Get Jabbed or Risk Serious Covid Infection, Says Expert

Yuen warns everyone needs to get vaccinated against Covid-19

Infectious disease expert Dr Yuen Kwok-yung believes some 2.5 million people have been infected with Covid-19 since the fifth wave began in late December and projects the caseload will drop to under 1,000 a day in the coming weeks.

The government advisor on the pandemic warned "eradication of the coronavirus will not happen," and urged those who still hadn't gotten jabbed to do so. 

Yuen even went so far as to suggest elderly people should get the German-made BioNTech vaccine rather than the Chinese-made Sinovac one, as the former is more effective at neutralising the Omicron variant, though he agreed everyone should have the freedom to choose which jab to take.

Most vulnerable are elderly not yet jabbed

Finally a medical expert has come out to recommend one over the other, even though the government says both are effective...

He also said the city needs a 95 percent vaccination rate in order to prepare for the next wave of infections.

"The eradication of the coronavirus will not happen. The virus will be with us, and there may be another mutant in the future," Yuen said, noting the city's so-called vaccine pass should also be expanded to cover public transport.

Now it is used to get into shopping malls, restaurants, hotels and hair salons.

While Yuen even called for the easing of restrictions in restaurants and having places like gyms reopened, and flights to Hong Kong resumed, Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor would not entertain these suggestions, hinting the city needs to reach "dynamic zero-Covid"...

Who knows? Maybe she will change her mind tomorrow on Monday when she will release the outcome of the "interim review" of social-distancing measures and border control measures.

Yuen suggests vaccine passport for public transit

Today the number of cases dropped further to 14,145, though the death toll is still high at 205, and another 41 backlogged. Hong Kong now has a total of 5,896 deaths since the start of the pandemic, the vast majority of them in the fifth wave.

The authorities cannot vaccinate the elderly fast enough, and on top of it Lam refuses to mandate all seniors must be jabbed... 

And with that kind of decision, it's going to take a while for the fifth wave to be under control...

Hong Kong's Covid Death Toll Still Surges

Elderly patients have been outside overcrowded hospitals

Hong Kong logged a record 249 deaths in the past 24 hours, much higher than the start of the fifth wave.

When Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor was asked to comment, she insisted her government had "put in all the necessary effort in order to keep Hong Kong people safe".

"We have spent over one year to promote, to encourage, to coerce people to take the jab, but unfortunately, partly because of the low infection rate in the last year or so, and partly because of anxiety and worries and so on, we have not achieved a high rate of vaccination, especially amongst the elderly, particularly amongst elderly in elderly homes," she said.

Lam says govt has done its best for vaccinations

"There are a lot of things in our city that should be revisited and we should take a critical look in order to prepare us for a future public health crisis."

Sounds like someone is on the defensive.

But these deaths are on her watch. Not enough was done to get the elderly vaccinated and a lot of it had to do with misinformation and ineffective communication to the public about the benefits of getting vaccinated. The cash handouts were not used as an incentive to get vaccinated either which was infuriating to say the least.

Meanwhile Dr Lau Ka-hin, a chief manager of the Health Authority was also on the defensive, saying officials were not focused on death records, that the goal was to prevent patients with only mild symptoms from worsening and serious cases turning into fatalities.

"This is our aim in treating our patients," he said.

More seniors need to get jabbed quickly

Sing Tao reported this morning the possibility of further restricting social-distancing measures to only one per table instead of two.

Lam denied this was in the cards, but then again she has been known to flip flop. Her response: "I have to consider what society and the public can accept and won't rashly introduce new measures," she said. "But I again appeal to the public not to let their guard down. Even though the case numbers seem to have stabilised and there is a slight downward trend, it is not time to relax yet."

Indeed... but we hope there is a greater effort being made to inoculate the elderly as quickly as possible. We don't want to see another morbid record tomorrow...

Covid Deaths Overwhelm System

This shocking photo of body bags was released on social media

This horrific photograph went viral on Twitter today. It was taken about a week ago at the Accident and Emergency Ward at Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Jordan, where there are six dead bodies in body bags lying in wards where there are three elderly patients.

The image was confirmed by a medic who works in the hospital. Since that picture was taken, the situation has been alleviated with more refrigerator units and mortuaries made available.

When the media asked about the photo this afternoon, the Health Authority's Sara Ho Yuen-ha confirmed it and apologised for the stress it had caused patients.

Ho apologised for the distress to the patients

"The authority is facing an unprecedented challenge... we are very sorry about bringing distress to patients. Our colleagues are also very unhappy about the situation. We hope everyone understands," she said.

Nevertheless it clearly illustrates how overwhelmed the Hong Kong healthcare system is and there is no end in sight with over 15000 people dying from Covid-19 per day, the majority of them elderly.

Another bottleneck has emerged in processing all the paperwork for each deceased person, while funeral homes are booked up until at least mid-April.

Kwok Hoi-bong, chairman of the Funeral Business Association industry group, said the government had to do more to resolve bottlenecks.

"Even though the government has increased the capacity of cremation incinerators to between 260 to 280 corpses a day, it has not given thought to other areas," he told a radio program.

He pointed out there are only 121 funeral halls in the city, but the average death toll was 200 dead per day.

Kwok says deaths are taking longer to process

Kwok said the authority should allow simple ceremonies to be performed in service halls in the hospital to allow families to bid their final farewells before taking the corpses to the crematorium or cemetery. 

While this will alleviate the logistics, there are families who insist in a proper send-off to loved ones. 

He also said death certificates used to take three to four days to be processed and now took six to eight, meaning corpses not being removed in a more timely manner.

Today Hong Kong recorded 29,377 local cases, 18,884 from PCR tests, 10,493 from RAT. There were 294 deaths logged, 196 from the past 24 hours, 98 backlogged. The age rage was 35-105, of the 196 dead, 114 were unvaccinated, 97 from residential care homes.

Currently only 54 percent of Hong Kong residents 80 years and older have had at least one jab. The government has pledged to focus on inoculating elderly people with mobility issues who live on their own. This alarm was sounded months ago by health experts, but the advice was not heeded... 

Covid-19 May Have Peaked, Though Wait and See

Has Covid-19 peaked in this wave? May be too early to tell

Hong Kong may indeed have seen a turning point in the fifth wave of the pandemic, as the number of cases are starting to drop, but health officials warn people to continue to be vigilant and see what the situation is like in the next few days.

Today 31,392 cases were recorded, of which 24,380 were from PCR tests, 7,012 from RAT (rapid antigen test). 

However the number of deaths is still high at 281, of which 180 are new, 101 are backlogged. Of the 180 deaths, the age range is 47 to 112 years old and 122 were not vaccinated. Sound familiar? It's sad to hear someone 112 died because they were not jabbed, after all they have gone through.

Au can finally get a haircut with salons reopened

Dr Albert Au Ka-wing of the Centre for Health Protection says the wave may have peaked between March 2-4 when cases were over the 50,000 mark, and now are starting to drop.

"The RAT daily caseload seems to be steady and not increasing. We're starting to see a drop too, so this is positive and it seems there is a chance the numbers will go down. But the public should not let their guard down," Au said.

"The public have worked hard over the past two months to follow social-distancing rules and ramped-up testing. We hope they will continue to follow these measures to further cut off transmission chains so the numbers can keep falling."

He warned people not to be too optimistic because the case numbers were still in the five-figure range could rebound if they were not vigilant.

Government pandemic advisor David Hui Shu-cheong agreed, adding the situation needed to be observed for another week before coming to any conclusions.

Hui admits people not reporting positive results

"The number of positive PCR test results is indeed dropping, but a number of the public have used RAT and authorities told those who tested positive from February 26 to report it within two weeks. Many of them have not done so. Also, many of my friends and relatives chose not to submit their results," he said.

Telling admission from Hui, who is revealing how many people feel about catching Covid-19 and not wanting the authorities to know in case they will be dragged to isolation centres where they have heard horror stories of hygiene and not being allowed out immediately once they are confirmed negative.

However Secretary for Security Chris Tang Ping-keung warned that residents who refuse to go to an isolation centre would face a HK$5,000 (US$639) fine and two months' imprisonment, while those who left such facilities during quarantine could also face a HK$5,000 fine and six months behind bars.

So where is the incentive to willingly report that you're infected?

Currently about 18,800 rooms for isolation are being used, about 40 percent.

This afternoon a woman I met a few months ago forwarded a voice message to me. It wasn't her voice, but a man explaining how to treat Omicron with Chinese medicine. He explained the Lianhua Qingwen capsules were effective -- but even more so when removing the powdered medicine from the capsules and swallowing it directly to make them even more effective.

This herbal medicine does not cure Covid-19

This is so bizarre, first of all Lianhua Qingwen is not considered a viable medication to fight Covid-19. The Singaporean Health Sciences Authority released a notice from last November stating there is not scientific evidence that any herbal product, including Lianhua Qingwen can be used to prevent or treat Covid-19.

In addition, when capsules are swallowed, they dissolve quickly anyway -- how is swallowing powdered herbal medicine going to treat someone even faster? It was a ridiculous suggestion and for it to be spread through Whatsapp is irresponsible too.

But here we are, still spreading misinformation and disinformation in the third year of the pandemic.

Either way, people are figuring out how to treat Covid-19 in their own way to avoid isolation as much as possible!

 

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.

Over 200K Register their Positive Tests

Those who test positive from RAT can now register online

Finally the Centre of Health Protection's website for people to register that they tested positive using rapid antigen tests was launched at 6pm today and within hours over 200,000 have done so.

While the CHP stresses this is a voluntary exercise, thousands of people have registered because they may be living in spaces where they cannot isolate, or are with family members and are too scared to infect them.

When they registered they had to give their personal details, as well as those of their household members, their symptoms and the condition of the others in the home. 

CHP will arrange isolation quarters for people

They also have to upload a picture of the RAT showing the positive result. And then health authorities will determine if they need to go to hospital or if their symptoms are mild to recover in community isolation facilities.

Registered users can also get a certificate of their infection from CHP so that it can be given to their employers to be able to take sick leave.

The CHP said today that only those who tested positive today should register, while those who found out they were positive from February 26 to March 5 could register later, with March 14 being the deadline to avoid overloading the system.

Today there were 25,150 cases logged, and 161 people died in the past 24 hours, another 119 who died were from backlogged cases. The death toll so far is now 2,287, the highest in the developed world. 

As if that wasn't tragic enough, two children aged four and eight died with underlying conditions. Both had received one jab of Sinovac. They will be included in tomorrow's death count.

Chan (left) had not date for consumption vouchers

A friend suggested that because of the past two years children have been wearing masks everyday and not exposed to as many germs as before, let alone the flu, perhaps their bodies were overwhelmed when they were infected with Covid-19. 

Meanwhile Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po gave an uneventful press conference announcing details of the electronic voucher, as another HK$10,000 will be doled out to 6.3 permanent residents 18 years and older, and new migrants from the mainland.

However, he stopped short of giving the exact date when the exercise would start, citing the pandemic, and yet wanting to dole out money soon to help businesses. 

"Because of the pandemic situation, many shops' operations have been interrupted. That also applies to other stakeholders and operators involved in this particular consumption voucher project. That's why, to be prudent, we're refraining from giving a specific date," Chan said.

The four options to collect and use e-vouchers

"We hope to do it as early as practically possible, but it really depends on the circumstances... I think it is important for us to do sufficient back-end work, with the system properly tested."

What is there to test? Practically everyone who registered the first time haven't changed their details unless they have left Hong Kong. 

Nevertheless, when reporters asked if the e-vouchers would instead be available in cash for those who would find it more useful, Chan said no, things would be the same. Nor was there a condition of getting the jab before receiving the payout. 

So where is the incentive to get people inoculated? Again there is no benefit to being vaccinated, and yet the city is going through the worst Covid-19 wave now.

It boggles the mind...

Security Bureau Involved in Covid-19 Battle

Seniors in care homes are the most vulnerable to Covid-19

Today is the second day the number of cases dropped to 30,000 -- 31,008 to be exact -- though the number of dead continues to be a shocking refrain. There were 233 deaths reported, 153 of them in the past 24 hours and of them 114 were not vaccinated. 

More seniors are finally getting vaccinated but it's the ones in elderly care homes that are the most vulnerable and need to be jabbed as soon as possible. It is in these old folks homes that the virus has spread so quickly and these patients' immune systems cannot cope.

Au (left) says Security Bureau now involved

Hong Kong now has the highest death rate from Covid-19 in the developed world with 2,007 dead since the start of the pandemic, 1,794 from the fifth wave alone.

Aside from being horrified by the number of dead each day, the Hong Kong government has now made it even more punitive for residents to be infected with Covid-19.

The authorities have setup a hotline for people to call in, Whatsapp or WeChat to report that they have tested positive and need to be moved to isolation facilities because they have mild or no symptoms, or are unable to do so at home.

However, this project is being handled by the Secretary for Security Chris Tang Ping-keung, who was the police chief during the 2019 protests.

Tang inspects Tsing Yi isolation units today

Perhaps even more frightening is that the Security Bureau is now involved in the operation and it is this department that will determine who goes into the isolation facilities. Retroactive cases will not be sent, but starting with those reported in the last three days, according to Dr Albert Au Ka-wing of the Centre for Health Protection.

So medical experts won't be deciding who gets to isolate at home and who doesn't?

It's getting more frightening as the days go on and still no word on how universal testing will be conducted and if there is some kind of a lockdown or not.

The last thing we need is more fear and stress, but perhaps that's exactly what the authorities intend to instil in us, that Covid-19 is a dreadful, deadly virus which is why we must reach "dynamic zero-Covid"!

Picture of the Day: Dog Encounters

Flash, the three-year-old Shiba with his owner

In Covid news, Hong Kong recorded 52,523 cases today, and 188 deaths, of which 136 were in the past 24 hours. 

It's the same refrain again, how the vast majority of those who died were not vaccinated, and hospitals are completely overwhelmed, and now there are reports of not enough oxygen tanks for patients who need them. And there aren't enough doctors and nurses to keep track of the oxygen tanks so some patients are literally gasping for air...

BUT we have to find some sanity from this madness, which is why I go out for walks as much as possible.

Tonight we met this three-year-old Shiba called Flash!

He was very friendly towards us and was happy to have us pet him. He slinked around us like a cat, encouraging us to run our hands in his fur. His owner said he really liked people, and that he liked us!

Playing with animals is great especially during this stressful time. They have no idea what is going on and just want to play. 

We hope we bump into Flash again soon!

Hong Kong Now World's Worst in Covid Deaths

Patients are back outside hospitals, no space and warmer temps

Hong Kong was one of the best places in keeping Covid-19 at bay for two years, and now it is the worst.

Today the city logged another record 56,827 positive cases, and a shocking 144 deaths in the past 24 hours, ranging in age from 42 to 102 years old. While 56 of them lived in elderly care homes, 124 of them were not vaccinated.

The rising line is the number of HK deaths

Up until the beginning of February this year, Hong Kong had hardly any deaths and now it is at 17.3 deaths per 1 million people. 

When comparing Hong Kong to New York City via @kjoules:

Most cases in a day per 1 million people

NY 6,621 (January 3, 2022)

HK 7,676 (Today)

Most deaths in a day per 1 million people

NY 67.9 (Before vaccines April 7, 2020)

NY 15.0 (After vaccines January 11, 2022)

HK 25.1 (Today)

Meanwhile the government and advisers are still deciding about implementing universal testing. Today Dr Yuen Kwok-yuen admitted that the window for inoculating the elderly has passed and that conducting universal testing will only find too many cases and not enough places to isolate them all.

Other experts questioning the need to do testing in March also include Ben Cowling, Gabriel Leung, Leung Chi-chiu, and Ho Pak-leung. 

There is still no consensus or final announcement on how universal testing, which is supposed to start on March 26 will be done. The government says there will be 500 testing centres so that people will not have to wait too long, and these testing centres will be located in schools (that are not used because students have been forced into an early "summer vacation".

Yuen admits HK should have vaccinated elderly

Currently there are only 19 testing areas in the city, and another 43 mobile ones operated by contractors. Are there even enough staff to conduct tests at all 500 sites?

Apparently when people go for the three tests -- in family groups -- they will receive KN95 masks and rapid testing kits to screen between tests. All our nostrils will be extra sensitive after this is all over with. 

It was also reported that some 1,000 prisoners have caught Covid, including democracy activists Lee Cheuk-yan and Albert Ho Chun-yan. They tested positive after using the rapid antigen tests but currently show no symptoms. 

As a result of the positive cases, lawyers will not be able to visit their clients in the next two weeks, while loved ones and families of the detained cannot see them for another one and a half months.

Isolation units with bars on the windows...

And then there are the isolation units being built... apparently it is four to a room -- how is that even social distancing? Squat toilets (and now some Western ones we have been told) -- and mainland Chinese electricity sockets. No one alerted the mainland contractors that Hong Kong uses the British sockets.

So if you do end up in one of these isolation trailers with three other strangers, at least bring a multi-plug adapter with you...

Covid-19 Cases Climb past the 55K Mark

Times Square shopping mall is devoid of customers

Hong Kong has yet another record of 55,353 positive cases today -- reaching over 50,000, one day before the modelling anticipated it. And it doesn't include all those who used their own rapid antigen tests to discover they are positive... some estimate there could be hundreds of thousands of cases in the community now.

There were 160 deaths reported, of which 117 were in the past 24 hours, 43 were backlogged. Of the 117 deaths, 95 were unvaccinated with an age range of 58 to 100 years old.

Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor again reiterated there would be no full citywide lockdown, as there weren't enough isolation facilities to house all the positive cases, but had no further details. 

That led to another day of panic buying in the city, and food suppliers were exasperated in trying to explain that the food is coming, but everyone is freaking out and buying whatever they can get their hands on.

Meanwhile businessman Allan Zeman who started out in textiles and owns most of Lan Kwai Fong, and used to head Ocean Park and turn it around, wrote an open letter to Lam, saying Hong Kong residents need clarity on how the government is going to take control of the fifth wave, as rumours are scaring people and it is not good for their mental health.

"There are too many rumours floating around and such a feeling of uncertainty, we need very clear messaging giving people hope and direction for an end to this nightmare," he wrote. "People feel they are getting punished for being infected."

Zeman is saying what all of us are thinking throughout the letter.

In the end he also reminded Lam that many people have lost their jobs and businesses shut down due to the restrictive measures and that subsidies were needed to keep everyone alive.

Will she listen?

A colleague thinks the national security police may come knocking on Zeman's door...

So many restaurants, cafes, stores, banks, post offices, and even convenience stores like 7-Eleven are closed because they have had infections or they are worried for their staff and limit services even more.

Even the MTR is affected, having fewer trains in service than before, especially in the evenings. The Star Ferry in Wan Chai stops service at 9pm. Shopping malls are dead by 6pm.

Island Beverly mall in Causeway Bay

"There is absolutely no one here [in the mall], not even on weekends. Most shops are closed," said Chloe Cheung, who owns a small boutique in Island Beverly mall. She planned to shut down when the lease expired in June.

"The lockdown is not that necessary. It is a ghost town now."

Indeed. Anyone who is out and about near dinner time are rushing to get back home with dinner in takeaway bags.

It is painful to see Hong Kong deserted like this. The only other time no one is around and everything is shut is when there is a typhoon. But the fears of a lockdown and the sheer exponential rise in the number of cases has already made people uneasy and not want to go out.

How people and businesses will make it out alive -- and sane -- from this latest wave will be nothing short of a miracle. And we badly need one.

HK Govt Dithers as Cases Surge over 34K

People were out panic-buying in supermarkets today

There is never a dull moment in Hong Kong. The situation changes not only day by day but after a few hours, and it has resulted in people becoming more scared, depressed and helpless.

This morning people heard Secretary for Food and Health Sophia Chan Siu-chee on the radio, saying the government was not ruling out a lockdown in order to limit people's movements during universal testing in March.

Right away people rushed out to supermarkets and cleared out shelves, terrified they may not be allowed to leave their homes for days or weeks at a time.

Many shelves like these were empty

Some shoppers claimed they just wanted to be prepared with everyday items they normally buy, while one man claimed he had already done his panic shopping a few weeks ago but wanted to get "alcohol and ice cream in a crisis".

Interesting combo.

There were even rumours that supermarket chain ParkNShop would close all its outlets from March 7, and the company had to later issue a statement refuting the rumour, that business would operate as usual.

But that did not stop others from buying what they needed -- just in case.

Meanwhile a slew of wet markets have closed because of infections, from Kennedy Town to Sha Tin, Kwai Chung and Peng Chau.

Later Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor told RTHK that it would be good to have a lockdown so that citizens will "stop moving around" before the results came in, they were still studying this, including if they should halt all public transport and the stock market.

This totally contradicts what she said last Tuesday, that a citywide lockdown would not be needed. Scientifically it is ridiculous to allow people to still continue as normal while still being tested for the virus.

Lam now says a lockdown could be necessary

The flip-flopping is not helpful at all, and creating anxiety among people because not enough straight-forward information is being given.

Residents have not been told at all when the testing will actually begin, and at first it was suggested that people would be called according to their HKID card number, but now it seems it will be by family unit. There is no information about how the tests will be conducted, for how long, what happens if you are tested positive and what kind of medical treatment people should expect.

Everything is vague and officials are "still studying" different scenarios. Why are they dithering so much? When it came to the national security law, its implementation was swift and ruthless -- overnight. 

And now when it comes to a matter of life and death, the government is still deciding what to do?

Should we remind Lam and her colleagues that there were 34,466 cases today, only four of which were imported. One hundred and twenty-four people died, 87 of them in the past 24 hours, the others were backlogged.

Of the 87 who died, 67 were not vaccinated, 10 had taken one shot, the other 10 two shots. There is no further information on which vaccines they took, and 49 of the deaths were in elderly care homes.

Dr Albert Au Ka-wing, principal medical and health officer at the Centre for Health Protection gave some analysis of the first 442 fatalities in the fifth wave.

Au gave a breakdown of the 442 deaths so far

Four were between the ages of zero and nine;

Two were aged 10 to 19

19 were aged 20 to 59

35 were aged 60-69

80 were aged 70-79

292 were 80 and above.

The median age was 84.

A total of 359, or 81 percent were not vaccinated, while 44 had one shot, and 39 had two.

These numbers should be compelling enough to urge people to get vaccinated, but many still refuse to budge, mostly due to mistrust of the government. And given what the city has gone through since the anti-extradition protests in 2019 it is understandable the lack of trust in the authorities, but still, the numbers of deaths don't lie here.

Also shocking as mentioned yesterday is that dead bodies are not being transported to public mortuaries fast enough, and funeral homes are too scared to accept them, leaving families in a bind because they want to have a ceremony for their loved ones first. There are now options to have the bodies immediately sent to crematoriums, but not many are choosing this.

Isolation units being constructed in Tsing Yi

In Tsing Yi today isolation facilities are being built at a fast clip, though from pictures it seems there are bars on the windows, as if further punishing people for testing positive.

Can we also add that now there will be no notifications on people's Leave Home Safe apps because there are too many to record. So why even bother scanning the app now if it doesn't tell you that a shop or building you went to had someone who tested positive?

The disaster is unfolding very fast and furious, and yet the government is still deciding what to do... its lack of decisiveness has left us residents very worried and frustrated that we have to fend for ourselves. Staying health and getting vaccinated is the only protection we have.

Horrific Covid-19 Stories Continue

Easier job, more pay at isolation facility at AsiaWorld-Expo

Sorry for the repetitious refrain, but Hong Kong recorded a staggering 26,026 cases today, almost all of them local.

What is frightening is that bodies of those who succumbed to Covid-19 are piling up in hospitals and not enough resources to transport them to the public mortuary. Sounds like New York in the early stages of the pandemic and yet here we are more than two years later and Hong Kong is completely unprepared for the impending onslaught.

Check out fatalities for those 80 and over

The Centre for Health Protection and the Department of Health released data on the first 284 Covid-19-related deaths in the fifth wave, and a shocking 91 percent were not vaccinated. The vast majority of the deaths are those over 80 years old. 

Meanwhile staffing of hospitals is getting thinner and thinner, as not only doctors and nurses contract the virus, but also caregivers in public hospitals are being lured to a community isolation centre treating patients with mild symptoms in AsiaWorld-Expo near the airport with promises of salaries of up to HK$50,000 (US$6,403) a month.

There are worries many will resign and leave even more work for those left behind on the front lines of public hospitals which are treating seriously ill patients with Covid.

Nothing is done to alleviate the labour shortages in public hospitals and they are left to fend for themselves. 

Then there are tragic stories of people who are crammed in sub-divided flats and test positive. 

A couple slept in this stairwell for several days

There was one story of a construction worker who tested positive for the virus along with his wife and live with their children and extended family in a tiny flat. In order to self-isolate, the couple slept on the roof and when it was raining in the stairwell. They asked their family to give them a bucket of water and they defecated into plastic bags.

Another was a foreign domestic helper who was found sleeping in her employer's car after she tested positive. A volunteer group that helps foreign helpers managed to persuade her to go to a shelter and even had to help her call her employer to reassure her that she wouldn't be fired. She was literally locked in the car and couldn't leave to go to the washroom and had nothing to eat.

These two instances show how little comprehension the government has for people in precarious living conditions and what solutions they have for them, let along compassion.

In the end the couple was treated, but not before their children also became ill... 

And what is with all these lawmakers and government officials and their helpers and drivers all catching Covid? Sounds like the chauffeurs are all hanging out together... the latest is Police Commissioner Raymond Siu Chak-yee's drive -- the sixth government official's driver to test positive. 

Thousands of restaurants are temporarily closing

The restaurant industry is hurting badly now, with people too terrified to eat out. Many restaurants, cafes and even fast food outlets are temporarily closed. Cafe de Coral will now limit its services to only takeaway. 

Some restaurants say they will open in a week, others don't say. It's devastating to see everyone struggling so much because of the government not handling this fifth wave fast enough and wasting time getting the elderly vaccinated.

One acquaintance got his booster yesterday and thought he was smart to get it in this thigh, as this was recommended for children to prevent any issues with their hearts. But today he reported his leg hurt so much he couldn't walk properly! 

So pro-tip -- don't get your jab in the thigh. Just get it in the arm. One person suggested moving your arm around afterwards to quickly distribute the vaccine... don't know if it's true, but every suggestion is worth a shot. haha!

Thousands More Infected with Covid-19

More than 17,000 people reported infections today

Today Hong Kong logged 8,798 confirmed cases, but there are a whopping 17,279 cases that have been reported -- people either testing preliminary positive through government testing or through rapid antigen tests.

Both these numbers are records and sure to climb even higher in the coming days and weeks. 

In addition 50 people died, only six of whom had two doses of vaccines. One was a nine-year old boy who had a pre-existing genetic disease when he was a toddler, but was not vaccinated.

Hui strongly urges children get vaccinated

"If you are unvaccinated, it is very likely that your condition will deteriorate. With chronic illnesses, it is even more likely that complications will develop. That is why we are asking children to receive vaccines as soon as possible," said Dr David Hui Shu-cheong, a government adviser on Covid-19.

There are also heart-breaking stories of 11-month old babies ]who test positive for the virus but are forcibly separated from their parents and put into isolation. The Hospital Authority will not allow parents who have tested negative to be with the child under any circumstances. 

Another first today was the implementation of the regulation where everyone must scan the Leave Home Safe app that has the person's vaccination status uploaded to enter supermarkets, department stores, restaurants, and wet markets. 

People need to have at least one jab and scan the QR code of their vaccination record onto the Leave Home Safe app. That way when someone scans the QR code of a premises, the person's vaccination QR code pops up to show they have been vaccinated. 

Diners must upload vaccination status on app

However, according to some restaurant owners, many elderly people did not do this -- they either didn't know or didn't know how to it -- and so restaurant staff had to help them sort this out, or worse, turn them away. People can still get takeaway food if they don't want to scan the app.

Nevertheless, some restaurants have already seen a 40 percent drop in business today. There is also the issue of only having two per table. But another reason is no one wants to inadvertently become positive during universal testing which will begin in the coming weeks.

It probably won't be until after April 20 when the mass exercise is over when people will feel safer to go out to eat. It's a terrible situation, but so is some 17,000 possible infections reported in one day.

Today was also the start of further restrictions, where everyone exercising outside must wear a mask, even in country parks. This evening on my usual walk along the harbourfront most people complied -- only a handful of people had put their mask on their arm as they ran. 

I was shocked to find out today that one of my colleagues hasn't left his flat for two weeks. He is completely paranoid about stepping onto public transport. Another has also sequestered himself inside his flat too, and seems less witty in his messages. 

People must wear a mask exercising outdoors

It isn't really good to be holed up in your home mentally or physically. This fifth wave has made some people extremely scared, and very irrational. On the other hand my relatives still continue to refuse to get the vaccine despite the exponential numbers. I'm amazed they still haven't gotten infected yet. 

They have stashed up as much food as their flat can hold and then maybe when the cupboards and fridges (they have two) become bare then maybe they will get jabbed.

Their inability to rationalise the necessity of getting vaccinated to avoid serious health issues if infected continues to confound me. 

Lam's Doomsday Message

Unmasked Lam announced the need for universal testing

Today is February 22, 2022, or 22022022.

The next time this date comes around will be in 200 years.

For us in Hong Kong it is a horrific date, the one where Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor told the city's residents this evening that everyone will undergo mass testing in March without a lockdown, that schools will go on "summer" break from early March for six weeks, social-distancing measures will continue till at least April 20, and flight bans from nine countries will be extended to that date as well.

Testing will be called according to HKID

And at the end of her hour long speech she said that we should all have hope.

What hope is there left?

It's a dark tunnel that seems to have no end.

Universal testing seems to entail testing 7.5 million people in three rounds of testing. People will be called out to be tested according to their HKID card number. After they are swabbed, the residents' specimens will be sent to Shenzhen to be tested. 

When a reporter asked about the legalities of this as it involves people's DNA, Lam replied that her administration should not be bound by the law when it comes to fighting Covid-19.

"In this wartime environment, this emergency, we cannot let existing laws stop us from doing something we should do. This is not the mentality for fighting a war," she said.

"I trust you have seen many war movies. In war there is no sense in talking about procedure."

Rapid antigen tests will be handed out to people

Those who test positive will be sent to isolation facilities, though at current projections, that could mean hundreds of thousands of people. Where are they all going to be housed?

So far there are about 20,000 hotel rooms, housing estates and gymnasiums (with zero privacy). There needs to be ten times that at least.

And she didn't even address the urgent matter of not enough healthcare staff to deal with all the serious cases. Doctors and nurses are not only burned out, but 873 of them so far have become infected themselves. 

Lam also reiterated her goal that 90 percent of the population would get at least one jab. How is she going to make that happen without vaccine mandates? When people go for universal testing, the authorities cannot make those who are not yet jabbed to do so. 

In fact her latest measures will make people refuse to cooperate even more. It's all stick and no carrot. 

Medical staff are burned out and getting infected

Upon hearing Lam's latest pronouncements, many people were left despondent, some, according to my friend YTSL posted pictures of the hard liquor they were drinking this evening. Others announced it was time to leave Hong Kong.

With school now in "summer break" during the coldest days of 2022, this will give families a reason to leave the city perhaps temporarily, but most probably permanently. Everyone's patience has pretty much worn out now. 

Restaurants have to maintain strict social-distancing by only serving breakfast and lunch, though most people are too scared to eat out, no one is in the mood to dine out anyway. Shopping malls are dead by 8pm. Lam and her administration have singlehandedly decimated the local economy because of their inability to prepare for the severity of this fifth wave, and tomorrow is the budget speech! How lovely!

If we are in a wartime, then Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po had better be prudent with taxpayer money. People need hope because it's not coming from Lam.

 

Covid Numbers Climb; Oscar-Nominated Ascension

Babies and toddlers seems more at risk of Covid-19 now

Hong Kong had another record day of cases -- 7,533 -- and sadly 16 deaths, one of which was an 11-month old baby girl. There is a big concern now about children becoming infected and how they are not getting vaccinated or are too young to be vaccinated in the case of this baby.

Meanwhile the government is still going ahead with the vaccine pass that starts on Thursday. In order to get a haircut or go to a religious service you must have at least one jab and have this vaccination certification uploaded on your LeaveHomeSafe app.

Uploaded vaccine passport is on left, none on right

If you are going to a shopping mall, supermarket, department store or wet market then you may need to show your vaccine pass if a security person stops you. So there may be some people who are not vaccinated and may take the risk of going into a supermarket without having to show anything. How is this helpful?

And perhaps even worse, no vaccination is needed at all to go into a hotel! Why is that when almost all hotel staff were pushed to get the jab? It boggles the mind.

Something completely unrelated to Covid -- I watched a documentary called Ascension that was nominated for Best Documentary at this year's Academy Awards.

I didn't know quite what to expect and was surprised at the end and how it all came together.

Oscar-nominated documentary Ascension

There is no one main character, no particular storyline, but it becomes more apparent the longer you watch it. It starts off with scenes of people looking for jobs and those trying to entice them with decent labour conditions, like free wifi, air conditioning in the dormitories, but the pay is very low at around 20 kuai (US$3.15) an hour. We are not sure what the jobs entail, but some say you get to sit while working, others say the job is in an office.

People get rounded up and taken in coaches to their new destiny.

Some make rugs for Ikea, components for spray bottles, bottles of water, others make microchips, Christmas trees, jeans, and shirts. 

Perhaps the most amusing scene is watching mostly women putting sex dolls together. They are made of silicone, with large pendulous breasts, and curvy bottoms. They have permanent surprised expressions on their faces. Each one is custom made -- "Her nipples need to be pink!" one worker says, another has her wig changed from blonde to brunette. Another flings the doll's legs apart to inspect her down there. Each one is photographed to make sure it is correctly done up.

Worker checks the sex doll's face with the order

An interesting tidbit is that director Jessica Kingdon said a subsequent talk that all the sex doll factories they went to were owned by women.

Then the film shifts to jobs that have been created in the last few years, such as cryptocurrency mining (mostly young guys playing video games and eating lots of junk food), men collecting rented bikes that are dumped in a pile, people talking into their smartphone streaming online to sell things, and what looks like a pyramid company, where everyone is aiming to make over 10 million yuan in three years.

There's also people who are training to be bodyguards, hitting each other until there are scratches and bruises on their chests, and to be professional-looking assistants where they should smile to show eight of their upper teeth, while others are training to be butlers, measuring the distance between glasses and plates. The instructor asks them if they have ever watched Downton Abbey and none of them have, leaving them with little understanding with what career they have chosen.

It's an interesting look at what Chinese wealthy people think what being rich should look like, and the butlers trying to fulfill that fantasy. They probably assume everyone in England lives like that, ringing a bell for the butler to appear. 

People waiting around to get work in factories

This is similar to the aspirations of China's middle class. They think they have made it when they buy luxury brands or they go to a water park and sharks swim around them in an outer pool. It's all quite overwhelming the sheer numbers of people all trying to enjoy themselves at the same time.

Kingdon herself has an interesting background. Her father is Jewish-American, her mother is Chinese. Her brother went to China for a few years, learned Mandarin and persuaded his sister to come look at the country.

Before Covid-19, Kingdon and her small crew filmed in 51 different locations around the country and she says in interviews she had the best Chinese food. Kingdon also managed to meet relatives on her mother's side, one of which is now a cousin who works in Silicon Valley in the US.

Nevertheless, the title of the film comes from her great grandfather who wrote poems. One of them is Ascension, where he writes that the higher one climbs, one is horrified by what they see down below.

Director Jessica Kingdon, her mother is Chinese

This encapsulates the film -- how people are struggling to get ahead in some way, whether it's factory work to escape the poverty in the countryside, or to become a butler in the hopes of getting away from a terrible work environment. And with all this production and capitalism leads to terrible environmental damage, climate change, and exploitation of labour.

But Ascension doesn't preach a particular message, nor is it judgemental -- it has a fly-on-the-wall approach to the film and lets the viewers see what is going on and decide for themselves what they see in the documentary.

Ascension

Directed by Jessica Kingdon

97 minutes