Carrie Lam Fractures Elbow

Lam's selfie with her right arm in a sling after her fall

This morning Hongkongers woke up to the news that Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor had fractured her right elbow from a fall on a flight of stairs at Government House last night ahead of a banquet with retired colleagues. She was rushed to Queen Mary Hospital in Pokfulam where she spent the night and was discharged this morning.

"At first I thought it was just an abrasion, but then my right arm became more painful and so I decided to seek treatment at Queen Mary Hospital after sending off the guests," she wrote in a social media post on Tuesday afternoon. "It's believed that it will take two or three weeks for recovery."

Lam was discharged from hospital this morning

She added in her post that she had a brain scan and additional check-ups while in hospital. Might as well, right, since Lam is so busy.

The accident was revealed shortly after midnight on Monday to announce she would follow the doctor's advice to stay overnight in the hospital for observation, and that the weekly Executive Council or Exco meeting, and media briefing on Tuesday morning would be cancelled. 

Lam said many of her friends told her the accident was a good opportunity for her to rest.

"I think it is a positive way of thinking as in fact, I have not taken any leave for three years already," she wrote. Well, most of us have not taken a break because of the coronavirus pandemic either. But Lam insists on getting the gold star for being extremely hard working.

Lee will take over as CE, but for how long?

She has proudly told the media before that she is a workaholic, and doesn't even have time to talk to her husband.

However, she admits she now finds it hard to get dressed and write. Who writes these days? And if she's resting for a few days or weeks, nothing wrong with wearing T-shirts and sweatpants like all of us did last year.

In the meantime Chief Secretary John Lee Ka-chiu will be serving as acting chief executive but speculation is rife over how long it will be before Lam takes over the reins again.

Enticing the Elderly with Coupons to get Jab

Some elderly sign up for the jab at Shek Lei Estate, Kwai Hing

From the beginning, people suggested a good incentive would be for the government to handout  HK$5,000 in cash to people who are fully vaccinated.

But did the authorities consider this proposition?

"To offer cash or something physical to encourage vaccination shouldn't be done by the government and may even cause the opposite effect," said Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor in late May.

Officials are urging the elderly to get the jab

But vaccination rates would have definitely been at higher levels if the government had done that from the beginning instead of relying on the corporate sector to create lucky draws in order to incentivize more people to get jabbed.

Now the government is desperately trying to get older people inoculated -- the most vulnerable population -- and now it's trying something new -- walk-in clinics and HK$200 in coupons.

Currently there are only 13 percent of those over 80 who are fully vaccinated. Part of the reason is misinformation, part of it is them not being internet savvy. Who would expect elderly people to be able to book an appointment online? The government is naive to think seniors' children will help them.

So today vaccination stations were set up in Shek Lei Estate in Kwai Hing, and one man in his 90s admitted he was there to get jabbed in order to receive HK$200 in supermarket coupons.

Seniors can use walk-in vaccination stations now

"I am poor so that's why [I'm getting the vouchers]," he said. "I was told by a district councillor [about the program today]."

The government will set up vaccination stations in Queen Elizabeth, Tuen Mun, and Queen Mary hospitals next week.

Fifty-eight percent of residents in their 60s have received at least one jab, while for those in their 70s it's 39 percent.

Today 260 seniors got vaccinated at Shek Kei Estate, and another 100 at Lok Sin Tong Benevolent Society Kowloon in Kwun Chung Sports Centre.

C'mon folks! Let's get the jab for HK$200 supermarket coupons!

Picture of the Day: Forest Bathing

Chilly but clear blue skies looking down on Hong Kong

A friend I met who I bump into at the swimming pool often (but now is closed because of the latest government restrictions), asked me if I hiked much. I admitted not, but would I be interested in joining her on Friday morning?

At 8.30am?!

Waterfalls and lots of greenery everywhere

Whenever I have to wake up early the next morning I don't get a good night's sleep, but I managed to get up and meet her at the Sai Ying Pun MTR station where she guided me up to Bonham Road and up Oakland Path to Kotewall Road which is the start of the Morning Trail up to The Peak.

However, my friend took me another way which is much longer in terms of distance and time, and not steep all the way. The path practically had no one on it though we passed some dog walkers -- and friendly dogs! -- and some trail runners getting a good workout.

The path took us through lots of forested area which was wonderful, immersing ourselves in nature and inhaling fresh oxygen. We kept walking all the way to the southside above Pokfulam and Queen Mary Hospital before we went up a wide asphalt road that seemed to wind along forever upwards with no end. And then before we knew it, over two and a half hours later, we were at the Peak Tower via the Pokfulam Reservoir Road.

A quick loo break and we walked down via the Morning Trail. Since we went up early, we saw many huffing and puffing their way up the path as we zoomed down back to Kotewall Road and then back to Sai Ying Pun. 

View of Queen Mary Hospital (left) and south HK

In the end I completed over 15.8K and spent over 1,000 calories! Needless to say I was ravenous when I got home, then took a shower and a badly needed nap!

Another friend wants to go up the Peak tomorrow too...!

Two Coronavirus Cases in Two Days

Several local media covered our office shutting down because of the virus

Fears of the coronavirus have become all too close for me in the last two days.

Late Tuesday night my colleagues and I were notified that someone in our office tested positive for the coronavirus. This person does not sit in the same area as me, but someone in my department had lunch with this person. Needless to say my colleague was terrified -- she was shaking when she found out.

Other reporters waiting to get soundbites from colleagues

We were told the office would be shut down until at least the weekend for deep cleaning and disinfection, though before then, for a short period in the morning we could go in to grab anything we needed from the office.

The news of our company's situation leaked to Chinese, then English media, so by 8am the next morning (yesterday) there were several reporters with cameras at the entrance, pouncing on colleagues who tried to rush in to get their personal effects. I went in to rescue some food and pick up my laptop.

The colleague who was terrified went into an out-patient clinic for testing. At first they recorded a mild fever, but when her temperature was taken again it was normal. She was kept overnight in a hospital.

She later found out another colleague who was at the same lunch would be quarantined in one of the government camps and asked me to pick up stuff from her roommate to give to her in the hospital as she worried there wouldn't be an opportunity to get anything.

The gym is a pretty easy place to pass germs around

I did my good deed of the day, picking up her bag of things in a garbage bag, then ferrying it to the hospital. Thankfully my colleague had taken a picture of her wristband for information of where she was. When I got to the hospital a security woman asked me where I was going and informed the nurse of that ward.

Then I had a temperature check by a nurse nearby and given a green slip of paper noting that my temperature had been checked.

When I got to the ward, I pressed the reception button. I tried to guess how to pronounce my colleague's Chinese name and the nurse berated me for saying it wrong. I said, "I'm sorry but my Chinese is terrible," but she was hardly sympathetic.

Soon the nurse came out, told me my colleague would be leaving the hospital soon, so don't give her anything anymore. It was her way of throwing her weight around, but I didn't care; my mission was completed.

Many complained about the gym's initial response to the news

Thankfully my colleague was less stressed having some of her things with her, and I hope she will be OK in quarantine. Hong Kong government health officials are taking every possible case seriously -- my colleague will be quarantined for two weeks in a government camp and an additional two weeks at home, as she may develop symptoms later.

While this was happening at work, my gym sent an urgent email at 1.45am in the morning, stating there was a member who tested positive for the coronavirus, and that he used the gym in three different locations in the span of six days, including my gym. Thankfully I was not there that day, but still, as infectious disease experts have said, the virus can live on surfaces for a long time.

However, the gym claimed that the three infected gyms already had a deep cleaning overnight so it was ready to use the next day.

A lot of gym members, including me didn't think so. In fact I had sent the gym an email 10 days ago, pointing out it was unwise to be encouraging members to use different locations, and to even have a promotion where members can bring their friends for a one-month pass. I pointed out even though you may be taking people's temperatures at the door, and cleaning a bit more (untrue), gym users can be asymptomatic and pass on the virus.

Now members can opt for membership suspension for 14 days

The gym ignored my concerns and now there is not just one infected gym, but three. Oh and there was another person who was tested positive and went to one of the three gyms.

As soon as members read the notice, many of them wrote angry emails demanding their membership be suspended for two weeks without additional cost (it's usually HK$288 per month to suspend). The story was picked up by the media, and by the end of the day, the gym at first closed the three affected gyms at dinnertime this evening, and then sent another email that the gyms would be further disinfected and closed for two weeks so that staff could undergo self-quarantine.

Oh, and yes people's memberships will be suspended without charge. Finally!

Why should it take bad publicity and a barrage of complaints from members for the gym to change its decision on how to deal with a life-threatening virus?

We understand the need to survive financially, but honestly, we are all in the same boat. Being greedy and unsympathetic is not good business ethics in the long term.

In the meantime this evening I ran along the waterfront and it was a good feeling to be out there. Too bad the forecast is for isolated thunderstorms tomorrow...

Donald Tsang Loses Appeal

Donald Tsang was rushed to hospital after he lost his appeal in court

Disgraced former chief executive Donald Tsang Yam-kuen did it again -- he came into court to hear the verdict of his appeal, and came out claiming illness and was carried out in a stretcher.

Today his appeal to turn over a conviction for misconduct while in public office was rejected. It was for not declaring his interest in a three-storey penthouse flat in Shenzhen that he was leasing from a company owned by Chinese businessman Bill Wong Cho-bau.

Businessman Bill Wong Cho-bau let Tsang a flat in Shenzhen

Wong was also majority shareholder of radio station Wave Media, that was applying for a  broadcasting license of which Tsang was in charge of approving these license applications.

Three Court of Appeal judges unanimously ruled the evidence was "formidable as it was compelling", that the 73-year-old Tsang had concealed this conflict of interest from the public while he was chief executive from 2005-2012.

However, his original sentence of 20 months in jail was reduced to 12 months, while his fine of HK$3 million to cover prosecution costs was dropped to only HK$1 million.

Apparently the court took into consideration the impact of paying the full amount would have had on Tsang, as he was "not a wealthy businessman but a retired civil servant", who would depend solely on his savings and pension in his remaining years.

Tsang was to live in the penthouse flat

Can we remind readers that the salary of the chief executive of Hong Kong is over HK$300,000 a month -- which is more than what then US President Barack Obama was paid at HK$260,000, while Chinese President Xi Jinping makes HK$14,000.

And being a career civil servant for 40 years, surely Tsang has a decent chunk of change in the bank -- he certainly made much more than the average person in Hong Kong -- or perhaps he is completely unaware of how us plebeians live.

How long will he be at Queen Mary Hospital in Pokfulam, and will that count for jail time as well?

Meanwhile, outside the court his wife Selina Tsang Pou Siu-mei said, "Today I feel disappointed, and my heart aches."

Tsang looked fine when he arrived at court this morning

Will this be the last we hear of Tsang, the son of a police officer? Probably not...

Saving Lives or Not?

The patient's wife sits in the hospital hoping for a liver donor for her husband

A male patient at Queen Mary Hospital in Pok Fu Lam has days to live after his liver transplant was stopped because it was found the new liver had early stages of cancer.

The operation was aborted, despite the low chances of the patient getting cancer, and now he has slipped into a coma. While his condition is described as "stable", it could change at any time.

The incident has resulted in a debate about the ethics of the medical procedure -- should surgeons still have gone ahead with the transplant? He seems to be in a worse state than he was before he went in for surgery.

However medical professionals said the surgeons did follow the correct protocol, but it seems nothing is being done to rectify the situation and try to find a right match as soon as possible.

Dozens of people have called the hospital to see if they are possible matches, and some have complained to the media that the hospital either didn't get back to them in a timely manner, or don't seem to treat this situation as an emergency.

Hopefully this issue has made people more aware of the importance of organ donation and possibly give them an incentive to live healthy lifestyles.

The patient's wife is terribly distraught, and the family has appreciated the public's interest in helping him. They are strong Christian believers, saying this is "in God's hands" and hope a suitable liver donor will come forward soon.

Is this really how this incident should end? By the same token, there are many patients who die waiting for an organ donation too. There are 94 people currently waiting for a new liver, and only 19 liver donations from deceased donors, 10 from live donors.

It's a sad state of affairs, but we hope an organ donor will save this man's life soon.