Picture of the Day: New Old Coins

Lots of old coins, never used, in a tin box

My relatives have been busy doing some serious spring cleaning in their flat.

They are cleaning out really old magazines, books, clothes and anything else that they don't need; at the moment these items are all stacked up in the living room waiting to be taken away, as they live in a walk-up so they are saving this for the garbage man to manually collect day by day, or to take down themselves to a nearby recycling area or the local garbage dump.

They also found lots of money! Over HK$2,000 in coins! 

Before the Octopus card came out in 1997, people had to have exact change when boarding public transport, from buses to trams and ferries.

So their mother, who passed away several years ago, had gotten coins from the bank to ensure she always had enough change and after the Octopus card came out, the coins were forgotten and so much was amassed that my relatives hauled them to the bank to be counted. They even returned coins with the Queen's head on them (issued before 1997). 

Apparently no one is interested in buying these coins online.

She had also collected stamps and my relatives managed to sell a stamp book or two on an online buying and selling platform called Carousell for about HK$10 each. Who collects stamps these days?

Not only that, she also collected a lot of fresh bills, dating back to the 1970s, all of them from HSBC in a special booklet, and also coins too.

Some date back to 1960 which is quite amazing. They are all rolled up neatly in paper and labelled very clearly. I should also add she used to be a teacher, hence the clean hand writing.

In any event my relatives hope to find a buyer for these coins and bills and I hope they do. One man's junk is another man's treasure!

Covid Infections Projected Several Times Actual Reporting

A man selling rapid antigen tests on the street

In an online virtual gathering with colleagues this afternoon because we are all working from home, many said they knew people who had had Covid-19 and had not reported it to the government because the website was not up and running yet, or they had room in their homes where they could isolate.

One colleague has recovered after 10 days of isolation in her bedroom that she shares with her family. She is triple jabbed, though she had a sore throat and dry cough. Her nine-year-old daughter had a fever that lasted two days or so and tested negative on a rapid antigen test two days before my colleague did.

Newly-built isolation units for Covid-19 patients

Interestingly her husband who has not had his booster, tested negative as did the rest of the family.

Nevertheless, just anecdotally it shows that people know of friends and family who have been infected and so even though the number of cases is in the 20,000 mark (today it is 27,761, 228 deaths), the number could actually be several times that. 

Those reporting they are positive from RAT to the government are those who have no space at home to isolate at all, or need the official documentation to get sick leave from work.

Some colleagues think the number is actually five times more than what is reported, and researchers at the University of Hong Kong's faculty of medicine estimate there could be 3.6 million residents infected at some point and 4.5 million will catch it during the fifth wave; they predict the death toll could be 5,102, and current it is at 4,355.

The researchers project a significant drop in the number of daily cases towards the end of March, and the daily caseload to fall below 1,000 by the end of April, and below 100 by mid-May.

However, they have noticed an uptick in the number of people using public transport to get around from monitoring Octopus usage during this past weekend and believe this could affect their projections.

Medical personnel at AsiaWorld-Expo

"This could well portend a fundamental change in transmission dynamics that would render our assumptions inaccurate, thus underestimating the forward burden of the fifth wave," they said.

Meanwhile a day earlier, Kwok Kin-on, an associate professor at Chinese University's School of Public Health estimated about 5 million residents would be infected by June, and projected an even higher death toll at 7,000.

He predicted the number of infections would not subside into the four digits until late May, and would return to the 100 mark about a month later.

What is the government's response to the over 20,000 cases a day?

To close down beaches.

Beaches will be closed yet again due to Covid

Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor could make the announcement as early as tomorrow (Wednesday) even though she had said earlier that social-distancing measures were already tough enough.

"Too many people have gone to the beach unmasked and pictures have also shown a lot of them had ignored the ban on gatherings of more than two people," a source said.

How many people have actually gone to the beach?

Considering most Hongkongers like to stay away from the sun it couldn't have been that many... but alas now residents are being further punished and not allowed to go to the beach... what little pleasures there are left... 

Is it any wonder people are fleeing the city?

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.

How to Push Unvaccinated to get Jab

Crowded areas may need vaccine passport to get in, like MTR

The Hong Kong government is finally -- FINALLY considering having residents use a vaccine passport to do their daily necessities, from taking public transport to entering shopping malls in a bid to boost the vaccination rate in the city.

There were 115 cases recorded today of which 111 were locally transmitted while four were imported. Of the local cases, six were untraceable. About 80 people have tested preliminary positive which will show up in tomorrow's case numbers.

With a sixth straight day of triple digit case numbers, Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor has set the vaccination target at 90 percent. Currently 79.1 percent of the population has had at least one dose.

Transport workers worry of chaos using passport

However there will be fears of transportation chaos if people must show their vaccination records before getting on a bus, minibus, taxi or MTR. Can you imagine the long lines and short tempers? It would be an absolute nightmare for public transport workers having to bear the brunt of the frustration.

But this might have to be done in order to push people to get the jab. It is forceful, but vaccination is the only way out of this pandemic. Refusing to get the jab not only puts the unvaccinated person in jeopardy in terms of their health, but also impacts others around them, though they don't think of it that way at all.

Others say their doctors have advised them against getting it, not wanting to be responsible for side effects, especially those with chronic illnesses, or the elderly. That really doesn't help the rest of us. We have to think in terms of the greater good.

Already in several North American cities people have to show their vaccination records in order to eat in a restaurant, work out in the gym or attend a concert. 

Leave Home Safe app used more often now

Today a friend opened his bar and I had time before 6pm (when bars and restaurants close) to take a quick peek. At the door I not only scanned the Leave Home Safe app, but also had to show my vaccination record, which threw me back, but I complied. 

Everyone else was maskless and having a good time with the loud dance music, while I kept my mask on practically the whole time (15 minutes). I wondered if this was the future of Hong Kong post-Covid, that as long as everyone showed their proof of vaccination people could party...

Nevertheless, Chinese University public health professor Kwok Kin-on thinks pushing people to get vaccinated in order to use public transport and enter supermarkets is too extreme, and that the vaccine passport should be introduced gradually to avoid the public rejecting the scheme.

"If we can achieve our goal of boosting the vaccination rate without taking extreme measures, then it will not be necessary [to include all major public places]," Kwok said, adding that the requirement for vaccine passports at restaurants from February 24 could push many people to get their first jab.

In Vancouver must show vaccine record to eat out

One would think, but my relatives still refuse to get it, fearing the side effects it could cause. They claim they don't have to eat in restaurants, but that would mean forever. They don't seem to get that Covid is here for the long term and we have to adapt to it whether we like it or not.

Meanwhile the rest of us who are vaccinated and boosted are tired and want to move onto the next level. Why should people who have been jabbed have to wait for the rest to catch up? There should be advantages to having been inoculated, but so far the government doesn't seem to think they need to be rewarded (which is a serious blunder on its part).

Restaurants and hotels will be struggling for the next few months, waiting for Omicron to settle down, and also for everyone else to get vaccinated. Again the government squandered precious time to get people vaccinated, but hopefully with the current fifth wave nearing its peak that residents will be concerned about their own health to finally -- FINALLY get the jab.

Taking Election Benefit of Free Rides

Carrie Lam cast her vote this morning to kick off elections

The polling stations closed over an hour ago in the first revamped Legislative Council election and as of 9.30pm there were 29.28 percent of eligible voters who cast their ballots,  the lowest ever turnout for an election since 1997. The lowest was in 2000 at 43.57 percent.

Hmmm we wonder why.

Only some of the dim sum we ordered

There may be table banging in the Liaison Office in Western District tonight, wondering which bright person came up with the idea of giving all Hongkongers free rides on public transport (except ferries and buses going to the airport), as places like Disneyland and Ocean Park were packed with people.

The MTR constantly sent messages to subscribers, telling them taking the subway was free all day and there was no need to use the Octopus card, while buses had passengers use their card to count the number of people (presumably to bill the government later).

My friend and I took advantage of the free fares by going from Wan Chai to Hung Hom to go to Sheung Shui, where we went to get some dim sum (we were too hungry and over ordered).

Lining up for First Class - and we got a seat!

Then we got back on the train -- first class -- to Tai Wai, where we changed trains to go all the way on the newest line to Wu Kai Sha. Then we immediately went across the platform and too the opposite train back all 28 stops to Tuen Mun. 

From there we got out and took the light rail to Tuen Mun City Centre and got on the bus (that was just boarding) to go to Tung Chung and then ended up at City Gate to split a peanut butter and chocolate Cinnabon washed down with lemonade soda before taking the train back home.

The Tung Chung station was packed with people -- staff had tried to slow down the number of people going down to the platform, which was hard to do and they seemed to give up.

Phew! What a ride! By the time we took the train back to Hong Kong island at 5pm it was packed with people.

Rewarded ourselves with a Cinnabon

My whole transit fare would have cost HK$101 (US$13). I thought it would be more, but it was a good six hours well spent (and fed).

What we'd really like to know is how big the bill is for all the free public transit, sending out text messages urging people to vote, all the banners placed all over the city advertising the election, and for all 40,000 polling staff, and 10,000 police.

Was it really worth it?

Get Free Rides on Election Day

Trams, buses and the MTR will be free December 19

In order to boost the voter turnout at the polls next Sunday, the government has made all trams, trains, and buses free that day.

The scheme will cost an estimated HK$35 million (US$4.5 million), and the government did not say whether it will reimburse the companies involved.

Passengers on the MTR will not need to tap in to use the train, as well as KMB, New World First Bus, Citybus and Hong Kong Tramways.

Some operators say they are forced to waive fares

However, the free rides won't be available on airport and border routes, overnight services, KMB's luxury buses, or most routes covering south Lantau. Minibuses, or Kaito ferry services.

"MTR will closely monitor train service on that day and implement appropriate operational measures to meet passenger demand. There will also be additional staff assisting passengers at stations," the company said.

A spokesman for one transport concern group warned that "many people will just make use of the free rides for touring around the city."

Some transport operators agree, saying they were effectively being forced to bear the cost of forgone revenue.

Minibuses, ferries are not involved in the scheme

"It is very frustrating because the operators are forced to waive the fares," said one operator. "And riders could take advantage of the free rides for leisure and entertainment purposes."

It is strange for the government to make this offer in order to entice people to vote, since their polling station is walking distance from their homes...

Sleeping Bus Tour in HK

Now the sleep-deprived can catch up on sleep on a tour bus

I'm surprised this business opportunity was not spotted before the pandemic, but interesting it is now here -- long bus rides specifically for people to catch up on their sleep.

There is a 83km or over six-hour ride on a regular double-decker bus that goes around Hong Kong for people who want to snooze.

"When we were brainstorming new tours, I saw a social media post from my friend saying he was stressed out by his work, he couldn't sleep at night," said Kenneth Kong, the marketing and business development manager of ulu travel, the tour bus organizer.

A local tour company organizes the 6hr bus trips

"But when he was traveling on the bus, he was able to sleep well. His post inspired us to create this tour that lets passengers just sleep on the bus."

Tickets cost around HK$129 for a single seat, to HK$899 for those who want to take up extra seats, and depending on if they choose the upper deck or lower deck, and the each passenger gets a lunch to consume outside the bus, and a goodie bag that includes an eye mask and ear plugs.

The first "Sleeping Bus Tour" was last Saturday and it was sold out. Some passengers even brought their own blankets, or changed into slippers, or settled in with travel pillows.

The tour starts in Tsuen Wan and goes all the way to Tuen Mun, even makes stops for people to take pictures, including the aircraft maintenance area near Hong Kong International Airport.

One passenger, Marco Yung, joined the tour, as he usually manages to fall asleep on the bus during long journeys. 

Dr Shirley Li, the principal investigator of the Sleep Research Clinic and Laboratory at the University of Hong Kong says people's tendency to fall asleep on public transport is a type of conditioning.

Don't disturb people trying to sleep on this tour!

"People in Hong Kong don't have enough time to sleep," Li said. "That's why we have to kind of use other times to sleep, which is our daily commute, especially when we are traveling on public transport.

"For some people, they may tend to associate public transport with their sleep. And that's why they found it easier to fall asleep on the bus," she said. 

To pass the time, some people like to board random buses to see where they go, while this one is geared towards the sleep deprived. 

Have people become so desperate to try something new that they are signing up for these bus tours? Or are insomniacs really keen on riding this bus to catch some sleep? 

Either way it's a smart way for a tour company to think of a new way to market its services. It's not about seeing the sights, but enjoying a snooze on the bus.

Inching Closer to $5K Handout

Chan warns people to use the handout only for local spending

 

The countdown begins to register for the HK$5,000 handout on July 4, but Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po warns people not to try to find ways to put that money into their bank accounts, that the money is specifically for local spending.

Permanent residents over 18 years of age can choose to have the money that is distributed in installments to be deposited into one of four payment platforms: Octopus, AliPay HK, WeChat Pay HK, and Tap & Go. 

Money will be deposited in 4 payment platforms

Those opting for Octopus will have their money given out in three payments of HK$2,000, HK$2,000 and HK$1,000, while the other three will have two installments of HK$2,000 and then HK$3,000.

Chan warned if merchants were found to conspire with consumers to cash in the vouchers would be blacklisted and dealt with by the relevant authorities.

"If a merchant that used to have small-sum transactions is found to have large-sum and unusual transactions, we may blacklist them if appropriate so they can no longer join this scheme," Chan said. "If there are elements of conspiracy and fraud, we won't rule out taking law enforcement action."

The HK$5,000 is meant to be used within a five-month period for shopping, dining and transport.

It won't be difficult for the average Hongkonger to use this money for everyday spending. This is HK$5,000 less they need to spend of their own savings for necessities. Instead it will be the credit cards and banks that will be hurting for a few months as people won't be using credit cards and cash as much. 

Registration begins on July 4 for Aug 1 payment

And HK$5,000 to be used within five months isn't a gob of money. For Chan to warn people to only use it for personal spending is ludicrous. What else are they going to use it for, since you must use up the money before getting the next installment.

Kiss those HK$5,000 Gucci sneakers goodbye.

It's not like Chan has given everyone HK$10,000 like last year. 

So while the intention is to encourage people to spend in local shops, it will only be those merchants who accept electronic payments that will win out. And for sure the supermarket chains will benefit the most. 

Can you imagine going to a fine dining restaurant to doot your bill?

The Good News, Bad News

Many people took advantage of the opportunity to get the jab

 

This morning a lot of people in Hong Kong signed up for the vaccine online now that the government has allowed people from the age of 30 upwards to get it, as well as domestic helpers, and students 16 years and older who are studying overseas.

The process was relatively efficient, though if you spent time reading through all the precautionary measures and possible side effects, then you wasted precious time getting the dates and times you wanted.

Now people over 30 are eligible to get vaccinated

Nevertheless some of these people are getting the jab as early as this Friday and are only too excited, showing off their confirmation emails on social media.

Today there were 18 cases recorded, five imported, and five more added to the growing gym cluster to 127.

Yesterday University of Hong Kong microbiologist Ho Pak-leung complained that the government's LeaveHomeSafe app is not working effectively to notify people if they had been in the same place at the same time as an infected person.

"The 100 or so people must have gone out for dining in the past 10 days. We are not seeing there's any improvement in contact tracing on that front. Although many people have installed the LeaveHomeSafe, the app seems not to have fully shown its effectiveness," he said.

A friend told me her three colleagues went to the Grand Hyatt Hong Kong recently, one used the app, the other two wrote down the contact details. In the end it was the latter two who were notified by the hotel and not the one who used LeaveHomeSafe!

Leung said if there is a delay in tracking down people there could be more clusters forming from restaurants, which we have seen here and there, with places like Zuma, Somm, Mandarin Bar + Grill, Arabica and Tree House just to name a few.

Dr Ho worries tracing app is not effective enough

There is also the concern that new infections won't show up for about two weeks too.

The chance to get a vaccine can't come fast enough.

Meanwhile Hong Kong is facing its highest unemployment rate since 2004 at 7.2 percent. That means more than 261,000 people are out of a job, 8,300 more than before.

The sectors most affected are tourism, hospitality and retail, while the food and beverage area has improved slightly. 

Back in 2003 the jobless rate was 8.5 percent during SARS, but that was for about four or five months, compared to now being well over a year. 

If that wasn't bad enough news, the government has approved fare hikes for buses by as much as 12 percent.

With bus fares going up, will more take the tram?

This is hard to understand because during the pandemic last year till now the frequency of the buses have decreased significantly, making people wait longer for buses or they are more packed. 

Fares for Citybus and New World First Bus will go up 12 percent in two phases, one in April the next in January, while Kowloon Motor Bus can charge 8.5 percent more, and New Lantao Bus company can raise fares by 9.8 percent.

However Long Win Bus, which runs bus services to the airport will not see an increase in fares as the government believes travel will come back soon...

At the same time the government is increasing the public transport subsidy to HK$500 per person, up from the current HK$100 and as long as people spend at least HK$200 on public transport per month.

Maybe -- just maybe -- this may push some people to use the tram and the Star Ferry more often.

Or in my case, walk more.

Replenishing HK's War Chest During Covid

Carrie Lam modeling the Cu+ Mask that never took off in popularity...

It's hard to believe it's already September and no end in sight for the pandemic. Hong Kong's third wave seems to be under control, though the number of new cases continues to rise and fall. There were 12 today, though seven were imported.

During the past eight months, the government has doled out a lot of money, and luckily the city had saved a war chest full -- over a trillion Hong Kong dollars, though it is fast being depleted after giving every resident HK$10,000, wage subsidies of HK$9,000 per employee if employers took part in a scheme promising not to lay off staff, handing out money to every sector pleading for handouts, from tourism and restaurants, to gyms, education, transport, and beauty parlours to name a few.

Taxpayer money was used to buy full-page ads in newspapers

Oh and remember the government made and sent out Cu+ masks to every resident who applied for it too? It also sent out surgical masks, but they turned out to be faulty... and all those front page ads in many newspapers about the universal testing scheme...

Now lawmaker Michael Tien Puk-sun is calling on the government to dole out more money again, proposing that every resident be given another HK$10,000 to help them another few months, and help refill the war chest by imposing more taxes, such as on capital gains, luxury and dividends.

"I say this is the best time now to really start this discussion about introducing new taxes into our current very narrow structure, Tien said.

"Simply because we have depleted our reserve by almost half in the last six months, and God knows how much more the government needs to dole out before everything returns to normal."

Tien calling for the government to find new revenue streams

It's interesting Tien is calling for this, as the government has not budged on this issue, as from time immemorial it has depended on taxes from land sales for the vast majority of its revenue.

But he advises the authorities "not to pray that our land sales will come back".

Tien is right. Not only is the property market very soft, prices have dropped and so the amount of money the government is expecting to pull in from stamp duties will be much lower.

One wonders if the government will take Tien's advice and finally tax the rich further, but in the meantime the authorities are hitting up ordinary folk for money in the guise of fines.

Last week my hairdresser told me of her friends being fined by the police for not wearing masks outside, when they were just in the alley having a smoke. Talk about an expensive smoke, not just for your health but your wallet too.

Police out in force, giving out fines for not social distancing

The police have also fined people at protests for not social distancing, from HK$2,000 to up to HK$25,000, and many traffic wardens are being more diligent about giving out parking tickets.

This nickel-and-diming people is more of an opportunity for the police to flex their authority or perhaps they have a quota of fines they have to give out each month.

But these fines are a drop in the ocean compared to the zillions of dollars given out by the government.

Most people have had salary cuts, or been furloughed, so making them pay fines is not very productive.

It's time the government find other revenue generators -- much like the rest of us trying to survive.

Hong Kong's New Record High Cases

All people must wear masks indoors from tomorrow

This evening I took the elevator down so that I could do my usual walk. Several floors down a Caucasian man in a singlet, shorts and runners came into the elevator -- without a mask.

Immediately sensing he was in the wrong, he tried to lift his tank top up to his nose as if this quasi covering was going to protect him as he breathed heavily. It was ridiculous.

Why are people still not taking wearing masks seriously? Especially when Hong Kong had a record 113 new cases today, 105 of which were local, though 63 of them were untraceable. The city now has 2,131 cases and 14 deaths.

Dr Chan urges people not to go out unnecessarily

From tomorrow, it is mandatory for people to wear masks indoors, though this seems like a half-hearted measure because people have been wearing masks indoors anyway. They cannot go into many establishments if they don't wear a mask already, and on public transport.

However a few days ago after the regulation was in place, I saw a guy with his mask under his chin in the MTR carriage as he scrolled through his phone; only when more passengers came in did he then pull the mask up. Perhaps a bit too late? Which part of confined space does he not get?

"The coming one to two weeks will be critical to the development of the epidemic situation," said Sophia Chan Siu-chee, Secretary for Food and Health. "I strongly urge all people to stay at home and refrain from going out unnecessarily. If the amount of confirmed cases increases further, we will not rule out more stringent control measures."

Chan also hinted the possibility of a lockdown, saying the government looked at other countries' practices, but also kept in mind people's daily needs in Hong Kong.

Chuang tells Covid-19 test takers to stay home

Dr Chuang Shuk-kwan, head of the communicable disease branch at the Centre for Health Protection also urged people who had taken the Covid-19 test to stay put while waiting for the results as they might be infected.

"If you have symptoms and have gone for a test, please stay at home," she said, noting some people who had submitted samples for the test had gone out in public and possibly passed on the virus to others.

There are so many factors of how Hong Kong got to the point of triple-digit cases, though pointing figures now is hardly productive. People need to mask up -- there is no excuse not to with so many masks available in various price ranges, and pay more attention to hygiene.

A friend finally stopped using her "fake mask" -- a flimsy mask that is more for protection against pollen -- and now wears a surgical mask, though she continues to pull it down when she walks outside. Again not taking it seriously, yet she complains of runners to breathe heavily as they run past her.

The vast majority of the city is pretty much at home for the evening as restaurants and other venues are closed from 6pm, but that doesn't mean people aren't having gatherings at home. A Singaporean acquaintance said that during their lockdown period, neighbours could file a report report if they saw their neighbour wasn't complying with social-distancing rules.

Wearing a mask on public transport is mandatory

But in Hong Kong that would be perceived as echoes of the Cultural Revolution!

However, if the number of cases continue to skyrocket, then maybe the snitching will have to be instituted, like that mask-less guy on the 25th floor...

108 New Virus Cases, is HK Doing Enough?

Lam announced more measures today to curb virus numbers

Within the period of 4pm to 12am yesterday Hong Kong recorded 108 new cases, 83 of which were local, 25 imported.

This is a new record for the city, where a few days ago it was 67.

Another statistic is that since July 5 there were 519 new cases, 411 of which were local.

Lam and co are exempted from quarantine

As a result Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor held a press conference this afternoon -- on a Sunday -- with some of her minsters to announce further social-distancing measures.

Gyms, salons, karaoke lounges, cinemas and such will continue to be closed for another week, while restaurants will extend the measure of only offering takeaway from 6pm to 5am.

Masks are mandatory in all indoor public spaces (wasn't that a given?!) and most civil servants will work from home for a week, with only emergency and essential services available.

In addition there will be more quarantine units, some 2,000 of them built near Disneyland, and AsiaWorld-Expo will be converted to house stable coronavirus patients, as health experts have warned her that there could be another spike in cases this coming winter.

With all these measures, is Lam and her administration doing enough to curb the spread of the virus?

While some of the blame might be on the public getting tired of wearing masks and social distancing, one might want to look at the list the government has issued on those who are exempt from quarantine -- and the list is very long, involving lots of different kinds of people.

HKEX company directors exempt from quarantine

There are 33 categories of people who do not have to go through two weeks of quarantine because they either bring goods into Hong Kong that are daily necessities, or are needed for governmental operations, business, education or manufacturing.

All government officials on official business are exempt from this -- which is why Lam has been seen in Beijing, then in Hong Kong without having to go through a two-week quarantine period.

Cross-border truck drivers, and airline and boat crews going across to China, Macau and Taiwan are exempt, as well as people who work at the slaughterhouse in Sheung Shui but live across the border, and those who work in companies that supply personal protective equipment (PPE) for Hong Kong.

Factory owners or managers who need to oversee their manufacturing operations on the mainland do not have to be quarantined, along with those who have construction projects across the border, lawyers doing work in either China, Taiwan or Macau, and those doing research and development work.

AsiaWorld-Expo will take stable virus patients

Directors of listed companies or applying to list on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange are exempted too, academics involved in coronavirus research, and secondary students who live on the mainland and cross the border to come to Hong Kong for classes.

It's a long list, isn't it? Each category could range from a few to lots of people. If any of them were asymptomatic and carrying the virus into Hong Kong, they could be the ones spreading the coronavirus in the city without knowing it.

The fact that these people aren't even tested is a serious problem -- they must at least be tested, but no, they are allowed to go back and forth albeit for work or education purposes, but they could also be socializing with others and possibly passing on the virus.

Otherwise how else can you explain why there are so many cases that cannot be traced in the community?

Lam said today it was not feasible to test every single person in Hong Kong, over 7 million, which is why they are targeting high risk groups, but there are asymptomatic carriers who must be found.

Everyone Needs to Wear a Mask. Everyone.

Labour and welfare minister Law claims he hasn't work a mask for 22 days

Hong Kong government officials continue to be completely out of touch with the residents they are supposed to serve.

Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor continues to refuse to wear a mask in public events, and Law Chi-kwong, Secretary for Labour and Welfare has followed his boss, and even bragged about being mask-less.

Lam says her masks are going to healthcare workers -- really?

In his blog, Law wrote he had not worn a mask in the past 22 days. He said he had driven to work, attended meetings everyday at government headquarters in Tamar.

"Most of my colleagues at the Labour and Welfare Bureau have been working from home these days. But they still have to come back for meetings when necessary. For me, apart from attending meetings, most of the time I was in my office alone," he wrote.

"I haven't been to any crowded places over the past 22 days. I have been driving to the government headquarters myself and have not used public transport. I haven't used a single face mask, and thus, I was in a way saving the masks for those who needed them."

We'll get to the question of having enough masks in the city, but what is Law trying to prove?

That he is a privileged person in Hong Kong who has his own car and office that he doesn't need to wear a mask? The vast majority of us need to take public transport and so we are all wearing masks as soon as we step out the door. Needless to say we are all fuming behind our masks.

A guy wears ski googles, mask and gloves

Thankfully infectious diseases expert Dr Joseph Tsang Kay-yan helped us tell off Law and put on a mask regardless.

"Of course he doesn't have to wear a mask when he is driving. I am also sure that he has his own office. But he still needs to take the public lifts. Mainland expert Zhong Nanshan has said that the lifts are high-risk facilities. A lot of people use the lifts," Tsang said.

"I'd suggest that once [Law] is back at the government headquarters, he has to wear a mask."

Tsang explained everyone should wear a mask because some infected people may not have started showing symptoms and so they may not even know they are infected.

Meanwhile, these government officials including Lam keep saying their stash of masks should be given to front line healthcare workers but they don't seem to have received them, as they keep clamouring for more.

Where have the masks gone?

Most people wear masks in Hong Kong in public spaces

Some people on social media have called for an investigation into where the masks have gone... some masks made by prisoners were found to be on sale online! It's absolutely indefensible for front line healthcare workers to not have enough proper equipment to protect themselves on the job when Hong Kong has so much money in reserves.

Perhaps Lam should personally donate her stash of masks to a hospital. Or does she dare not show up in person?

The Hunt for Masks Continues

People checking out prices of masks at pharmacies in Causeway Bay

 

Last night after work I saw people standing around pharmacy shops nearby and went to take a look.

There were boxes and boxes of masks, some from Indonesia, some from Japan and Korea.

The prices? The most expensive ones I saw were HK$498 for a box of 50 masks. It should really cost around HK$80.

Children's masks were more expensive than adult ones

Another shop had face masks for children that were made in Thailand. They cost a whopping HK$528 for 50 masks.

These pharmacies used to gouge mainlanders for milk powder, vitamins, shampoo, toothpaste and so on. Now they were gouging Hongkongers.

Oh they also had packs of 10 masks for HK$80. I did buy a pack, just so that I would feel less anxious about not having enough masks.

Then this morning my hairdresser told me not to buy masks in pharmacies because they could be fake or from China. She suggested that the quality was not very good, supposedly for use only in China.

The paranoia that has gripped this city is too much, but the government has done nothing or hardly enough to quell people's fears.

Singaporean PM tries to tell residents not to panic buy

At least Singaporean leader Lee Hsien Loong posted a video of himself trying to reassure his fellow citizens that the city state has enough supplies of everything, medical staff are prepared, and that everyone should do their part in staying free of the coronavirus by washing hands often and not going to crowded places.

He appealed to people not to worry and stock up on cup noodles and toilet paper, which is what happened yesterday with panic buying similar to Hong Kong.

By the way the shelves still haven't been restocked yet, though some stores now finally have packs of rice again...

As for Hong Kong forcing people to self quarantine, it's a complete joke. Travelers who have arrived into the city are not escorted back to their homes, even taking public transport to get back and potentially infecting others along the way.

Medical masks above, beauty masks below

There is no enforcement of their quarantine, just random phone calls to see if they are home, no tracking equipment they have to wear.

Meanwhile the government is scrambling to find volunteers (Scouts anyone?) to help check on these quarantined people and handing meals to them. Not thought out through at all.  Chief Secretary Matthew Cheung Kin-chung appealed to civil servants and medical students... now he's down to the Scouts... wonder who offered.

The coronavirus is on track to have more deaths than SARS in 2002-2003 because of the sheer numbers of people infected. There is a high recovery rate, but we are seeing higher numbers of cases and deaths each day. Now it is at just under 35,000 confirmed cases, 724 deaths and over 2,100 recovered.