More Covid-19 Cases than SARS

Social distancing was practiced at Repulse Bay beach today

Hong Kong has just surpassed a grim milestone -- more coronavirus cases than SARS 17 years ago. The city reported 64 new cases today, 60 of which are local, for a total of 1,777 cases. That is two more than the number of SARS cases in 2003.

The high number of cases of Hong Kong is highly concerning, with people still continuing to socialize in large groups. I walked with a friend from Ocean Park to Repulse Bay to have lunch and while the beach wasn't packed, there were many people congregated around The Pulse, a mini mall that has restaurants, cafes and shops.

People having too much fun on July 9

There are also reports of a "handover celebration dinner" held on July 9 where over 100 people without masks were singing and dancing together in a hall. Four people from that party tested positive for the coronavirus.

Up until a few weeks ago, Hong Kong was the envy of the world with its single digit cases (on some days there were none). That's because of the pretty strict protocol it established when people flew into the city, and disseminated lots of tips to the public on how to keep safe.

But then what happened? Complacency settled in and people got tired of social distancing.

The Hong Kong government needs to move faster to clamp down on the number of cases as soon as possible. This cannot wait another day. The vast majority of the cases are not traceable, making it harder to find the sources of the virus.

More testing needs to be done too. For example, while test kits are made available free of charge to taxi drivers, doing the test is not mandatory. How could that be? It seems like a half-hearted measure. While it is understandable people are anxious about finding out if they are positive or not, it would be better to know earlier than later in terms of treatment?

Why not make testing mandatory for taxi drivers?

Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor must allow a good portion of the civil servants to work from home (the ones that can). There is no need for everyone to be in the office now. That would also allow private companies to follow suit. The less interaction with others at this time would be better.

Mixed messages makes it harder for the public to understand and respect the government's thinking. A muddled response only reveals its indecisiveness and gives the impression fighting the virus is not a high priority.

Breaking Out for Easter

People flocked to the beaches at Repulse Bay for the start of Easter break

 

Hong Kong recorded 16 new coronavirus cases today for a total of 989, but with today being the start of Easter, a four-day holiday, there were concerns people were not observing social distancing rules.

And that concern was right, with beaches at Repulse Bay packed with people, many not wearing masks, or hiking up Victoria Peak on Hong Kong island, or Tai Mo Shan, the city's highest peak located in the New Territories.

Dr Chuang (left) is concerned about a new wave of cases

In Tsim Sha Tsui, the Avenue of the Stars was crowded, as was the K11 Musea shopping mall and the food court in the basement that is very cramped to start with in normal circumstances.

What happened?

Turns out people were tired of being cooped up at home these last few weeks and wanted to get out and enjoy the sunshine. But should they really be going out at this time when we are very close to flattening the curve?

"I observed that many people are on the streets," said Dr Chuang Shuk-kwan of the Centre for Health Protection. "If people relax their practice of maintaining social-distancing rules, there may be a new wave of infections by asymptomatic cases."

She added there could be more mild cases in the community that are not being picked up... yet.

Shoppers also went to the new K11 mall in Tsim Sha Tsui

We shall see a week from now if this four-day long weekend will result in an increase of coronavirus cases or not.

In the meantime, Happy Easter?

The Justice Minister with Illegal Structures

New Justice Minster Teresa Cheng watches as her boss Carrie Lam walks by

On January 6, Hong Kong got a new Secretary for Justice Teresa Cheng Yeuk-wah, but since she was sworn in she has been embroiled in a huge scandal involving illegal structures in her properties. Yes more than one.

She used to work in the private sector and has bought a house in Tuen Mun, and other properties in Sha Tin and Repulse Bay.

When she bought them, she knew there were illegal structures on them -- the Repulse Bay one purchased as early as last September. She must have had an inkling then she would get the job as the government's top legal eagle.

Cheng's home is on the left, her husband's on the right

Surely she should have known this would be a huge potential problem for Chief Executive Carrie Cheng Lam Yuet-ngor's administration?

Did she not follow the fiasco Henry Tang Ying-yen went through in 2012?

It has been reported that in general some luxury homes in Hong Kong have illegal structures because land is so expensive the owners want to make the most out of it by carving out as much livable space as possible.

And because it takes so long to get a permit or approval from the authorities, and if they are found out, the punishments pretty much add up to a slap on the wrist that owners are willing to take the risk to go ahead with the renovations.

If that wasn't enough, Cheng bought the Repulse Bay flat for HK$62 million -- claiming she was a first-time home buyer (the other two were bought through her companies) -- so that she only had to pay a stamp duty of HK$2.635 million instead of HK$9.3 million.

Cheng's third-floor flat in Repulse Bay she bought for HK$62M

One can imagine Hong Kong people are fuming to hear how much Cheng owns, let alone having homes with illegal structures on them when she's the chief justice secretary.

And now there are grumblings in the pro-Beijing camp that it's getting harder and harder for them to support Chief Executive Lam's decision to choose Cheng to replace Rimsky Yuen Kwok-keung

Maybe Cheng didn't really want to do the job, knowing this would happen. But did she know this scandal would be dragging Lam's administration's credibility down too?

Cheng hasn't said much except to apologize many times for the "inconvenience and concern caused in the community".

Sounds like she too is overwhelmed by the barrage of coverage. But if she was politically smart enough, she would have sold or attempted to sell her properties before starting her new job.

But perhaps the super wealthy don't seem to think rules apply to them, or they think they won't get caught...

White Slick HK Beaches

Clumps of congealed palm oil washed up on Hong Kong beaches

There are questions why it took two days for the mainland Chinese authorities to inform Hong Kong about a ship collision that resulted in the leaking of palm oil onto our city's shores.

Congealed palm oil that looked like solid white clumps, washed up on Hong Kong beaches and all 11 of them had to be closed on Sunday. They included Hung Shing Yeh Beach on Lamma Island to Upper and Lower Cheung Sha Beach, as well as those at Repulse Bay and Chung Hom Kok.

All 11 of Hong Kong's beaches were closed on Sunday

Beach workers tried to contain the palm oil with oil-absorbent felts and strips, while witnesses say the contaminated areas smelled like chemicals, or like the odours in alleyways behind fried snack shops.

Dr Tsang Po-keung, an associate professor of science and environmental studies at the Education University of Hong Kong and a member of the government's Advisory Council on the Environment, says a notification mechanism should be modified to specify how many days authorities should be given to report such incidents.

"This time they may think it's fine because it's just palm oil, but what if next time it is gasoline?" he said, but added for some marine life, two days is too late.

When pressed, the palm oil disintegrates like powder

City University chair professor of biology Paul Lam Kwan-sing says the spill did not amount to an environmental disaster, but was "not a good thing".

"Palm oil is a crystallized liquid... which will slowly be decomposed by micro-organisms. The problem is that it is a real eyesore for beachgoers," he said.

It's troubling that China doesn't seem to think this spill warrants any kind of immediate warning -- so much for its supposed priority on the environment, or do they not care about what happens to Hong Kong? Guess not...

Hong Kong's Tree Conundrum

Stumps of the banyan trees are left behind on Bonham Road

On Saturday morning people living around Bonham Road in Sai Ying Pun woke up shocked to find four Chinese banyan trees growing along a stone wall were suddenly chopped down in the middle of the night.

A tree expert on a government advisory panel said the decision was "scientific", as another Chinese banyan tree collapsed on July 22 during a serious rainstorm, injuring two people.

Some residents left balloons and notes on the roots

There was no prior announcement the trees would be cut down, and so "mourners" came to the site hanging colourful balloons or leaving notes that read: "The trees are crying".

For many, the trees were a nostalgic memory of their childhood and questioned why they had to be chopped down -- could there not have been severe pruning done instead?

However it seems the Hong Kong government did not want to take any chances, and erred on the side of safety and face the wrath of residents than risk another possible accident.

It turns out the authorities may have been right.

Last night, after days of blistering heat, there was an amber rainstorm warning with lots of thunder, lightning and heavy rain.

The banyan trees before they were cut down Friday night

In the morning, four trees had collapsed, one in Repulse Bay and another in Stanley, and then one near St John's Church in Central, and the last tree in Sheung Shui.

It seems the city's aborists don't have enough experience in assessing Hong Kong's tree situation, because in many cases a year or two after they have been assessed, some trees collapse and it turns out they were completed rotted and should have been removed much earlier.

And now with residents gradually becoming more environmentally conscious, they want to save the existing trees without understanding some cannot be saved and need to be chopped down for public safety reasons.

The government really needs to do a thorough evaluation of trees in the city and monitor them more closely. They provide a natural shade and add character to our concrete jungle.

Not only do we need to protect what we have, but also plant more trees to create a greener future for our city.

A 12-year-old's Sorry Saga

Siu Yau-wai (right) with his grandmother with an uncertain future ahead

The story about 12-year-old Siu Yau-wai has ended just as strangely as it began.

After his grandmother read about a 15-year-old girl who committed suicide in Repulse Bay and was found not to have Hong Kong identification papers, Siu's grandmother Chow Siu-chuen went public.

According to Chow, Siu was born across the border, but his father was in an industrial accident, and his mother had breast cancer; they felt the boy was a "bad omen" and abandoned him.

Chow somehow picked him up when he was three and smuggled him across the border. Since then he has been growing up in her home with her elderly husband in Hong Kong and home schooled, but terrified they would be found out.

With the help of Federation of Trade Unions legislator Chan Yuen-han, Siu and Chow managed to get the boy temporary papers from the Immigration Department.

However the issue of Siu's status created a massive uproar in Hong Kong. Some felt the city should be compassionate to the boy and let him stay regardless, since he has spent most of his life here already, while others say he is technically a mainlander and should go back to where he came from.

Then Ming Pao newspaper reported the Public Security Bureau had found the boy's parents and that the father was never in an industrial accident, and that the family actually had an older son.

The grandmother and boy were harassed so much by people who call themselves localists, that they had to move to another location, but even then they were found out.

Yesterday the pair gave up and went to the Immigration Department to surrender and were driven to the border, where Siu's parents were supposed to be there to receive him.

But no one was there and the grandmother and grandson were left on their own, confused and not sure what to do. The boy is now stuck back on the mainland, but has no Chinese identity papers, rendering him stateless yet again.

To describe this entire incident as a mess is an understatement.

It seems each person involved was trying to do what they thought was in the best interests for the boy, but it ended up being even worse.

If it is true Siu's family has an older son, then maybe Siu was undocumented in the first place and may not have a hukou or household registration, allowing him access to education and basic social services.

That may be why his grandmother took him to Hong Kong in the hopes that he would at least have a roof over his head and be looked after, but not having any status in the city made it difficult for him to get any kind of schooling, medical and social services.

Not having clearly thought out what they wanted to do, and the added pressure of localists harassing them exacerbated the situation.

Siu really fell through the loopholes in both the Chinese and Hong Kong systems, and if any or both of these governments cared, they would resolve to fix the problem as soon as possible.

As child advocates point out, children don't choose to be in these situations and its the adults and governments that need to have the best interests of these young people in mind.

The 12-year-old's story has probably left those who are still in hiding to continue to hide, for fear of the backlash that may erupt, and also further dividing Hong Kong over its treatment of stateless children.

Stateless Kids in the City

For nine years, Siu Yau-wai (right) has lived in Hong Kong illegally

Last month, a 15-year-old girl jumped to her death from her parents' flat in Repulse Bay. It was later discovered the daughter of a senior British executive and his Filipina partner, did not have a birth certificate. And as a result, she and her younger sister didn't have Hong Kong Identity Cards and weren't able to go to school.

This brought into question how many other children there are in the city like this and another case turned up this week.

In 2006, a grandmother brought her three-year-old grandson across the border from Shenzhen after his parents abandoned him. They decided he was a "bad omen" after his mother was diagnosed with breast cancer and the father lost an arm in an industrial accident.

They apparently left Siu Yau-wai in a "paper box" on the mainland shortly after he was born, and their whereabouts is unknown.

The 15-year-old girl's parents who didn't register her or sister

How the grandmother, Chow Siu-Shuen, found her grandson three years later has not been clarified, but nevertheless she took the boy back to Hong Kong using another child's ID card and two-way permit.

The boy, Yau-wai, now 12, has spent his childhood in a small public flat in Kwun Tong with his 67-year-old grandmother and grandfather, 80.

They lived in constant fear because he didn't have any papers, so they were terrified of letting anyone in their flat. If someone from the Housing Authority or census staff came, the boy would escape down the back stairwell to the park below, Chow said.

While she home schooled him, Yau-wai liked to read and would only go to the library at night "to avoid crowds", and could not borrow books because of his lack of status, nor could he see the doctor when he was ill. His grandmother would resort to home remedies or take him to see a traditional Chinese medicine practitioner, as ID cards are not necessary.

The boy said he had friends, but none knew he didn't go to school, and neither did their neighbours.

But after reading about the tragic circumstances around the 15-year-old girl's suicide, Chow decided it was in the best interests of Yau-wai to turn herself in and hand him over to the authorities.

Chow was arrested on suspicion of aiding and abetting others in breach of condition of stay, and was granted bail, while the boy was given an identification document allowing him to stay for four weeks, subject to renewal.

"We must now face the reality. We know there may be legal consequences," said the retired grandmother. "If I die one day and he does not have documentation... he will have no way to live."

Yau-wai was assessed and found to have primary three education level, about four years younger than him.

For now Chow and her grandson are free to walk the streets without fear, but what's next? Should he be allowed to stay in Hong Kong?

If he is granted permanent residency, there are fears that many other children who are in similar cases to Yau-wai or the teenager in Repulse Bay will start coming forward. How many really are there in the city?

It also seems not enough is done to enforce the Births and Deaths Registration Ordinance, that while staff may try to follow up on cases that haven't registered, they are not persistent enough and feel the onus is on the parents, who have a year to do the right thing.

However, the media has found there were 543 children from July 1997 to March this year who were registered after the children turned one, with 71 cases since 1997 that were not registered.

If you register a child 42 days after birth, the birth certificate is free, otherwise you have to pay HK$140. After one year it jumps to HK$680.

The story of Yau-wai seems strange, as how would his grandmother know where to find him three years later if he was abandoned in a cardboard box? A quick DNA test would verify their relationship.

But in the meantime, is Hong Kong going to see a flood of children coming out of the woodwork to claim residency?

Should be interesting and we'll only know once Yau-wai's situation is cleared up.

Guanyin, Goddess of Lifesaving

Guanyin standing in her colourful tiled robes on a lotus flower in Repulse Bay

Today I got a chance to visit Repulse Bay, and with blue skies, and 32 degrees it was hot! The place was crawling with tourists, their coaches parked outside by the newest development, The Pulse.

It's a sleek shopping/lifestyle/dining destination that is perfect for the summer months, though can it sustain during the winter? It has some hip dining spots, a cool gym and yoga studio, and lots of options for kids.

Near her is this happy Buddha sculpture

Next to this complex though is a quirky place. It's where Guanyin or the Goddess of Mercy stands in her mosaic-tiled glory, several feet high. There's a quasi-looking temple building behind her, but it's really the Hong Kong Lifesaving Society clubhouse. Inside it are several glass-door fridges filled with cold drinks.

We noticed some Thai tourists who prayed in front of the Guanyin statue, and purposely rubbed some statues, probably in the hopes of good luck. There were also mini shrines with Thai script on them too.

The Goddess of Mercy is not related to the sea, but the society seems to have adopted her as the Goddess of Lifesaving.

And then there were lots of statues, like twin lions, horses, and so on, as well as tablets, each bearing plaques to explain who donated them and when, from British government officials from colonial times to wealthy local donors. These stone gifts were haphazardly placed so there was no rhyme or reason to where they were placed.

Nevertheless, further down from the Guanyin statue are more colourful tiled ones shaped like fish and people, creating a really kitsch sight.

Across from her is an emperor-like statue, also made of tiles

It reminds me of the Tiger Balm Garden in Tai Hang, that was Hong Kong's original amusement park, but that is long gone after then owner Sally Aw Sian sold the property to Cheung Kong, Li Ka-shing's company in 1998...