Mass Testing Could be Pushed Back to April

Universal testing may be further pushed back to April

The Hong Kong government continues to flip flop on major decisions on a whim that have left residents frustrated, tired and wondering how senior officials even make these decisions.

There is now word that because Beijing has told local authorities to focus more on reducing the death rate and look after the elderly that the citywide universal testing may now be pushed back to April.

Lam had announced mass testing in March

Originally Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor had announced on February 22 -- by the way the last time she spoke publicly to Hongkongers -- that universal testing would be held in March. It was later heard through the grapevine that it would start on March 26, but now it could be as late as April.

After all that panic-buying of vegetables, meat, toilet paper and so on, how does this make people feel?

In addition, what about the schools and students missing out on education right now? If mass testing is pushed back to April, when will their classes resume? There are students who need to take the university entrance exams on April 22. Children and young people really are getting the worst deal out of the pandemic that is now well into its third year.

Lawmaker Regina Ip Lau Suk-yee remarked on Twitter:

"I welcome the government's decision to re-open hair salons as from this Thursday. I urge the government to re-open also golf courses, tennis courts, and other facilities for non-contact sports. We need to help caddies and coaches, not just hair stylists, get their jobs back!"

Ip wants golf courses and tennis courts re-opened

What about students and the future of Hong Kong? Or someone is just really keen on getting back to her golf game?

This evening word also came down that people can get their hair cut from March 10! Hallelujah!

No more having your hairdresser surreptitiously come to your flat and trim your locks -- we can go back to the salons -- as long as you've had at least one jab. I hope my hairdresser has been inoculated...

And what does this mean about our HK$10,000 handout? Will that be delayed too? There are so many unknowns.

In the meantime, today there were 30,493 cases logged, 2,018 of which were from rapid antigen tests (RAT). 

While some 200,000 logged onto the new website to record positive results from RATs, 17,236 were actually reported, and of them, 2,018 completed all the information and uploaded pictures and HKID card information for the government to issue them isolation orders.

Au explaining over 2,000 RAT cases confirmed

Meanwhile 291 deaths were announced, 160 from the past 24 hours, and 131 backlogged. The age range is staggering -- four years old to 105, 116 of them unvaccinated, 86 from elderly care homes.

Now the government is planning to move the uninfected seniors in care homes to isolation units, but who will care for them all the way out there? There are horror stories that there are not enough staff to help them to washrooms and they are stuck wearing diapers. 

The authorities really need to consult geriatric specialists about how to look after these relatively healthy people and keep them safe, but also not completely isolated either which could also lead to deterioration of body and spirit. 

Hong Kong cannot afford to lose more lives over egregious mistakes and flip flopping. Time to make informed decisions for the good of all. All 7.4 million lives depend on them.

Strong Pushback and Prestigious Recognition

WTA still can't contact Peng directly after repeated attempts

This morning Beijing woke up to the news that the Women's Tennis Association is suspending all tournaments in China in 2022 in a bid to keep the conversation going about tennis player Peng Shuai who has not been heard from since early November following her explosive sexual assault allegations.

"In good conscience, I don't see how I can ask our athletes to compete [in China] when Peng Shuai is not allowed to communicate freely and has seemingly been pressured to contradict her allegation of sexual assault," said Steve Simon, the WTA's chairman and CEO, in a statement.

Simon says too risky to hold WTA events in China

He was also concerned about the risks players and staff would face should the WTA hold events in China next year. The suspension, enacted immediately, will also apply to events in Hong Kong.

"If powerful people can suppress the voices of women and sweet allegations of sexual assault under the rug, then the basis on which the WTA was founded -- equality for women -- would suffer an immense setback," Simon said. "I will not and cannot let that happen to the WTA and its players."

A WTA spokeswoman told Agence France-Presse over the weekend that Simon had made numerous attempts to reach Peng directly, "to which it was clear her responses were influenced by others".

"While we now know where Peng is, I have serious doubts that she is free, safe and not subject to censorship, coercion and intimidation," Simon said Wednesday, reiterating the WTA's call for a "full and transparent" investigation into Peng's original charges.

Although the chances of WTA tournaments really happening in China are slim because of its strict regulations in trying to keep Covid-19 at bay, Simon's statement and actions are the strongest yet to counter Beijing's bungled handling of this scandal.

Lai honoured with prestigious press freedom prize

In another sign of pushback, jailed tycoon and publisher Jimmy Lai Chee-ying and his staff of the now shuttered Apple Daily have won the prestigious press freedom prize by the World Association of News Publishers.

The pro-democracy newspaper shut down abruptly in June following charges of breaching the national security law. Lai and several senior executives and editors have been detained on "foreign collusion" charges over Apple Daily's support for international sanctions against China.

Warren Fernandez, president of the World Editors Forum, said this year's Golden Pen of Freedom award highlighted the "fears and challenges" of journalists who face increasing curbs in Hong Kong.

"The jailing of a publisher, the arrest of an editor-in-chief and his senior colleagues, the shuttering of a newsroom, and the closure of a media title -- the 2021 Golden Pen award recognises, and reflects on, all of these," Fernandez said at a virtual ceremony on Wednesday.

Sebastian Lai received the award on behalf of his father, and said there will be "less and less people shining light in these dark corners" given Apple Daily's shutdown and the ongoing crackdown on journalism in the region.

Lai's son collected the award on his father's behalf

In a statement announcing the award, the World Association of News Publishers called Lai an "outspoken critic of Beijing's control over Hong Kong and a high-profile supporter of the pro-democracy movement".

Established in 1961, the Golden Pen of Freedom is an annual award that recognises outstanding contributions to the defence and promotion of press freedom.

Lai and Apple Daily, and by extension Hong Kong, are still being remembered by the rest of the world. 

Where is Peng Shuai?

Tennis player Peng has not been heard from since November 2

A growing chorus of people are asking, "Where is Peng Shuai?"

However, no one has personally or publicly heard from the Chinese tennis player, who, according to videos issued by state media, apparently had dinner with people on Saturday, and showed up at a junior tennis tournament today.

She apparently appeared at a tennis event today

No one in the West believes these videos for a second, pointing out it is strange that Hu Xijin, the chief editor of The Global Times would some how obtain these videos without explaining how, and adding that she would show up in public soon enough.

She did, at this junior tennis tournament, but somehow the live feed to the event got cut off...

Meanwhile people around the world are asking on social media #whereispengshuai, including former World No 1 Chris Evert, who wrote on her Twitter: "Yes, these accusations are very disturbing. I've known Peng since she was 14; we should all be concerned; this is serious; where is she? Is she safe?"

Even the Women's Tennis Association chairman and CEO Steve Simon has taken a very strong stand against China, threatening to pull the WTA's events out of China, which means almost a dozen next year, including the WTA final.

WTA's Simon threatening to pull out of China

"There's too many times in our world today when you get into issues like this that we let business, politics, money dictate what's write and what's wrong," Simon said in an interview with CNN.

"And we're definitely willing to pull our business and deal with all the complications that come with it because... this is bigger than the business."

If the WTA really did pull out of China, that would be a major loss of face for Beijing, and Simon knows it.

What is also interesting to note is that Thomas Bach, president of the International Olympics Committee has been silent on this issue the whole time. And the Beijing Winter Olympics will be starting on February 4.

Everyday on Twitter people continue to ask where Peng is, while state media tries (but fails) to convince that she is "fine" and doesn't want to see anybody, that she is just "resting".

An unverified photo of Peng with her cat

Those were the same words used when the Hong Kong booksellers were missing in 2015.

In an explosive post Peng wrote on November 2 on her Weibo that was quickly deleted, she alleged that former vice premier Zhang Gaoli coerced her into having sex.

About three years ago, after Zhang had retired, the post alleges Peng was invited him to play tennis in Beijing.

Afterwards, she wrote, Zhang and his wife brought Peng to their home, where Peng claimed she was pressured into having sex with Zhang.

Senior official Zhang Gaoli

"That afternoon I did not agree at first and was crying all the time," Peng wrote. After dinner with Zhang and his wife, and following much persuading by Zhang, she relented, according to the post.

To be sure, the West will continue to put pressure on China to answer to their concerns and allow Peng to answer freely.

The longer she is not allowed to speak of her own accord, the more skeptical the world becomes.

More Social-Distancing Restrictions Lifted

You can exercise in the gym from Friday but you must wear a mask

Gym rats, rejoice! You can finally go crazy on your workouts grunting loudly or sweating profusely from Friday now that the government has allowed them to reopen.

However -- you will need to wear a mask while you're exercising.

Ha!

Chan also announced dining can be extended until 10pm

Also group classes are limited to four, including the instructor.

Secretary for Food and Health Sophia Chan Siu-chee made the announcement early this afternoon. Other sports like badminton, table tennis, tennis, and outdoor bowling can be played again, but not squash or swimming. Snooker can now resume, if you consider it a sport.

It looks like the restaurant industry's hard lobbying efforts have worked and now dining establishments can stay open until 10pm. Apparently there were complaints some people finish work late and can't finish eating by 9pm. Perhaps these are people who can't cook and don't want to wash dishes either.

Not all restaurants are happy with the latest announcement because each table is still limited to two people. The other day I saw a family, two parents with a baby and toddler, eat at two separate tables. Very awkward, but they seemed used to this arrangement.

The wife ordered dishes and gave some food to her husband, who was carrying the sleeping baby in a pouch.

Tennis courts can reopen, but not swimming pools

Clubhouses and massage parlours can reopen as well, but basketball courts, football pitches, karaoke bars and mahjong parlours must stay closed.

Hong Kong had eight new coronavirus cases today, the lowest number since July 3 when five cases were recorded.

While relaxing more measures is great news for people who are experiencing serious pandemic fatigue after eight months, one has to wonder again why this is happening when universal testing is happening now?

One would think that it would be best to partially lift measures after the mass testing was completed, but this is happening in tandem, which, from a scientific point of view defeats its purpose.

"If we have to be scientific or to be accurate, you might have to do the test twice in a short period of time with a stay-at-home order, and that is more scientific if you want to go get the data that you use for reference," said Ivan Law, vice chairman of the Hospital Authority Employees' Alliance.

He cited the example of Taiwan that managed to keep the number of coronavirus cases low and economic activities have largely resumed.

Law says the mass testing scheme is not scientific

"I think it's not necessary to do a universal screening program for you to [ease] those restrictions," he said.

The alliance and other medical experts have questioned the need for universal testing, and Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor criticized them for having politically-motivated views aimed at discrediting Beijing.

Law hit back, saying the government should focus on reviewing and improving the scheme instead of hitting back at critics.

It's just more apparent the exercise is not meant to be scientific...  

In the past two days, 278,000 people have been tested, and those tested on the first day have results coming back negative. A total of 798,000 have registered to take part.

Beijing Fights to Contain Virus, HK Fights to Contain Protesters

Beijing police prevent people from going to Fengtai district

After 55 consecutive days of no new coronavirus cases, Beijing has had an explosion of new ones in the last few days.

Forty-four new cases were reported on the weekend, most of them apparently linked to Xinfadi Market in Fengtai district and it was immediately shut down. People living near the wet market were tested.

Xinfadi Market where new cases were linked

A wholesale seafood market called Jingsheng was also closed on suspicion of one of the patients who recently tested positive went there.

Ben Cowling, professor and head of epidemiology and biostatistics at the University of Hong Kong's school of public health believes this is the start of the second wave of coronavirus in Beijing.

Despite the capital city's efforts to prevent a second wave, it has now arrived and medical authorities are trying to find out where it came from. There were reports it was from a piece of imported salmon, but experts dismissed this, saying it could have been the fishmonger or the customer who had the virus.

Looks like Beijing has its hands full trying to contain the coronavirus, though there are probably a lot of people who are asymptomatic and are now testing positive or recently caught it from someone else.

Chan mulling over relaxing distancing measures

In the meantime here in Hong Kong, Secretary for Health and Food Sophia Chan Siu-chee is mulling easing social-distancing regulations as the city has had no new cases today, with the total at 1,109, and four deaths.

The day before it was reported another person tested positive who lives at Luk Chuen House at Lek Yuen Estate in Sha Tin, making them the ninth case in a recent cluster there.

Social distancing restrictions are supposed to end on June 18, but it is possible the government may extend it in a bid to prevent protests, but lots of people are frustrated by how the authorities decide what is open and what remains closed.

For example, why is the tourist attraction Ocean Park allowed to reopen when playgrounds are not? Why are public swimming pools open when saunas and steam rooms cannot? When it comes to tennis, there cannot be players on every tennis court -- they must keep alternate ones free of people, even though the maximum number of players is four per court.

A ninth person who lived here tested positive

So perhaps Chan can focus on addressing these questions that many parents and exercisers are asking?

Girl Power on the Court

Centre court was quite empty in the late afternoon with overcast skies

The Prudential Hong Kong Tennis Open is on and my colleague and I took the afternoon off to check out the state of play in Victoria Park. I think this is the first time I've ever attended the event. About two years ago I was going to go with my friend, but then I realised that I couldn't make it and had to sell my tickets!

So this year we got tickets online, but then it was a drag trying to get the tickets printed. We went to HMV near our office in Causeway Bay, but their ticket machine was down and we had to walk further to Tom Lee Music and up a few floors to get the tickets. Finally!

We made it to the venue and luckily another colleague who went to the tennis tournament yesterday warned us they would be checking our bags so I had to leave two bottles of water and some snacks behind.

Daria Garvilova couldn't keep momentum in the match

Our seats for just over HK$400 a piece were good, on the east side of the stadium and towards the middle so we could see both sides of the court very clearly.

Just when we arrived, the first match of the day was practically over.

But not soon afterwards was the next match -- China's Zhang Shuai versus Daria Gavrilova of Australia. Zhang came out of the gates quickly to establish her pace and was very cool, while Gavrilova started grunting right away.

There's a height difference between the two, Zhang the taller of the two, and in the end seemed more self-assured and patient, letting Gavrilova make more enforced errors. Apparently just before the match, the Australian's right knee acted up and she had to tape it.

In the end Zhang made quick work of Gavrilova, winning 6-1, 6-3 in 67 minutes. It was pretty lop-sided.

We then took a break and had an early dinner. On one of the football pitches were three food trucks, but we were only interested in one of them selling hamburgers (HK$65). The match between Spaniard Garbine Muguruza and Thai Luksika Kumkhum was broadcast on a large screen and so we ate and watched the game at the same time. A toddler was nearby entertaining his family (and us) which was cute.

The crowd admired Luksika Kumkum for her fighting spirit

For dessert we got an ice cream cone from Kowloon Dairy for HK$15 and then headed back to centre court, but we weren't allowed in until the set was over and they kept going to deuce so we finished our ice creams.

Nevertheless when we sat down the rest of the match was exciting -- Kumkhum is ranked 105th in the world against Muguruza at number 13. The latter must have thought she could put away the Thai very easily, but she was wrong.

Kumkhum was tenacious and even though she was short, she made up for it in grit and determination, fighting for as many points as she could. When she made a mistake she didn't get mad, and instead smiled which made us even more appreciative of her efforts. Whenever she won a point we cheered her on.

However, Muguruza was too good for her and in the end the Spaniard won 6-2, 7-5.

Next on court was China's Wang Qiang ranked number 24 in the world and Elina Svitolina from the Ukraine at number 5.

Wang Qiang was a very cool operator on the court

These two players are quite evenly matched, though it was Wang who was easily more confident on the court than Svitolina; many of the Ukrainian's first serves did not go in, and she also made more enforced errors than Wang.

The first set Wang won 6-2 and was getting ready to close off the second set at 5-2 when the rain started coming down and the chair umpire suspended play, and we cleared the court to go home.

Wang was only a few points away!

But we were thrilled to watch these matches and get to know some of these up and coming players on the circuit. It's too bad Naomi Osaka, who was supposed to come was injured, but hopefully we'll see her next year.

Review: Borg vs McEnroe

Shia LaBeouf as John McEnroe and Severrir Gudnason as Bjorn Borg

OK one more movie review before talking all things Hong Kong and China. Another interesting movie I watched was Borg vs McEnroe, a story about the two tennis superstars, though more focused on the Swede when he was going for his fifth Wimbledon title in 1980.

At that time I was a kid learning how to play tennis and every summer watching Wimbledon with my family was a big event in our house. We would scream and shout at the television when there were double faults, or the ball went in or out.

In Borg vs McEnroe, we see the cool and collected Bjorn Borg against the brash and vituperative John McEnroe, but the focus is on the former and how he became the world's number one player.

It turns out that Borg was very similar to McEnroe in his abrasive behaviour. As a child the Swede loudly complained to the chair umpire about the ball being in or out, threw his racquets on the ground and brooded.

This threatened his burgeoning tennis career until a coach took an interest in his potential but warned him to never show his emotions and instead channel that energy into his playing.

Borg was followed constantly by the media with his girlfriend

As an adult, Borg becomes obsessive about details -- everything has to be the same. He has to be picked up in the same car, stay in the same hotel, his girlfriend meticulously packs his tennis bag and Borg even walks on each of his 50 racquets to check their tautness and from there decides which ones he will use during the match.

But for this impending Wimbledon final against McEnroe, Borg seems unsure of himself and unable to control his jitters.

Meanwhile McEnroe doesn't have much discipline, though in his childhood his father would parade him at the dinner table with guests to show off the boy's mathematical genius.

The night before a Wimbledon tournament, McEnroe is partying in London with fellow New Yorker and player Vitas Gerulaitis, who gives the young underdog intriguing information about his opponent.

The film recreates the 1980 Wimbledon final

He explains Borg turns down the thermostat of his hotel room so low so that his heart rate is below 50 (meaning his girlfriend has to bundle up to sleep with him), his parents can come watch him play every other year, but they have to wear the same clothes, and he always carries two towels with him onto the court, no more, no less.

McEnroe has his own idiosyncrasies. He gets a marker from the hotel and starts writing out the tournament draws and how he intends to meet Borg in the finals, which means a long list of players he needs to beat beforehand. One of them is Peter Fleming, who thinks they were going to have a friendly match, but for McEnroe it's all business.

At last the final begins and it feels literally like a replay of what happened, including a nail-biting 34-point tiebreaker. At one point Borg encourages McEnroe to focus on the game, perhaps to show off his coolness.

Decades later, Borg and McEnroe at a friendly match

In the end the viewer wonders -- who is the better person? Borg or McEnroe? Was it worth all the hard work, sweat and tears to become these top tennis players? A lot of sacrifices were made to get there, as well as determination.

It turns out Borg's real-life son Leo Borg, plays his younger self, which suggests he gave his blessing to the movie. The older Borg in his 20s is played by Severrir Gudnason who doesn't show much emotion, and one can't help but admire his gorgeous mane of hair.

Shia LaBeouf is McEnroe, and relies on the usual spewing of profanities and snarky comments to portray the American challenging Borg.

The only real part is at the end with actual pictures of the two separately and together. There are also footnotes to say McEnroe beat Borg the following year and the Swede decided to retire at the age of 26. In the film Borg hinted not knowing what he was going to do with his life without tennis, but financially would be fine from all the endorsement contracts.

Borg vs McEnroe really gives the psychological insight into the two characters, though the former in particular. Those parts of the film are most fascinating, while the actual tennis match in the end is too drawn out and loses momentum.

Borg vs McEnroe (2017)

Starring Severrir Gudnason, Shia LaBeouf

Directed by Janus Metz Pedersen

Written by Ronnie Sandahl

Tennis Star Serves Hong Kong Elderly

Johanna Konta (right) serving a meal to a senior at Food Angel's canteen

It's nice to see top international athletes doing some charitable work in Hong Kong.

The other day British No. 1 women's player Johanna Konta who is here for the Prudential Hong Kong Tennis Open 2016, visited Food Angel's canteen in Sham Shui Po.

She along with Chinese players Liu Chang, Zheng Saisai, Lu Jiajing and Nao Hibino helped serve fish fillets and tofu in a crab meat sauce to elderly seniors in the area.

Konta was very happy to help out in her small way, saying, "It was a wonderful cause to be distributing food that would otherwise be wasted to people who really need it".

Food Angel rescues some 4 tons of most raw ingredients daily, from vegetables to meats and seafood, and turns them into 6,000 nutritious meals for the underprivileged.

I visited Food Angel last year and am impressed by how they can do this in such a small kitchen, and they invite volunteers to come and help out whenever they can. Upstairs is a canteen where elderly residents in the area usually come for lunch and dinner to socialize and have a healthy meal they otherwise could not afford.

Unfortunately there is only so much food the charity can rescue each day, and the government isn't doing enough to legislate supermarkets and wet markets to donate their unsold produce to places like Food Angel instead of dumping them into landfills.

However, for now, Food Angel's got it right, by getting as much publicity as possible in the hopes that greater public awareness will hopefully inspire more people to help out, and get more businesses behind them.

For more information go to Food Angel's website.

Li Na's Story Plays Out on Screen

Li Na holding the trophy after winning the 2014 Australian Open

Tennis star Li Na has retired and is expecting her first child later this year. But the tennis player who was the first Asian to win a Grand Slam tournament at the French Open in 2011 and did it again at the 2014 Australian Open, is going to have her career played out on the big screen.

Hong Kong filmmaker Peter Ho-Sun Chan will make a biopic of Li and she will act as consultant on Li Na: My Life, based on her autobiography.

Tang Wei is a possible contender for the role of Li...

Her story is compelling because she went through the state-sponsored system, got frustrated and broke through to have her own say in her training and managed to prove to not only China but the world she could win on her own terms.

The relationship between her and her husband is also intriguing, as he helped her build her career and upended the typical male-female dynamic, particularly in Chinese culture.

"The story between her and her husband is very atypical, in fact a lot of things with Li Na are very atypical for Chinese people. It shows a very different side of contemporary China," Chan said.

"She broke the rules and defied conventions and, against all odds, became a legend. I'm mesmerized by what she has been able to accomplish and what she represents as a symbol of hope for millions of people around the world," the director added.

... and so is Fan Bingbing...

"I had to make a lot of sacrifices in my life in order to become the best tennis player I could be and the film project makes it all worth it. Hopefully, the film will be able to inspire others to believe in themselves and follow their dreams," Li said.

Filming will start this fall with a release date in 2016. Chan is looking at either having an actress play Li or get a tennis player to play her. Some names already mentioned include Li Bingbing, Fan Binging, Tang Wei, Vicky Zhao Wei and Hong Kong actress Isabella Leong Lok-sze.

If one of those actresses are chosen, they will have to ditch the salad lunches and reall start to gain those muscles in the arms and legs otherwise who will believe she is Li Na?

Li Na Conquers Australia

Li Na raises her arms in victory after winning her second Grand Slam title

Li Na has proven she is not just a one-hit wonder.

The 31-year-old won the Australian Open defeating Slovakia's Dominika Cibulkova 7-6 (7-3), 6-0 tonight in Melbourne. It was the second Grand Slam the Chinese tennis player won after the French Open in 2011.

She attributes the win to her confidence, largely thanks to the psychological pep talks she has with coach Carlos Rodriguez since she started working with him in 2012.

Li's win also proves that the Chinese state system doesn't work for everyone. In 2008 she split from the Chinese Tennis Federation that previously ran her career and took a 65 percent cut from her earnings, according to CNN.

She now chooses who she wants to work with and also takes all the winnings and sponsorships -- which has made her a rich woman, as she acknowledged in her victory speech, by first thanking her agent Max Eisenbud, who she shares with Maria Sharapova.

Then she thanked her husband for being her hitting partner, mixing drinks and giving up his tennis career to be with her. "Thanks a lot, you are a nice guy. Also you are so lucky," she said in front of the audience.

He was in the stands laughing and clapping with delight. It's not the first time she's ribbed him publicly which is great, but also shows he's a progressive Chinese man as most mainland men wouldn't stand being ridiculed -- even if jokingly -- by their wife. Then again when she pulls in millions of dollars in sponsorships and wins, who cares?

In any event her speech was endearing to her fans, and she knows what to say, like thanking the sponsors for putting on the event.

She is definitely a fantastic role model for aspiring Chinese athletes because she demonstrates that sports isn't just about winning, it's about having fun and enjoying yourself on the court.

While the clock is ticking for her to chase after two more Grand Slams, Li shows that she's got a lot of determination to win and win big.