Universal Testing Dates Keep Changing, Fuelling Mistrust

For a second day in a row supermarket shelves swept empty

Today there were 32,597 cases, and 172 deaths (110 in the past 24 hours, 55 were backlogged). Of the 110 deaths, 86 were unvaccinated. The age range was 47 to 99 years of age.

After lunch, I ventured out from home to meet a colleague for coffee in Wan Chai. She wanted to try a relatively new coffee shop, but we discovered it was closed temporarily and went next door to another one. The staff there explained they only had a few baked items that were hand written, though all drinks were available.

We scanned the Leave Home Safe app, and then he scanned our vaccination QR code. 

Slim pickings for whoever arrived late

This is the new normal.

This morning there was word that the universal testing would start on March 17, and that people would be tested according to family grouping, but no further details on the actual logistics. 

When my colleague and I parted ways, I wandered to the nearby wet market and there were long lines of people waiting to pay for fresh vegetables, not so much fruits or meat, but seemed that vegetables were the hot items today. I didn't have the patience to wait in line to pay.

Pharmacies were full of people hunting for items -- rubbing alcohol, Panadol, masks. Strangely rapid antigen tests were available on the street and I immediately wondered if they were fake.

Then towards my home I went into Marks & Spencer and most of the shelves were already picked over, the bakery section completely cleared of any bread, eggs, vegetables, and the individual portions of food were almost all gone along with apples. No one wanted the lasagne or ravioli. 

Pharmacies were also swarmed by customers

Across the street at a grocery chain U Select, the vegetables again were completely gone save for boxed salads, and some fruits left. It was shocking to be late to see all the food picked over and I was left with having to deal with what was remaining. It was depressing and horrifying.

Perhaps residents took to heart Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor's call that fighting the fifth wave was a war, and people were preparing to hunker down for war.

Now this evening pro-Beijing news outlet HK01 is saying the date of universal testing will start March 26 to April 3.

It seems the government is throwing out ideas via pro-Beijing media and then seeing how the public reactions.

However, a group of researchers led by Dr Gabriel Leung, one of the government's advisors on the pandemic said earlier today that March was too early to conduct universal testing, that it should be done in late April after the fifth wave peaks.

"If compulsory testing were to be implemented pursuant to the 'dynamic zero-Covid policy', it should be deployed towards mid- to late-April when case numbers are anticipated to already be at very low levels in order to maximise its utility in achieving true elimination, or 'zero-Covid'," the research team stated.

"Doing so earlier, especially when case numbers will still be too high to properly and appropriately isolate and care for, paying particular attention to population mental and emotional well-being in Hong Kong's unique context, would not be recommended."

Maybe the government will reconsider the dates again? It's all confusing and frustrating to see this all played out in real time instead of the government and experts hashing it out and then presenting a unified front.

Tomorrow there will surely be people again waiting for supermarkets to open and buy up whatever they think they need because the mixed messages is fuelling even greater distrust -- on all political sides -- which surely should not be good for Lam...

HK Records over 1,100 Covid-19 Cases

Men desperate to get a last haircut in before barbers shut

This morning it was shocking to find out via Bloomberg that Hong Kong had more than 1,100 cases today.

It was almost double yesterday. As the infectious disease experts had predicted, the infection numbers have shot up in a short period of time.

The goal of reaching "zero Covid" seems like a mirage in the distance.

Vegetables have disappeared from shelves

Today men and women, but mostly men rushed to hair salons and barbers to get their last proper hair cut before they shut at midnight. Many do not think hair salons or religious venues will re-open on February 24.

Meanwhile some report zero access to fresh vegetables in their supermarkets with pictures of empty shelves. Some sarcastically noted only coriander was left behind, while another said it was turnips where they were. Frozen vegetables are also a hot commodity.

There was a picture of a woman stocking up on toilet paper again... are we seriously repeating 2020?

Then there are long, long lines of people waiting to get tested in various areas around town. Some 20,000 people need to get tested in Discovery Bay after sewage tests showed up positive for Covid-19. Anyone who spent two hours or more there between January 26 and February 8 must get tested. 

People worried being in line would result in them being infected and felt the sewage tests were not helpful.

Despite high case numbers, Lam is still maskless

Many residents are incensed that Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor continues to speak at press conferences without a mask when her own health experts have advised everyone to wear a mask except when eating and drinking.

Some are beginning to think Lam is exacting revenge on Hongkongers by flouting the rules because... she's the chief executive. 

If that is the case, is she really committed to getting the city back to "zero Covid"? Or is she happy to have Hong Kong in a mess, stressing people out about having to comply to the latest restrictions on top of avoiding getting infected? 

By the way don't even think about meeting more than one person on the street at the same time -- you could be fined HK$5,000 on the spot and the police are out in force and gleefully handing out tickets.

One person sarcastically suggested on social media this was perhaps the government's way of paying for the HK$26 billion for the anti-epidemic fund.

Then there appears to be some power plays by the Executive Council... Regina Ip Lau Suk-yee claims Exco announced the latest social-distancing measures yesterday before Lam could...  Maybe that explains why she deferred to the 4.30pm press conference for further details...

Two families being fined by police today

The one good thing that happened today was that more elderly people got their first jabs.

About 1.19 percent of seniors aged 70-79 got inoculated, the highest percentage for any age group in a single day since the start of the vaccination program.

Also just over 1 percent of people 80 years and over got jabbed too.

In the meantime it looks like Valentine's Day is cancelled for restaurants. With the number of cases doubling every two days or so, the chances of someone wanting to eat out are very slim now. No one wants to get infected or dragged into Penny's Bay for quarantine.

What has Hong Kong turned into? It's absolute madness and we're into the ninth day of the Lunar New Year. The Year of the Water Tiger is not doing well at all, let alone the start of 2022. 

Can we start over again?

 

Teachers' Union Forced To Disband

This afternoon the PTU said it had no choice but to disband

 

Just over a week after Chinese state media declared the Professional Teachers' Union "a malignant tumour" that had to be removed, and the Hong Kong government cut ties, the group, which has 95,000 members, announced it had no choice but to disband.

At a hastily arranged press conference, PTU president Fung Wai-wah said: "In recent years there have been big changes to the social, political and economic environments.  Especially in recent weeks, the situation has become worse. As of now, we do not see a future... We have decided to disband. We shall start the process of disbanding."

Lam at 45th anniversary of PTU, now has cut ties

Founded 48 years ago by the late Szeto Wah, the union decided to call it quits after education minister Kevin Yeung Yun-hung on Saturday urged Hong Kong teachers to "thoroughly rethink" their relationship with the PTU, and said his bureau would no longer recognize it as a professional organization.

In addition the police commissioner said the force would "definitely investigate" the union for any potential national security violations.

"We have gone through, with many residents, Hong Kong's historic moments," Fung said. "We face huge pressure. Although we have tried to find new ways to continue our work, we regret that we have failed to find a workable option to ease the crisis this time.

"We aim to disband in an orderly and reasonable manner. We shall call an extraordinary members'  meeting... We hope to take care of the rights of some 200 staff members... make financial arrangements and dispose or properties and assets properly."

PTU's two supermarkets were busy today

The union is a large group that gives lots of benefits to teachers, from two supermarket for them, to discounts on school supplies, even travel agent services, insurance, even medical and dental clinics -- practically a small ecosystem of its own. What will happen to all the staff running these businesses? The PTU also owns several properties that Fung said would take time to sell off.

And just like that another opposition-leaning group is eliminated. According to AFP, this is the 33rd political or professional group that has disbanded since June 30, 2020. It is also the oldest group to dissolve so far.

The relentless pace at which the government is dismantling civil society and grassroots groups is blindingly fast, shocking and difficult for many to fathom. Where it ends, no one knows, only that it is ongoing.

Paul Chan Improves e-Voucher Scheme

Chan says he listened to feedback and tweaked the handout

Remember the Hong Kong government decided to give every permanent resident HK$5,000 (US$644) -- but in installments of HK$1,000 e-vouchers? And they had to be used up first before the next batch was handed out?

There will be fewer installments for the e-voucher

But after listening to public feedback, Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po has gone back to the drawing board and revised the parameters of the HK$5,000 handout in a bid to stimulate the local economy.

He promised more flexibility, with registration for the e-vouchers beginning in the summer (which is literally around the corner), and the electronic handout would start in August and would be valid until the Lunar New Year.

The e-vouchers will benefit 7.2 million people and cost the government (or us taxpayers) HK$36 billion, of which HK$600 million will be for administrative costs.

That's a whopping amount for the latter if everyone gets their money through either Octopus, AlipayHK, Tap & Go, or WeChat Pay HK.

Will wet markets finally accept digital payment?

And what's everyone going to spend this HK$5,000 on?

It'll be interesting to see if this e-voucher exercise really does help local businesses, especially wet market vendors who don't accept any kind of electronic payments. Will this actually push them to move in this direction? Or are the big supermarket chains going to laugh all the way to the bank (again)?

 

Wage Subsidies for Coupons? What a Deal

Lam announced more money will be doled out to keep the economy going

This morning Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor announced there will be a third round of financial aid for businesses adversely affected by the coronavirus pandemic -- including supermarket chains like ParknShop and Wellcome.

So far Lam said HK$290 billion has been doled out and resulted in the economy boosting by 5 percentage points.

The second round of the wage subsidy scheme of HK$81 billion will be available August 31 and last from September to November.

But why are these two supermarket giants eligible for the wage subsidy scheme?

ParknShop says prices have gone up because of the pandemic

Jardine Matheson-owned Dairy Farm operates supermarkets like Wellcome and Marketplace, as well as convenience stores like 7-Eleven, Mannings and Ikea. Dairy Farm received HK$399 million in the first round of the wage subsidy scheme, while ParknShop and Watson's got HK$161 million, both owned by AS Watson, controlled by Li Ka-shing's CK Hutchison Holdings.

AS Watson has about 260 supermarkets, and Dairy Farm has over 200 in Hong Kong.

When Lam announced the two supermarket chains were eligible for the scheme, eyebrows went up, but she quickly added a caveat.

"During the past few months, supermarkets generally saw sales remain the same or did even a little bit better," she said. "I will demand two supermarket chains -- ParknShop and Wellcome -- offer discounts to the public and cash coupons to the underprivileged in return for receiving wage subsidies."

Wellcome can get subsidies in return for helping the poor

There is no way the supermarkets are only making the same or just a bit better -- with restaurants forced to shut at 6pm, the vast majority of Hongkongers are making dinner at home. And where do they buy it? In the supermarket!

Most people are spending more of their money on food these days, even if it's just buying milk, pasta and rice, and the numbers show it.

In June, supermarket sales rose 4.5 percent compared to last year, a 7.3 percent increase in May, 16.1 percent in March, and 11.1 percent in February and January combined. Surely these are decent steady increases when other sectors are "swatting flies"?

But perhaps most galling is the government demanding the supermarkets give out discounts in return for wage subsidies. How about not making these companies eligible for these subsidies since they are doing a brisk business every month? Why create more bureaucracy in adding this condition? Why not give that money to smaller companies that desperately need to stay afloat in the next few months?

Cheng questions subsidy to supermarkets

Even the pro-Beijing DAB or Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong wondered how effective it would be for supermarkets to hand out coupons to the disadvantaged. How would that be determined? How much would be given out?

"It's hard to say how much discount is a reasonable discount," said DAB lawmaker Vincent Cheng Wing-shun. "So, what we are suggesting is we put at least half of the resources to the public, not only giving discounts to fulfill this subsidy scheme."

Some careful shoppers noted prices of some goods had gone up. When queried by RTHK about this, ParknShop replied that the wholesale prices of many products, as well as transportation costs had gone up drastically because of the pandemic, but said it would do its best to contain costs and keep prices reasonable.

Labour and Welfare Secretary, Law Chi-kwong had to perform some political gymnastics this afternoon in justifying the supermarket chains in receiving subsidies.

"The employment support scheme is to help the employers to help the community, in particular employment," explained Law.

Law says some companies should give back to the community

"But there are definitely companies who obtained these subsidies, they are not seriously affected. So there is some need for them to... sort of, pay back to the community," he said.

So in return for subsidies that help conglomerates save money from paying part of their employee wages, they can just hand out a bunch of coupons to the underprivileged? What a deal!

Perhaps another hair-brained idea cooked up by Lam and no one in her cabinet dares to point out the inconsistencies and yet they have to defend the measures to the skeptical media and public.

Back to the drawing board?

Quarantine Experience Revealed

One of the nicer rooms in a public housing flat in Fo Tan

Today was our first day back in the office for many of us, and it was strange to be suddenly back in the place we escaped from almost two months ago when there was a positive coronavirus case.

Everything was just as we had left it, as if we had been away for a long holiday and were now back.

Just before our office was shut down in mid-March, we had been wearing masks all day in the office, and now that rule was definitely in force, though many could not stand to wear literally all day (can you guess who?).

Here was the bathroom situation in the room

Colleagues who were "close contacts" of the infected person told us about their experiences of being in government quarantine. While the conditions didn't even make the three-star hotel grade, two of them said repeatedly the people who were looking after them, young volunteers, were so nice and helpful.

If my colleagues needed water, or more food, or something was wrong with their room, these volunteers working in shifts would respond relatively quickly on Whatsapp and give them what they needed.

One had a bed with literally a wooden mattress; she showed us a video of her knocking her hand on the mattress and it was rock hard. Thankfully our office administrator sent my colleague a soft mattress to put on top so she could actually have a relatively decent sleep.

They both said the cleanliness of the rooms was questionable, so the first thing they did upon entering the room was to wipe it down completely before even putting their bag down...

Friends and family could deliver things to the entrance of the quarantine centre, but they could not give them any cooked food, as the rooms had no refrigerator, and also they there was no way to treat you if you got sick.

Three meals a day kind of looked like this

One colleague's parents brought her lots of snacks to keep her occupied, and she even had time to prepare and had a bottle of chilli sauce to make her meals more palatable.

Another had a nice-looking room and even got to go outdoors periodically, but the wifi was very spotty so she couldn't watch Netflix and ended up sleeping a lot to pass the time.

When their quarantine time was done, they were so grateful for everything when they came back into civilization. A mundane trip to the supermarket was so exciting and being able to cook their own food was a revelation.

The experience has made them wary of the possibility of encountering someone positive again. One of them has even prepared a bag of necessities just in case she needs to go into quarantine again!

Guess you can never be prepared enough for a pandemic...

Life Behind a Mask

Putting on a mask is a daily ritual just before going outside

Everyday just before stepping out the door, there is one more extra step to do -- don a mask.

Take out a fresh mask, fold the top part in half, press firmly on the bridge of the nose and then loop it around the ears, then pull the mask down to cover the chin.

It's been almost a month now since health experts warned of the coronavirus spreading to Hong Kong and imploring the public to wear surgical masks when out in public.

Almost everyone wears a mask in Hong Kong these days

What's it like? It's stifling in a mask, hard to breathe. I have to remind myself to take deep breaths otherwise you can work your body into a stressed state.

Practically everyone else is wearing a mask too, all of us concerned about the situation and hoping not to be swept up in the epidemic. There are now 70 cases in Hong Kong, over 77,000 worldwide.

Everyone is washing their hands more often these days. Washrooms in our office have illustrated signs at the sinks showing you how to wash your hands thoroughly. People stand there lathering up their hands longer and longer like a competition to see whose hands are cleaner.

Sadly, the coronavirus is now an excuse to overuse paper towels and tissues in the name of hygiene. The environment has had to take a backseat now and for how much longer?

A lot of people are buying more groceries and cooking at home, not wanting to risk going to a restaurant these days. Many don't even go to wet markets even for a minute, thinking they aren't as clean as supermarkets. Yes they can be crowded places, but so can supermarkets when everyone is fighting over toilet paper...!

There are signs explaining how to wash your hands properly

Speaking of which, some toilet paper is back on the shelves and tissue paper, but in my neighbourhood there's no paper towels. There are wet wipes, and pharmacies are selling small bottles of hand sanitizers at HK$45 (US$5.78) which is on the expensive side. Not many takers.

Many people who use the gym facilities in their apartment buildings aren't allowed to in the name of hygiene, while some people who belong to private gyms have suspended their memberships in the name of hygiene. But exercise is the best way to maintain good health especially during this time, which is why some people are running or walking outdoors -- with masks on in most cases.

It is believed the next few weeks are going to be critical to see if the coronavirus can be contained or not, but seeing how it has spread in Japan and South Korea, and strangely in Iran too, it doesn't look like this epidemic will be tamed anytime soon.

Supermarkets are busy with people buying lots of groceries

It's interesting that Chinese state media have warned Japan to clean up its coronavirus situation (over 100 cases, plus 600 from the Diamond Princess cruise ship) as President Xi Jinping will visit the country soon. And where did this epidemic originate from?

Meanwhile postmen from Hong Kong Post are getting kudos from residents who are finally receiving their packages of masks they had ordered from overseas. One was surprised to get a knock on the door on a Sunday to get their package, while others were so overjoyed on receiving their package of masks that they wept, and one even gave some masks to the postman.

Who knew masks would be so... special?

Panic Ensues in Hong Kong

The massive line of people in Kowloon Bay hoping to buy masks today

Is Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor really qualified to be Chief Executive?

Yesterday a company in Kowloon Bay announced on social media that it was selling 11,000 boxes of masks today and immediately people began lining up in front of the store in the afternoon, making the shop owner very distressed to see Hongkongers willing to wait in line overnight. Of course the line was massive.

Carrie Lam continues to stir confusion on wearing masks

Did Lam see this line with her own eyes? Did she try to procure more masks for the general public?

And then this afternoon I was out on an assignment in Olympian City when I saw a few elderly people carrying several packs of toilet paper. Was this a coincidence? Afterwards I went to the gym where one of the changing room attendants told me there was a run on toilet paper because a message circulated on social media saying China won't export anymore toilet paper, or that the suppliers are shut and won't replenish stock.

Then the changing room attendant asked her friend to go buy some toilet paper and everywhere she went in Central they were all cleaned out. I thought this was ridiculous and before I went home, I checked out three places -- the local pharmacy, a store that sells household cleaning supplies and the supermarket, and they were all sold out of toilet paper, and tissues.

Store shelves were cleaned out of... toilet paper today

Luckily I had just bought a pack of toilet paper a few days ago because I was running out, but this is insane.

Toilet paper manufacturers and supermarkets denied China will not export toilet paper, but everyone has lost trust in the government and so they are trying to fend for themselves... with rolls of toilet paper or tissues.

What's next after masks, rice and toilet paper?

The mis- and dis-information on social media has whipped everyone into a frenzy, freaking out about anything. When SARS happened 17 years ago, people were very worried, but not to the point where they went on panic buying sprees.

And now our fearless leader has realized that the coronavirus has infected local people who have not traveled in the last few weeks. Hong Kong now has 21 cases.

"It is worrying... the coming 14 days will be the key," Lam said today in a press conference.

How much toilet paper do you really need?

So she has announced people coming to Hong Kong from the mainland, regardless if they are local residents or not, must undergo 14 days of quarantine. However, she gave no specifics on where they would be quarantined and how it would be regulated. Even better, this latest measure doesn't start until midnight February 8.

Shouldn't have Lam enacted this measure ages ago? 

Oh and she actually apologized for giving people mixed messages about not wearing masks. Everyone from all political stripes criticized her for adding to the panic of finding masks, and ignoring the public's concerns.

Today she said she didn't mean to imply there was a complete ban on civil servants wearing masks, and that she only meant officials at public events could take the lead in reducing the use of masks when it's not necessary to wear them.

Some of Lam's ministers wore masks as they were "unwell"

Huh? We're supposed to wear them as soon as we step outside and are in public space, no?

At the press conference Lam again didn't wear a mask, where as some of the senior ministers sitting next to her did. When asked why, she replied:

"There are circumstances that the advice is to put on a surgical mask, including if that individual is unwell. I'm sorry to see that several of my colleagues are unwell, and of course that may be the case because they're in frequent interaction in a health setting," Lam explained.

Err, if they are not well, maybe they shouldn't be attending these press conferences to start with?

Lam and her administration continue to confuse and confound...

Hongkongers' Coronavirus Concerns Grow

Even the MTR is very quiet, with not many people using public transport

Hong Kong is very quiet.

There aren't many people out on the streets, on the MTR, in shopping malls.

It's really eerie.

Yesterday I overheard some women in the gym discussing if Hongkongers' reaction to the coronavirus was an overreaction or not. One thought it was, the other not. Interestingly they were diplomatic about it and didn't get heated like the protests that had consumed the city months earlier.

Shopping malls like Times Square have few customers

Maybe it's because the epicentre is in Wuhan and not Hong Kong.

In the evening my relatives who were here during SARS are taking every precaution to protect themselves as much as possible.

When they heard the news that a Chinese doctor claimed to have contracted the coronavirus through his eyes, my relatives stopped wearing contacts and only wears glasses now. If there is a period where the coronavirus is so virulent that they can't go out for a few days, they have bought enough cup noodles and noodles to keep them alive.

However their biggest worry is sourcing masks. Not just any mask, but masks not made in China. "Do you dare to wear one made from China?" my uncle asked.

They are heading to Japan for a trip they had planned months ago and will scour every stop they go to for masks. This is their main mission now.

Almost everyone wears a mask out in public

Then today a friend and I met up for brunch and he is mentally overwhelmed by it, probably exhausted after dealing with eight months of protests and seeing the economic impact it has had on Hong Kong and now the coronavirus.

He wants to take a break and leave Hong Kong before more countries make it harder for us living here to get out. The United States, European Union, Russia, Australia, New Zealand, and Singapore have all banned or restricted the entry of Chinese citizens and foreigners who have visited China recently. The list could keep growing thanks to the World Health Organization declaring a global public health emergency.

As we were discussing this, we heard gales of laughter and shrieks coming from the tables behind us, diners who seemed completely unaware or oblivious to the health crisis in the city.

Meanwhile I had dinner with another friend who is hoping that not all the shows for the upcoming Hong Kong Arts Festival will be cancelled. But the Boston Symphony Orchestra which was supposed to open the festival on February 12 and 13 has bowed out due to concerns of the coronavirus, and with a number of Leisure and Cultural Services Department venues closed indefinitely, it's hard to tell if the festival will continue at this rate.

The Boston Symphony Orchestra has cancelled its Asia trip

After dinner we walked through IFC mall and at 8.15pm it was a ghost town. Most of the shops were already closed. I wandered through the supermarket CitySuper and usually it's busy with people getting their food shopping done for the week, but there was less than half the crowd.

For Hong Kong this is only the first week of the coronavirus. The statistics are staggering, with so far over 14,500 confirmed cases globally, 305 deaths, including one in the Philippines.

A Whatsapp message is going around today, a voice message apparently from Dr Ho Pak-leung recorded yesterday, who says the coronavirus could be transmitted through faeces and that people should close the lid of the toilet before flushing.

He also suggests pouring some water in the drain in the bathroom floor everyday, though I couldn't understand the reasoning except perhaps to ensure the pipes are functioning?

This just adds to more anxiety for everyone with more things to do and worry about.

Meanwhile Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor refused to meet with members of the Hospital Authority Employees Alliance today, and so the strike will go ahead tomorrow. This is contrary to what Lam has said before, that she would be willing to listen to what others had to say.

The health care union said Carrie Lam didn't come to meet them

The fact that she didn't even want to meet the union suggests she is not interested in trying to understand the healthcare sectors' concerns, even if they are complaints about how the government has handled this crisis so far. It is the least she can do.

But perhaps she has other things to do, like get her hair done.

Everyone is frustrated by the government's inaction. My friend at brunch kept saying how the Macanese government was decisive in making sure it sourced 20 million masks for its residents and they could get 10 masks at a low prices every 10 days, while the Hong Kong government has done nothing of the sort.

At the same time he upset by the price gouging by opportunistic businesses, or having to wait in line for hours.

And this is only the start of the coronavirus crisis... it maybe a few months yet before Hong Kong and the rest of the world are in the clear...

Record Voter Turnout

A relatively short line to vote around noon in my neighbourhood

This morning I woke up to find that some of my friends had already voted in the District Council elections. They had voted when the polling stations opened at 7.30am!

I thought I would do my usual routine of having breakfast but a bit earlier so I could go vote before heading to the swimming pool.

This morning the line snaked up the street on the left

But by the time I turned the corner a block away from the polling station, there was already a massive line that stretched around the block, almost to the housing estate at the top of the slope.

I wasn't prepared to wait so I headed to the pool first where I was out-swum by a Chinese guy who passed me every four laps!

Eventually I finished my swim, and at the MTR station picked up a sandwich thinking, if I have to wait in line, I might as well eat.

When I got out of the Kennedy Town MTR station just before noon I half expected a line right outside, but there wasn't one and I walked towards the polling station thinking the line would be around the corner, but instead it was very short.

I only had to wait about 15 minutes and too my relief no riot police in sight. As I lined up to get my ballot, there was an elderly woman in front of me. She gave the polling staff her ID card and then showed them a business card with the picture of the candidate running for the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment of Hong Kong. He's actually the incumbent for my constituency.

This elderly woman on the right revealed who she voted for

The polling staff tried to tell the elderly woman to not show them who she would vote for and she didn't understand -- she thought she was voting at that moment. But they had yet to give her the ballot!

She didn't understand and they had to tell her to put that card away and then find someone to assist her while she voted.

For me it took less than a minute to vote, fold the ballot and then put it in the ballot box.

There was a massive voter surge in the morning that by early afternoon the number of votes was the same as the 2015 election -- which is surprising because I remember people waiting in long lines in the dark to vote.

In any event by 9.30pm a record 2.85 million people out of 4.1 eligible voters had cast their ballots, or 69 percent of the electorate. At 12.40am it was reported 2.94 million people voted, 71.2 percent of the electorate.

People concerned about vote rigging are standing by tonight

Now there are people waiting around polling stations to wait for the results. In general it seems areas that saw lots of violence like Sham Shui Po, Tai Koo Shing, Tsuen Wan, and Tai Po had a huge voter turnout. In Sha Tin City One, for example, over 80 percent of voters cast their ballots, which is unprecedented.

It will be interesting to see what the results are in these areas.

In the meantime, there are video clips online of voters being bribed. One showed pictures of people getting a large box, perhaps a pillow?, while another showed orange bags being distributed, but it was unclear what was in them. Another DAB candidate handed out his card, much like the elderly voter in front of me, and together with some shopping coupons from a supermarket chain.

Over 3,000 complaints about voting were filed today, from people's votes used by others posing as them, to bribery, to busing in people from across the border.

Counting begins... except I won't be staying up for that... stay tuned.

Hong Kong on Fire

Carrie Lam speak to the media about the anti-mask law in effect at midnight

At lunchtime today there was a message on social media that the Hong Kong government would make an announcement at 3pm and that all government workers would be allowed to leave work early.

It was definitely happening -- Chief Executive Carrie Lam was going to announce the government will invoke the Emergency Regulations Ordinance to implement an anti-mask law in a bid to curb the protests that have escalated in violence.

People streamed out of offices in Central to protest

But just has she held her press conference, people streamed out of their offices in Central and began occupying Pedder, Des Voeux and Connaught Road Central streets. They were furious she was going to do this.

At midnight tonight, the law will be in force, which means anyone who wears a mask at legal rallies and marches as well as illegal gatherings could be sentenced to a year in jail and be fined HK$25,000. Exemptions for those to wear masks at protests would be for professional or paid work (supposedly the media), or for religious or medical reasons.

In addition, the law states that anyone who disobeys a police order to remove a mask could be sentenced to six months in jail and subjected to a HK$10,000 fine.  A "facial covering" not only includes masks, but also items like paint.

In Kennedy Town tonight roads were blocked

Even before this announcement critics and law experts said this not only infringes on people's right to assembly, but also this law is very difficult to enforce.

The ERO was introduced back in 1922 and hasn't been used since the 1967 riots. While the government admitted protesters may not obey this anti-mask law, the authorities believe it may deter others from participating in the protests.

However the immediate result was tens of thousands of people occupying streets. By 5pm they were in Central and Kowloon Tong, and already there were plans to visit all 18 districts in the evening.

Everyone left work early and rushed home, but before that, they made a stop at the neighbourhood supermarket, grocery store, and wet market, and snapped up whatever food supplies they might need and then went home. I also went to the wet market and was very surprised that my usual vegetable stall was out of several items and they had to fetch them elsewhere.

Protesters made their way up Smithfield in Kennedy Town

A number of shops shut down much earlier than usual. Then around 9pm I heard a large group of people shouting slogans down below and went down to see where they were. I couldn't find them at first but then managed to locate them by hearing their chants.

On Belcher's Street, the group in black had thrown minibus stop signs onto the roads, as well as temporary barricades onto the street, preventing buses and cars from going through. Then this group was shouting at each other to decide what to do next.

Nearby they saw a shop called Modern Denki, a home electronics shop that's from China and they tried to lift up one of the shop shutters and managed to do so, setting off the alarm. They cheered briefly and then turned left and went up Smithfield.

It was only later did I see they had trashed a Maxim's Cakes shop with graffiti, and also managed to pry open the shop shutter and throw some of the plastic bakery boxes onto the street.

A China Construction Bank in Causeway Bay was on fire

All these actions were completely unnecessary. In Causeway Bay a China Construction Bank was set ablaze. These violent actions are too much, and yet everyone is still onside against the government because they are frustrated that Lam and her administration continue to add fuel to the fire of anger.

Violence has spread all over the city and tonight a 14-year-old boy was shot in the thigh in Yuen Long with a live round. He is now in hospital undergoing surgery. A 14-year-old!

Lam repeatedly said this afternoon that teachers and parents should stop young people from going onto the streets. How can they stop them? And what if the protesters are also the parents and teachers?

Either Lam is naive or still doesn't understand the broad support these anti-government protests have. She is using this law as a way to impose further restrictions on people. Are curfews next? Again how can this be enforced when the city runs 24 hours a day? Or is the government willing to shut down Hong Kong economically?

A Maxim's Cakes shop was vandalized in Kennedy Town

She says Hong Kong is sliding into dangerous times and yet wants to reassure investors that the city is still open for business. You can't have your cake and eat it too. Politically something needs to be done, not invoking draconian laws that will be very difficult to enforce and the exemptions not clearly spelled out.

Regardless, this is the beginning of the end of Hong Kong. With this law now in force, the government can invoke further restrictions which will greatly impact the economy. Already a number of major events have been cancelled and the longer this continues, there may not even be Christmas and Chinese New Year to celebrate.

In the meantime more radical protesters will continue to wreck havoc on the city while an utterly pathetic government hardly even addresses the issues at hand. The result: more destruction, more violence and more bloodshed.

Hong Kong does not need this. Hong Kong needs a resolution to this crisis now and it begins with Carrie Lam. But she continues to hide behind the police without any brilliant ideas to extend an olive branch because of her elitist attitudes towards the city's residents, in particular its next generation.

So this stalemate will continue and we will all continue to burn together.
  

Waiting for Mangkhut

This restaurant enticed diners to come for the evening

Late yesterday afternoon, Hong Kong's security minister John Lee Ka-chiu told the public to "prepare for the worst", because of Super Typhoon Mangkhut coming close to Hong Kong, so today people came out in droves to stock up.

It wasn't as severe as bare shelves in North Carolina when Hurricane Florence was approaching yesterday, but the wet market in Kennedy Town as well as the Park n Shop were much busier than usual around 10am. The atmosphere was like Chinese New Year eve, people buying up ingredients they would need for the next few days.

Many shops around Hong Kong taped their windows like this

In the afternoon, the shopping malls were packed with people. At Festival Walk in Kowloon Tong, people were even checking out the cars on display, not necessarily getting supplies for the impending Super Typhoon Mangkhut.

By evening things had calmed down -- my colleague and I had a delicious dinner at a Lebanese restaurant called Francis in Wan Chai. It was full, but there weren't a lot of people waiting outside for a table in the second round.

After our early dinner around 8pm I walked to nearby Pacific Place in Admiralty, and the shopping mall was practically dead -- hardly anyone was in the shops and even Great, the supermarket downstairs was relatively quiet.

Most people rushed home on the MTR because we'd been warned it was going to be a big one. The bakery in the Kennedy Town MTR station it looked like it had been raided as most of the baked goods were gone.

This bakery was practically cleaned out of baked goods

I am curious to know what kinds of snacks and food people stock up on for a typhoon! I saw one guy carrying a shopping bag full of candies including a giant box of Malteasers...

The Hong Kong Observatory is expecting to raise the T8 signal between 11pm and 2am, with Mangkhut coming skirting just south of Hong Kong in the late morning or early afternoon, depending on its speed.

Many shops have taped their windows so it looks like the Chinese character for rice (米)... before they would only tape an "X"... guess this time Mangkhut is special that it warrants more tape?

In any event we're prepared... everyone is also watching to see what happens to the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau bridge!

Picture of the Day: Super Typhoon Mangkhut

That white blob in the centre is Super Typhoon Mangkhut going northwest

The big story today is not one but two typhoons coming our way.

One, called Typhoon Barijat, is passing south of us now, but the big concern is Super Typhoon Mangkhut that is on its way to the Philippines and projected to come within 100km of Hong Kong on Sunday.

It's current path will skirt Hong Kong to the south, but in the next few days that path could change.

Already people are very worried. After work my colleague went to the supermarket to find all the fresh vegetables were sold out and so she resorted to buying frozen peas instead.

It's hard to say what's going to happen until the typhoon does arrive, so there's not much point in freaking out about it now.

One thing for sure is that it will be very windy when Mangkhut comes, with winds expected to be the strongest since records began in 1946, and stronger than any of the past 15 severe or super typhoons that were T10.

Super typhoons can have wind speeds of up to 185km/h near its centre. 

Last year Super Typhoon Hato reached 185km/h at its highest intensity and was 60km from the Hong Kong Observatory's headquarters.

I am relatively stocked with food in the freezer, and have plenty of projects to do if I'm stuck at home on the weekend (ie cleaning out the flat, catching up on sleep).