who fails to comply will be subjected to a HK$5,000 fine, and further violations could lead to a maximum penalty of six months in jail and a HK$25,000 fine.

Earlier it was reported a Pakistani woman who stayed in a quarantine hotel for 21 day became positive a few days after she came out, and already infected others. One of them was her unvaccinated husband, who went to Yat Kwai House to pick up recycling items from waste bins and infected a cleaner there. The cleaner had spread the virus across 13 floors affecting 12 households, as well as building staff.

The cleaner had had two doses of Sinovac.

Meanwhile, animal activists are trying to save as many hamsters as they can, intercepting people surrendering their rodent pets, explaining to them they legally do not have to do that. Some video footage has shown people giving their pets to these activists, who promise to look after their pets without exchanging any contact information.

Some activists protect hamsters as resistance

Some of these activists were interviewed by the media today. And while they asked to be anonymous and turned their backs to the camera while being interviewed, they also requested their voices to be altered too.

This is the state of Hong Kong now, as resisting giving up hamsters is seen as an act of dissent against the government. Even hamsters are seen as symbols of resistance...

Tonight two more pet shops have hamsters testing positive for Covid-19, I Love Rabbit in Causeway Bay and Tai Po. People who visited these shops must get tested, while staff members will have to undergo quarantine. Will another culling take place?

Did Hamsters Infect a Woman with Covid-19?

Hamsters can easily spread viruses, says Yuen

I was going to write about the absurdity of Chinese claims that a piece of mail from Toronto that arrived in Beijing had Covid-19 causing at least two people to be infected, but now that insanity has been topped by Hong Kong health officials announcing some 2,000 hamsters will be culled, claiming some of them tested preliminary positive and could spread the virus in the city.

But first the mail.

The Beijing Centre for Disease Control and Prevention on Monday said traces of the Omicron variant was found on a letter mailed from Toronto and and suggested it could have been the source of the infection for the recipient.

Health Canada says virus on mail extremely low

Was there any genome sequencing done to verify if it is similar to Canadian strains of Omicron?

Nevertheless upon receiving media enquiries, Health Canada said while mail could be contaminated, "the risk of Covid-19 infection when handling paper mail or cardboard packages, including international mail, is extremely low.

"In general, coronavirus including variants do not spread from products or packaging shipped over a period of days or weeks," the health agency said.

Despite debunking Chinese concerns, Beijing has ordered the country's residents to stop ordering things from high-risk countries (basically anywhere in the world), and if they do receive mail, they must be double vaccinated and open the package outside the home wearing gloves.

Is this an inadvertent way to slow down or stop the posting of goods into China, such as illicit goods during the Olympics? In any event it is not a case heard elsewhere around the world, and sounds like a desperate attempt at trying to deflect attention away from the country's issues in battling the virus?

Meanwhile in Hong Kong things are becoming just as absurd.

China orders people to open their mail outside

This afternoon at a press conference held by the Centre for Health Protection, health officials announced that some 2,000 hamsters must be culled as some tested positive for Covid-19, and 11 of them were linked to two infected people who worked in a pet shop in Causeway Bay.

They believe this is the first animal-to-human transmission of the virus. All 34 licensed pet shops that sell hamsters must suspend operations, and the 150 customers who visited Little Boss shop must go into quarantine (and surrender the little furry creatures). 

The cull applies to all hamsters that were bought since December 22, when a shipment of the animals arrived from the Netherlands. They were transferred to a warehouse in Tai Po and a second shipment arrived on January 7.

"We have assessed the risks of these batches are relatively high and therefore made the decision based on public health needs," said Director of Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Dr Leung Siu-fai. "We urge all pet owners to observe strict hygiene when handling their pets and cages, Do not kiss or abandon them on the streets."

When doing the genomic sequencing, Dr Yuen Kwok-yung of the University of Hong Kong said they had trouble mapping out the mutations from the sample taken from the shop assistant. 

A shop assistant was infected... by hamsters?

Wasn't she wearing a mask? How could a hamster transmit the virus to her?

"Some mutations found in that worker's [sample] could not be identified in a global genomic data bank," he said. "Experts are concerned whether there are any problems with those mutations... that's why we need to be extra cautious."

While some of the hamsters have tested preliminary positive -- and by the way, how are they tested? -- Yuen said it would take time for hamsters to show symptoms after infection, and keeping 2,000 alive could pose health risks to people looking after them.

"Hamsters are often used to do experiments because they are very sensitive to viruses and are easily infected. They usually release a great amount of virus in the first 10 days of being infected," he explained, calling the decision to cull the animals "decisive and wise".

The health authorities said the animals would be tested before being put down.

But those assurances sparked serious concern among animal welfare groups, including the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, saying the AFCD should review its approach before taking "drastic action".

Some 2,000 hamsters will be culled

This evening people in hazmat suits arrived at the aforementioned pet shop with people looking on. 

How do parents explain to their children that their recently acquired pet hamster needs to be surrendered and destroyed?

Can parents sue the government for causing the emotional distress of their children?

The culling of these animals reminds me of the "Four Pests Campaign" during the Great Leap Forward from 1958 to 1962, when rats, flies, mosquitoes and sparrows were to be eliminated. 

Sparrows were thought to consume four pounds of grain per bird, and so the Chinese set out to stop these animals from robbing their food. They banged pots and pans to make it so noisy for the sparrows that they couldn't rest in their nests and would drop dead from the sky. Their eggs were smashed, chicks killed.

What happened? The sparrows were nearly killed into extinction, and resulted in a surge in bed bugs...

Global Times Chief Editor Steps Down

Hu Xijin launched the English version of Global Times in 2009

It was interesting to find out that Hu Xijin, the editor-in-chief of Global Times who is a well-known and vocal propagandist on Twitter, has abruptly retired at the age of 62.

Apparently there were rumours yesterday of him stepping down but Hu did not confirm them until noon today on his Weibo.

"I'm approaching 62. It's time for retirement," Hu posted on Thursday. "I have gone through the retirement formalities and no longer serve as the editor-in-chief of the Global Times."

Hu is an outspoken propagandist on social media

The Chinese version of Global Times was launched in 1993 as a staunch and unabashedly nationalist tabloid paper. Hu was the editor-in-chief in 2005 and four years later launched the English version of the newspaper, managing both editions.

"I'll continue to contribute to the party's journalism and publicity work as a special commentator of the Global Times. Thank you for your support," he wrote in the Weibo post.

It is believed he will be replaced by Wu Qimin, international section deputy director of People's Daily. It will be interesting if she gets the top job, as critics describe Global Times as "China's Fox News" for its strong patriotic slant, with Hu's interest in the People's Liberation Army as well.

Nevertheless, why is Hu leaving so suddenly? China Media Project suggests perhaps the central leadership wants to rein in loose cannons "firing against the discipline coming from above", or could it possibly have to do with his recent comments about tennis star Peng Shuai that raised eyebrows.

Did Hu make missteps in the Peng incident?

He tried to look like he'd gotten a scoop when he posted video footage of the tennis player going out to dinner and the people in in the clip emphasised many times in it the day it was recorded which was bizarre and backfired spectacularly.

Nevertheless for Hu to retire at 62 seems too early for him -- what is he going to do? 

Following his post, there were some 6,000 comments. "Old Hu, thank you for speaking for China. You have my support! Wish you a happy life after retirement," posted one internet user.

"Good for you. You don't need to tell lies anymore," wrote another.

Zhong Nanshan Urges China to Learn mRNA Vaccines

Zhong says China can learn to mix and match vaccines

China's top disease expert says the country needs to learn from the West about advanced mRNA vaccine technology, countries should work together, and explore how to mix and match vaccines.

Respiratory scientist Zhong Nanshan was speaking at the Greater Bay Science Forum in Guangzhou on Saturday.

"We should learn about the good things in other countries, such as mRNA vaccines. They have spent years on the research and managed to develop mRNA vaccines [for the coronavirus] in just a few months," Zhong said.

mRNA vaccines teach immune system to fight virus

"The urgency of the disease has accelerated the work in this regard. We should learn [from other countries] aspects such as the technology and delivery mechanism [of mRNA vaccines]."

China originally had reservations about mRNA vaccines but is now developing its own, though late stage trial data has yet to be released.

There is also no news about whether China's drug regulator will approve the mRNA vaccine by German company BioNTech, which has signed a deal with Fosun Pharma to distribute and produce the jabs for greater China.

"In other countries, there are mRNA vaccines and vectored vaccines and there aren't too many choices. In China, we have protein subunit vaccines [like Sinovac that don't contain live pathogens]. If mixing and matching vaccines can yield better results, then we should not feel uneasy about it. We can run together and work together in this regard," he said.

Over 82 percent of China's population vaccinated

Zhong said international cooperation was also required in other areas, such as tracing the origin of the coronavirus and transmission routes.

This need was highlighted by the emergence of the Omicron variant, and the many unknowns about its behaviour and origin," he said.

So far China has fully vaccinated 1.17 billion people, or 82.5 percent of the population. More than 120 million booster shots have been administered, according to the National Health Commission.

Time to Push for More Jabs

It's time to implement vaccine passports at restaurants

Hong Kong's restaurant industry is calling for the lifting of social-distancing restrictions in restaurants if the government rolls out the vaccine passport plan. That would mean only those who have been fully vaccinated would be allowed to dine in restaurants.

Some restaurateurs and owners agree, and that if everyone at the table is fully vaccinated then there should be no limit on how many people are at each table. 

From December 9 people must use the tracing app

But for now the government has plans to have rules from January where at least two-thirds of diners per table must have at least one jab. The other one-third would be for exemptions like young children or those with medical conditions with a doctor's note.

This regulation would also extend to karaoke bars, gaming centres, beauty parlours, gyms and clubhouses, and all staff would have to be fully vaccinated.

However some restaurateurs and owners would rather wait until the city's inoculation rate was at 80 percent before implementing the vaccine passport, as many of their patrons are elderly, the vast majority of whom aren't yet to get vaccinated.

"The catering sector will definitely take a beating of at least 20 percent if a vaccine passport is implemented, as some people may refrain from dining out if they can't come together with their unvaccinated elderly family members," said Tommy Cheung Yu-yan who represents the catering industry in the Executive Council.

How long can we wait till we get to 80 percent herd immunity? It will take us forever at this rate. Why can't Hong Kong be like countries such as Italy and Germany and prevent those who haven't be jabbed from entering restaurants and shops? It is time to put the pressure on these people, and not being able to go out and enjoy themselves would be a strong incentive, would it not?

Italy does not allow unvaccinated into restaurants

Yes, we have had zero cases for the past 60 days, all of us are wearing masks (well there are more lax people who are not covering their noses), but for the most part people are complying. But it's not helping the city in lifting social-distancing restrictions.

Why is the government suggesting two-thirds of diners at each table be vaccinated? Why not the whole hog? It clearly illustrates the authorities are tip-toeing around this issue and not willing to be even more strict about it. 

In the meantime Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor talks up what will happen when the borders open with China, but no indication of when.

How about announcing a date and that could possibly incentivise more people to get inoculated. As one colleague says, Hong Kong needs a string of infections to get people to realise we need more people to get vaccinated. 

As one infectious disease expert has said, vaccination is the only way out.

Hong Kong's Pathetic Vaccination Rate Needs a Boost

New survey says 39 percent still yet to get vaccinated

It is frustrating to find Hong Kong has still not reached herd immunity -- the magic 70 percent double inoculated after vaccines were made available in the spring. Currently the city is at 67.6 percent, with only 18 percent of those 80 years and older who are vaccinated.

More than 5,600 respondents to the Society of Hospital Pharmacists of Hong Kong's online survey, 59 percent had both jabs, while 39 percent had yet to get inoculated.

18 percent of those aged 80 and over are jabbed

Of those unvaccinated, 47 percent of them had no plans of getting jabbed at all, while 27 percent were still undecided. The remaining 26 percent planned to get vaccinated but unsure of when.

"As specialists, we know that this [reluctance] is not good... Even before Covid-19, vaccines in general could prevent a lot of potential deaths and serious conditions for other illnesses, so vaccines can help a lot," said infectious disease specialist Dr Wilson Lam.

But William Chui Chun-ming, president of the Society of Hospital Pharmacists, said it was "not the right moment" for the city to transition to coexisting with the virus given the current inoculation rate, particularly with so many elderly residents still unvaccinated.

"When the vaccination rate goes up to more than 90 percent, then we can consider living with the virus," he said.

Leung says vaccination is the only way out

But when will that be?

The rest of us who got inoculated early are still waiting for the rest of Hong Kong to get jabbed, but many still don't care to, which is infuriating because it prevents us from moving forward.

Respiratory medicine specialist Leung Chi-chiu, who was not involved with the survey, says Hong Kong, like the rest of the world, is tired of the pandemic, "but vaccination must be the way out".

He suggests the government continue to prod people to get the jab, but the authorities should escalate to preventing unvaccinated people from visiting shops and restaurants.

Government pandemic adviser Yuen Kwok-yung says Hong Kong needs to get to 99 percent of the population inoculated to prevent the healthcare system from being overwhelmed before opening up to the mainland and the rest of the world.

Kwok believes 99 percent need to be vaccinated

Chui urged the public to get their jabs immediately rather than wait for a second-generation vaccine, as the threat posed by the Omicron variant remained uncertain.

"You will have to wait at least half a year before there are new-generation vaccines that can tackle Omicron... and if there are more variants coming up, it will cause panic among residents," he said. 

So Hongkongers, please do your civic duty and get your jabs! The rest of us are counting on you to help keep everyone safe unless you want us to live in a hermit kingdom sealed off from the rest of the world forever...