Another Record Number of Cases

Large numbers of people being tested in Yuen Long today

Things are not looking good in Hong Kong at the moment with another record 342 infections reported today, yesterday having 351 cases.

Most concerning are 320 untraceable cases (so far), 80 percent of which involve the Omicron variant, said Director of Health Dr Ronald Lam Man-kin at today's press briefing, and warns of a potential super-spreader event.

"We could not track how many generations of transmission were spread," he said. "We could not make an accurate estimation on when the peak would arrive but we are certain that the number has not peaked yet."

Lam is concerned about 320 untraceable cases

Lam said because the Omicron variant is very contagious, 320 untraceable cases meant at least 320 other people had been infected as well...

Health authorities observed that "a lot" of the latest patients had been to Po Lin Monastery on Lantau Island and Che Kung Temple on Tuesday and Wednesday, the first two days of the Lunar New Year. Some infected people had also been to Yuen Long Plaza, where 13 employees were among the confirmed cases.

Sogo department store in Causeway Bay also shut on Saturday and Sunday after two employees there tested positive. 

Lam has advised people to avoid shopping malls and for organisers to hold off having events for the time being.

Some banks have temporarily closed some branches, and retailers Ikea and Citistore have shut some outlets for disinfection after preliminary positive cases were found there. 

Sogo in Causeway Bay closed over the weekend

Meanwhile patients who have recovered from Covid-19 in AsiaWorld-Expo near the airport have complained about not being allowed to leave despite being given their discharge notice and having to wait two or three days more.

There are also horror stories of the toilets not being clean with the rubbish bins overflowing with tissues. Also just as bad is no hand soap for three days for people to wash their hands after going to the washroom. 

The government is completely overwhelmed with the logistics of running a health treatment centre, barely keeping the place hygienic which is crucial when a virus can spread so easily.

Is the problem understaffing or underpaying? This is work that should not be undervalued. And we all know the government has money to pay...

Moving the Goal Posts to Immunity

Surge in vaccinations bookings still doesn't reach 90 percent

 

The goal posts keep changing when it comes reaching herd immunity in Hong Kong which is becoming more and more frustrating.

For the longest time we were told it was 70 per cent and currently the city is at 29.9 percent fully vaccinated, 40.5 percent with at least one jab. Yes, a ways to go...

Yuen says more people need to get the jab

But now microbiologist and government advisor Yuen Kwok-yung now says we need 90 percent herd immunity before we can relax social-distancing measures.

"It is not safe even if you reach a vaccination rate of 70 percent, because that means you have 30 percent of the population not yet inoculated, that's over 2 million people, there could still be major outbreaks," Yuen warned.

He noted there had recently been imported cases slipping into the community, but that Hong Kong had been able to avoid a new major outbreak due to face mask wearing, hand hygiene, and improved contact tracing capabilities.

Despite Hongkongers diligent about masks and all that, it's still not enough for Dr Yuen. A colleague says she's gotten her two jabs to do her bit to help Hong Kong get back on its feet. What about everyone else?

Elderly can walk in for vaccination

Needless to say patience is beginning to wear thin and even more so now with the need to get to 90 percent immunity...

Hong Kong Only Records Three New Cases

Dr Chuang Shuk-kwan briefs the media on the latest cases this afternoon

Hong Kong is doing well, but not out the woods yet, health experts warn as the city only reported three new coronavirus cases today.

There are now a total of 1,012 cases. Two are two students who came back from Britain and completed two weeks of home quarantine, but then fell ill with the virus.

One positive case is believed to be opera singer Warren Mok

The third case is believed to be well-known Hong Kong opera singer Warren Mok, 61, who had been to New York and Germany before flying to Thailand where he fell ill and checked into a hospital there. He was given a health certificate clearing him to travel and came back to Hong Kong with no symptoms, but his deep throat saliva test was positive.

Dr Chuang Shuk-kwan, head of the communicable disease branch of the Centre for Health Protection says they are contacting Thai health authorities to find out more about Mok's case and to decide if he should be counted as a confirmed case there or in Hong Kong.

In the meantime while she says the single-digit number of cases is "good", the public should still remain vigilant and maintain good hygiene and maintain social distancing.

A reporter asked when Hong Kong would be out of the clear, but Chuang would not give a definitive date, warning there could possibly be less testing during the Easter long weekend and more cases could pop up later. There was also the factor of how other countries were dealing with the pandemic that would affect Hong Kong as well.

It is advised to continue social distancing for now

Meanwhile two people from my office are still in hospital receiving treatment for the virus, one almost a month ago, the other for almost three weeks which is worrying. I don't know if they have underlying health conditions, but they are tested everyday for nose and throat swabs and both need to be negative; one tells me her throat tests keep coming back positive which must be very frustrating.

Tomorrow my colleague who used to hold yoga classes at lunchtime in the office once a week will be teaching virtually from his flat via Google Hangout! Should be a fun experience, and finally after several months we can do some decent stretching and work out some kinks in our bodies from sitting so long in front of our computers everyday.

Trying to Keep Safe with Coronavirus Threat

The Centre for Health Protection explains how to wash your hands thoroughly

The fears of the coronavirus spreading from people who are asymptomatic are scary because you can have no symptoms and yet carry COVID-19.

And it's that paranoia that can very quickly eat into your psyche.

Rita Wilson and Tom Hanks have the coronavirus

I checked in on a friend of mine I hadn't talked to in over a week and she feared she was being paranoid after hearing the news that Tom Hanks and his wife Rita Wilson tested positive for the coronavirus, as well as the wife of Canadian Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau.

But I tried to reassure my friend that as long as she was cautious about her hygiene and washing hands regularly she should be OK.

I had my own freak out earlier this week too. I had stayed up too late on Friday doing a last-minute assignment and then packed in a full day on Saturday and Sunday before feeling wiped out on Monday.

Canadian PM Justin Trudeau's wife Sophie has the virus

It was made even worse Monday evening by some dishes I ate in a restaurant that claims not to use MSG, but I could feel heart palpitations and woke up around 4am and in trying to get back to sleep my mind started wondering if I had the coronavirus and what would I do. All these scary scenarios came into my head. It took a while fall asleep again.

I stayed home Tuesday to work from home, and actually I felt better psychologically and physically, ready to tackle the rest of the week.

Since just before Chinese New Year when the news of the coronavirus spread to Hong Kong, it's had a psychological impact on all of us. Fears of the virus are hovering over our heads everyday with no end in sight.

Trying to continue with daily life in Hong Kong with masks

Some people refuse to go to the gym to work out, others do but draw the line at going into the sauna and steam rooms, while others continue with their daily workout routines.

It's hard to say who is right, but as long as everyone takes as many precautions as possible, hopefully we can get through this soon, though some experts say the virus may be with us for the entire year!

All we can do is try to keep calm and carry on, with a lot of hand washing in between.

Picking on the Little Person -- Again

Many elderly people would rather collect cardboard than get handouts

It seems the Hong Kong authorities really like to bully those beneath them. This time officers from the Food and Environmental Health Hygiene Department (FEHD) arrested and fined an elderly woman for selling a piece of cardboard to a domestic helper for HK$1.

The woman, surnamed Chu, sold the piece of cardboard last Sunday and then six department officers approached her and charged her. Chu was taken to the department office and later the police station, where she said she was released on bail for HK$30, leaving her with only HK$4 left in her wallet.

A protest was held today for a woman fined by the FEHD

A group of 30 people protested at the Central Western District Environmental Hygiene office today. The organizer of the event, a man surnamed Au said: "The behaviour of the officers is cold-blooded. We urge the department to drop the charges, return the cart it confiscated from Chu and stop all these actions targeting grass-roots workers."

Lawmaker Eddie Chu Hoi-dick was also at the protest and said a lot of elderly people were trying to make a living from collecting recyclables like cardboard. He criticized the government for focusing on giant infrastructure projects instead of helping those who desperately need help.

Civic Party Eastern District councillor Lai Chi-keong, who exposed the incident last week after the woman sought help from him, said she had refused to apply for Comprehensive Social Security Assistance because she did not way to rely on others.

The incident is similar to the cleaner who was fined last year

He added she suffers from rheumatoid arthritis and gastritis, and had turned down donations and assistance offered by many after the incident came to light.

This episode is a reminder of when the FEHD fined a 71-year-old cleaner HK$1,500 last year for allegedly dumping water on the street in Wan Chai. A photo of her bursting into tears went viral online and the authorities later withdrew the fine.

Can the authorities please use some common sense and compassion? Many elderly on the streets collecting cans and cardboard are too proud to receive handouts. They are not the ones who should be penalized unless they are breaking serious hygiene regulations!

Picture of the Day: Is Ah Tak Up for the Job?

Can a dinosaur beat a rat in the game of rat infestation in Hong Kong?

Hong Kong has this brown blob with a big head, big eyes and small body called Big Waster, who is trying to tell people not to waste food.

It's too bad he looks so ugly because you don't want to look at him, and yet he is trying to send a very important message across to the public.

And now there's a new character in town -- Ah Tak, a dinosaur to help combat rat infestation.

Big Waster has an important message, but is hardly appealing

On the MTR I spotted this poster the other day, trying to get people to stop rat infestations in the city. The government designed the message like a video game (perhaps to enlist the help of male population?) to combat against rat infestation, but didn't explain how to do that.

But as Ah Tak is a dinosaur, is he the best creature to kick the rat's ass? While he can stomp around and growl, his little arms won't be much help in catching rats...

The poster reminded me of this week's match-up between a tai chi master and an MMA fighter, in which the former was defeated within 10 seconds.

So is a dinosaur the best creature to beat up a rat when dinosaurs are extinct, whereas rats are still running around?

Perhaps the Hong Kong government needs rethink who is the best character to beat a rat...