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 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.

No Lockdown, but No Priority of Vaccines Either

Lee (centre) flanked by senior ministers this evening

When it was announced before 8pm that Chief Secretary John Lee Ka-chiu would be holding a press conference at 9pm, it sounded terribly serious. People on social media began speculating if it was to announce a lockdown. 

Earlier in the day my unvaccinated relatives texted me to suggest that I stock up on pasta and noodles as there was the possibility of a lockdown. I said it was logistically impossible for that to happen, but they were on their way out to buy more food.

Lee said no lockdown, but more help from China

They already have two fridges packed with food and lots of pasta, tissue paper, toilet paper to last them over a month. But they had to get more food...

In the wet market and the supermarket there wasn't much of a panic, people buying what they needed, no shelves were cleared out, and yes there were still lots of vegetables.

It has been announced that Lee along with the secretaries for health, transport, mainland affairs and security would be going to Shenzhen to meet with mainland officials to see how they could clamp down on the fifth wave, which logged a record 1,514 cases, five of which were imported. There are another 1,500 preliminary positive.

So the 9pm press conference ended up not being an announcement about a lockdown, but instead a reiteration of the mainland's support for Hong Kong, and supplying help in genetic testing, more rapid antigen tests, more isolation facilities and more PPE for medical workers. 

There will also now be a joint Hong Kong-mainland expert committee to figure out the best way forward for the city. 

There was talk of getting more testing assistance

When asked by reporters why a lockdown was not considered, Lee said the latest social-distancing measures would be good enough, and with assistance from the mainland, a lockdown was not necessary at this time.

However, this is what medical experts had called for in order to reach zero Covid, but apparently the suggestion caused a lot of pushback, concerned it would cause panic. 

Like my relatives... who now have even more food... 

One reporter asked what the vaccination strategy would be going forward, but Lee skirted the question, which demonstrates how much of a priority getting the population inoculated, particularly the elderly is.

Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor has said she has set the target of 90 percent vaccinated... is Hong Kong anywhere near that? 

As of today 75.75 percent have had at least one jab, 67.34 per cent are fully vaccinated, only 16.33 percent have had their booster.

But still the most vulnerable, those in the 70s and up are still not vaccinated, whereas those 40-49 are 94 percent jabbed.

More tests for residents to endure in fifth wave

With Lee not stressing tonight the importance of getting vaccinated and having a strategy of getting people jabbed then Hong Kong will continue to be in this situation of exponential cases and not enough being done about it.

It just reflects the weakness of the Lam administration in not being able to be tough with getting its residents inoculated and yet still pushing for "zero-Covid" when over 1,500 cases a day is making this goal practically impossible to reach.

Hongkongers React to Mandatory Tracing App

People using the app on their smartphones at govt buildings

As expected, the first day of making the Leave Home Safe app mandatory in many government buildings including wet markets, libraries, swimming pools did not go as smoothly as expected.

Even a man who had fallen, bloodied his head and rushed to emergency, had to use the app in order to enter the hospital.

And in a show of force, five people who work at Immigration Tower in Wan Chai were arrested for using a fake app. Two were immigration officers, one a member of staff at the Audit Commission and two contractors.

An injured man had to use app to go to hospital

And these people are working for the government...

Meanwhile for ordinary folk, this morning there were lots of people in front of the entrance of the Pei Ho Street Market in Sham Shui Po as many elderly people sought the help of others in installing or using the contact-tracing app.

One shopper, surnamed Wong, resorted to buying a new smartphone to use the app.

"It is too troublesome to fill in a form every time you enter a venue. I had no choice but to buy a new phone," said the 60-year-old.

The media also discovered there weren't enough security guards at all the wet market entrances to enforce use of the app so many snuck in without scanning the QR code.

At Sha Tin Public Library, people moaned about using the app.

"It's convenient for some of us, but not convenient for elderly people who don't have a smartphone... To be honest, many jobless people don't have a phone. What can they do?" asked a man surnamed Ng.

A woman who gave her name as Jenny said she had planned to go to the library but was not willing to use the app to go in.

"Since they require me to scan the QR code, I decided not to enter," she said.

A housewife surnamed Chan said she had been turned away from the Lok Fu Post Office because she didn't have a smartphone.

"It's disruptive. I don't understand why they have to do this. I just want to send some mail. It's unfair to those of us who don't have the app."

There is a big market for second-hand phones

It is evident there is a lot of mistrust of the government and why it is so anxious for residents to use the app.

If that wasn't enough, pro-establishment politicians, in a bid to show their patriotism, have suggested the government enforce using the app in other places too. Lawmaker Michael Tien Puk-sun believes diners of B-type restaurants (four to a table and open until 10pm) will be forced to use the app by mid-November. 

And the University of Hong Kong's health expert Dr Ho Pak-leung, expects supermarkets and shopping malls will adopt the Leave Home Safe app as well. Currently the QR code is at the entrances but no one scans it.

If that wasn't enough, pro-Beijing newspaper Wen Wei Po's editorial said the government should proactively stop people from buying a spare phone specifically for the Leave Home Safe app as a passive tactic against the authorities.

But that only fueled the market for second-hand or cheap smartphones today. People flocked to second-hand electronic stores in places like Mongkok and Sham Shui Po to snap up phones that cost HK$800 (US$102). Most of the buyers were elderly people, according to salesmen.

Tien suggests using app in type B restaurants

"I installed [the app] for the elderly people if they didn't know how to... Some people really don't know how to use a smartphone, just like the customer I served just now. She has never used a smartphone," a seller surnamed Chan said.

This exact scenario was played out back in February when the government pushed residents to use the Leave Home Safe app. Lots of people rushed out to buy cheap smartphones just to use the app. And now it's happening again as it is becoming mandatory in so many places.

They are all buying a second phone for the same reason -- distrust of the government and a belief that the authorities will use the app to scan people's phones to extract personal data.

It's amusing how far each side will go -- the residents versus the government -- in trying to be one step ahead.

But for sure the government will keep pressing people to scan the app wherever they go, again in a bid to make Beijing happy. Because our fearless leader has one goal -- to open the border -- and she will do whatever it takes to get there.

Forcing HK Residents to use Contact-Tracing App

NGOs are giving some donated smartphones to homeless

Starting November 1, the Hong Kong government will make it mandatory for anyone entering a government building, facility, wet market, swimming pool, library and post office to use the Leave Home Safe app in a bid to strengthen contract tracing, even though there are zero local cases for the past 23 consecutive days.

It has forced many, who up until this point, have filled out their details on slips of paper, to either finally download the app on their phone or get a second phone just for this exercise.

Chua hopes govt will be more lenient to people

However, there are still many, particularly the homeless who have no access to smartphones and the NGOs assisting them have asked the government for leniency for this group of people.

"I hope government departments will be lenient, understand people's needs and give them alternatives, like leaving their contact details so they would not be scared off and avoid visiting clinics or the government's social service offices," said Chua Hoi-wai, chief executive of the Hong Kong Council of Social Service.

He hoped there would still be slips of paper available for them to leave their contact details. Chua added some NGOs have handed out donated second-hand smartphones with the app installed to low-income residents and taught them how to use it. 

App must be used in all govt buildings

"We also hope the government will work with us to provide cheaper or second-hand phones to those who have the ability to use but merely cannot afford them," he said during a radio program.

During the same program, Secretary for the Civil Service Patrick Nip Tak-kuen said officials will be lenient at first, but residents should be cooperative in using the app. He added the administration was aware of vulnerable groups that may not have access to smartphones and was making an effort to take that reality into account.

"For those who do not have access to smartphones, they will be asked to leave their personal details. They will be asked to show their identity card and have their names, part of their ID number and contact details jotted down to ensure accuracy," Nip said.

"We understand there will be difficulties when it's first implemented. Our colleagues, based on actual circumstances, will be lenient at first, but we also hope everyone will be cooperative."

He said the number of QR code signs will be increased outside of markets to avoid long queues forming.

Nip says officials will be lenient at first

Does the Leave Home Safe app really work? Hard to tell since we haven't had any recent outbreaks  in the community, and there are many flaws with the app, including not having to register a name due to privacy issues, and not every shop or mall insisted on people scanning the code.

So it seems more of an exercise to tick off the boxes than really helping with contact-tracing...

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)?

 

Contact-Tracing App Put to the Test

The contact-tracing app has not allayed fears of govt snooping

Since Secretary for Health Sophia Chan Siu-chee's announcement Wednesday that from February 18 people will need to use the LeaveHomeSafe app to enter restaurants and other venues that were previously shut, the app has been downloaded 500,000 times, up from 55,000 from yesterday.

People must use the app from February 18

Probably related is that cheap mobile phones have been snapped up just to use this app. The cheapest phone is the Nokia C2 that costs HK$698, but it's sold out in both Fortress and Broadway. A slew of people must have purchased the phone yesterday as it's not a very popular model.

Although there is no need to register, but just download the app, there were concerns it would allow the government to mine more information about the user, such as access to photos, and wifi connections, which the authorities have said are blocked, but to be absolutely safe, people purchased a second phone.

It will be interesting to see if the contact tracing app really is helpful because so far health officials admit it has not been very effective mostly because people are not using it.

Dr Chuang Shuk-kwan of the Centre for Health Protection said Thursday even though people have downloaded the app, they don't necessarily use it.

Dr Chuang (left) says many don't use the app

"We always ask if the patients used the app. If they did, we'll get the data from their apps about where they have been at what time. The app would notify other users if they have been to the same places at the same time. We've done this less than 20 times," she said. "Many people who have downloaded the app on their mobile phones didn't use it." 

So from next Thursday there may be a surge in use of the app -- will the government's servers be able to handle the onslaught? 

The LeaveHomeSafe app allows users to scan a government-issued QR code at 70,000 places from wet markets to shops, restaurants and even parks. The person scans the code when they walk into the premises and then click the "leave" button when exiting.

The app can be used in taxis

In taxis, users can scan the taxi registration mark or manually input the registration mark. 

The concept is that if someone else is found to be infected and was at the same place and time as you, an alert will be made on the phone and send you some healthcare advice.

The government claims the records of a person's whereabouts are encrypted and only held in the phone for 31 days.

So we shall see if this LeaveHomeSafe app really works next week...

 

 

Get Ready for the Fourth Coronavirus Wave

Hongkongers' test samples will be analyzed in these temporary labs

Today Hong Kong recorded 18 new coronavirus cases, and residents being able to dine in restaurants until 9pm got a slow start. It seems people are not as eager to eat out again, or don't have the financial means to do so.

It must be a struggle for restaurants to stay in business, though many did not expect staying open another three hours would have a dramatic effect on their revenues.

Yuen warns people to prepare for the fourth wave in the fall

As if that wasn't enough bad news, an infectious diseases expert who advises the government on the pandemic, says we should be prepared for a fourth wave coming in the fall, because the cool, dry weather makes it easier to spread respiratory diseases.

"Summarizing Hong Kong's anti-epidemic experience over the last seven months can help us to prepare for the fourth wave of infections in the autumn-winter season this year," Professor Yuen Kwok-yung of the University of Hong Kong said on a radio program today.

He said even if the pandemic eased after two more weeks, it could only be called a "pyrrhic victory".

This latest wave, Yuen said, showed in the gene sequencing that the strain came from southeast Asia and was likely spread in the city by taxi drivers and restaurants.

"So, our border control must be almost 'watertight', and the number of people exempted from quarantine should be minimized as far as possible. All exempted persons should have virus tests in Hong Kong after arrival," he said.

Hui is hoping 5 million people will get tested these two weeks

Yuen also advised residents to minimize the time they spent taking their masks off to dine or chatting in a group, noting over half of the infection clusters were related to restaurants, bars, karaoke lounges and the like.

There were also clusters in wet markets, elderly care homes, construction sites, dormitories for domestic helpers, and the city's port.

To speed up contact tracing, Yuen suggested people take down the license plate numbers of transport that they take, as well as the addresses and phone numbers of restaurants and shops where they spend more than 15 minutes.

It sounds tedious but a good tip to help investigators track down possible close contacts as quickly as possible.

Meanwhile, today is the first day people can register online for universal virus testing that starts on Tuesday. So far 220,00 people have signed up. The government says there is no expected number of participants, though it is strongly urging people to take advantage of the free test, and even took full front page ads of all the Chinese-language newspapers -- except Apple Daily -- to promote the testing.

Chuang is now towing the line, advising people to get tested

Another adviser to the government, Dr David Hui Shu-cheong is hoping 5 million people will get tested during the two-week period.

Will his wish come true?

When it was first reported that the central government would send manpower and fund the universal testing scheme in Hong Kong, the Centre for Health Protection's Dr Chuang Shuk-kwan didn't even know about it.

But this afternoon she recommended that people get tested...

Officials are finally falling into line. But will they take the test themselves?

That's the real test.

Stormy Days Ahead in Third Coronavirus Wave

The gloomy weather on Sunday reflected people's mood

Today Hong Kong reported another 80 coronavirus cases for a total of 3,669,  though the death toll went up by four to 42.

The focus is now on two wet markets, Hung Hom and Tokwawan where there were two more infections at the former, one at the latter. Both markets were closed earlier to have a thorough disinfection.

Social-distancing measures are set to continue for at least another week, with the dining-in ban from 6pm to 5am. Numerous restaurants in Hong Kong may not survive after this third wave, as it is difficult for them to pivot to doing more takeaway, which does not earn them as much as patrons dining in.

Yuen Kwok-yung inspects Hung Hom wet market

If more of them close, then more people are going to be out of work. I bumped into a young Singaporean chef on Sunday while walking along the waterfront. Since the new dining-in restrictions have been in place, business has dropped significantly at the food court in Central where he serves Singaporean dishes like laksa and nasi lemak.

The food court, which opened two months ago, mostly services office workers in the building upstairs, but most of them are now working from home. Also that food court has no agreement with any delivery services, which means he's had to set up an alternate location for food delivery pick-up.

This is his first business venture and while it's temporary, it's still not a good sign when you've been doing everything you can to keep the business afloat, but there are so many factors beyond your control. He knows cutting staff would help financially, but he feels this would be awful to do to people and is trying to figure out other ways to keep everyone employed.

Another young businessman runs a space for guest chef pop-ups, but that's been obliterated since the pandemic in late January. He quickly pivoted to doing special dinners cooked by local chefs, offering cooking classes and bake sales, and for two months managed to pay the rent this way.

Been supportive buying these desserts!

But now with no dinner service, he can only depend on doing home catering for clients, and while it's decent money, it's a lot of physical labour, carrying all the ingredients, plates and pots, pans, and cutlery to the customer's home.

This was probably not what the father of a young child had in mind when he started this business over five years ago, but now he is hustling any way he can to keep going. He's had to dig into his savings to pay this past month's rent.

It's difficult to watch these guys work so hard and yet they can't seem to get a break...

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?

Toilet Paper, Masks and Rice are Prized Commodities

Two women clutching their prized toilet paper packs in Hong Kong

Last night the shelves that were supposed to stock toilet paper were bare in a large supermarket in my neighbourhood. It was completely cleared out, and after seeing this in several stores over several days, it's worrying.

It's a sad indictment of the Hong Kong government when people are desperately searching for toilet paper even though supermarkets and distributors have tried to reassure the public there is more than enough bog roll to go around.

The largest supermarket in the district is empty of toilet paper

This morning I was in Central on my way to the gym when I spied someone carrying a pack of toilet paper, and she was coming from a supermarket nearby. I decided to check it out as I had never been to Food Le Parc, a bizarre name for a supermarket owned by tycoon Li Ka-shing.

And bingo! There were several shoppers there each with two packs of toilet paper in each of their carts. The price was more expensive than usual, but heck -- you need it, right?

I also got a roll of paper towels, as I was truly running out.

Afterwards, I clutched my toilet paper pack close to my chest and carried it to the gym where I stored it in my locker. Luckily I didn't get any strange looks.

Anthony Lam says there is more than enough rice for a month

However when I came back to Kennedy Town and went up the escalator to the wet market, one woman going down spied my prized possession and asked if I had gotten it from the pharmacy. "I got it in Central," I replied, much to her surprise.

Meanwhile it seems rice is still also a precious commodity, and Anthony Lam Sai-ho, a rice importer and member of the Trade and Industry Department's Customer Liaison Group for Rice, tried to tell the public there were no need to panic when it came to enough rice in the city.

He said the government's rice reserve as well as the industry's own stockpile would be enough to meet the city's demand for more than a month. But even if Hong Kong needed more rice, it could be imported within 10 days or less, as most of it is sourced from Thailand and Vietnam.

Most of Hong Kong's rice comes from Thailand and Vietnam

Lam said the city's 229 importers were required to set aside 17 percent of their monthly import for reserve, which at the end of January was at 13,000 tonnes, enough for about 15 days. And then there is another stockpile by importers that was about 14,000 tonnes, again enough for more than two weeks' consumption.

However, people are still stockpiling on rice, emptying shelves of the staple faster than shop staff can restock them.





My relatives who came back from northern Japan managed to secure enough masks for their family of three for three months. They scoured every pharmacy, supermarket and convenience shop for them. In some places they could only buy packs of three, in other places they managed to buy boxes of 60.

A lot of people are shopping for masks in Japan

On their flight back to Hong Kong this morning, they noticed elderly passengers had lots of luggage and assumed they too were hunting for masks, a more important concern than seeing the sights. They also saw many young families from Hong Kong who were also on holiday since school is still out until mid March.

One more thing about toilet paper -- the Consumer Council has also advised people not to hoard toilet paper, and that they should not store their numerous packs of toilet paper in the bathroom where it is more humid and germs often thrive. Better to stick them in a dry ventilated space.

People won't be needing to buy toilet paper for a while... right?



 

Burmese Noodles in Old Macau

A bowl of Burmese rice noodles with fish balls in Macau's old district

When I met my Singapore friend who used to work in Macau, her husband's first order of business was to go to the Three Lamps District in old Macau. It's called "Three Lamps" because there's a roundabout with three lamp posts there.

On one side is a mini open wet market where you can buy flowers, get keys cut, or simple electronic gadgets fixed, and of course buy food. There's fresh produce like vegetables, homemade tofu and noodles, lemongrass and chillis, and also snacks like banh mi, and large chunks of char siu and roast goose ready to be taken home and eaten.

Soy chickens and quails for sale at this shop in the wet market

Directly opposite the wet market area and going up a few steps from the roundabout is Resturante Birmanes Nga Heong, a Burmese noodle shop.

There are apparently a few thousand Burmese living in the former Portuguese enclave and there are a handful of Burmese restaurants in Macau. Restaurante Birmanes Nga Heong is cheap, though the staff aren't very cheerful.

We got there just before the lunchtime rush and perused through the menu. My friend and her husband both got noodles marinated in a soy sauce and topped with shredded roast chicken and chopped scallions. They also ordered a dish of pork chop that came in a thin slice and cut up into strips.

Thin strips of pork chop that are slightly sweet

I ordered a spicy and sour noodle soup that has fish cakes in it, but I asked them to substitute them with fish balls instead.

Soon my order arrived piping hot and thank goodness not too spicy though it looks quite red! I enjoyed the sourness of the soup base, the rice noodles soaking in the flavour along with the springy fish balls.

We also ordered a plate of choi sum, the vegetables very tender and in season.

Despite us enjoying the meal, it was a bit of a challenge dealing with a waitress who was hardly patient with us. But really we came for the food.

The Burmese noodle shop at Three Lamps District

Apparently this place is also known for its creamy chicken curry and black soy bean milk.

Restaurante Birmanes Nga Heong
27F-GF Rua de Fernao Mendes Pinto R/C
Macau
(853) 2852 8129

More Clashes with Police in Kowloon

Police provoke clashes with protesters with pepper spray and tear gas in TST

This afternoon an illegal gathering in Tsim Sha Tsui quickly got very tense. Protesters had gathered in front of the Hong Kong Space Museum on Salisbury Road at 3pm and around 40 minutes later riot police charged at them and fired tear gas... again.

The provocation led to some protesters and media to seek shelter across the street at The Peninsula Hong Kong. They came in while the hotel's iconic afternoon tea session was happening in the lobby, so guests got a dose of tear gas and witnessed what was happening outside.

#LIVE: One’s luxurious afternoon tea is flavoured by police tear gas. The Peninsula, one of the oldest hotels in Hong Kong, has let a group of protesters in to take refugee while some guests are still having afternoon tea. They are also affected by the gas at the lobby. #antiELAB pic.twitter.com/lEpf9CvwgQ

— Ezra Cheung (@ezracheungtoto) October 27, 2019

Some tweeted thanks to the owner of the hotel, Michael Kadoorie, for allowing people to seek refuge in the hotel... but it's too early to tell if this was the hotel policy or not. However, as there have been many protests in the last few months that have happened across the street, hotel staff probably have contingency plans in place.

Nevertheless, Kadoorie had said in August that more needs to be done to help young people.

 Kadoorie has said more needs to be done for young people

"I have spoken many times of how our young people are Hong Kong's future. We cannot leave them in desperation or despair. It is the responsibility of us all to rebuild trust in the community and create hope for the younger generation."

A journalist tweeted that perhaps the Chinese would not look too fondly on The Peninsula and suggest a boycott of the hotel, but so far that hasn't happened.

Businesses just want to be neutral to avoid any backlash, as evidenced by the destruction of shops and cafes that have some kind of mainland Chinese links.

I usually stay holed up at home on Sundays, but had to get out to buy something at the wet market. On the way home I bumped into a chef who looks after two restaurants, one in IFC, the other in Sheung Wan.

Typically the one in the shopping mall does very well, but because of the protests, the mall closes early as a safety precaution, ending hopes of dinner service. It also scares away customers. If they do come, they eat at 6pm and leave by 8pm.

Not just young people, middle-aged protesters clash with police

He said surprisingly the restaurant in Sheung Wan is doing well, perhaps because of the cooler weather and its location is not where protesters are milling around.

Nevertheless, he's had to cut staff, and work harder, taking on any catering requests, at people's homes with full-on white truffle menus, to dinners for 80 people.

He doesn't have an opinion about who is right or wrong -- he just wants the protests to end so that he can go back to business as usual.

However it's not that simple, nor will it end anytime soon.

But this week could give some kind of indication. The fourth plenum of the Communist Party of China will start on Monday and it is expected that the Hong Kong protests will be one of the issues discussed, and what to do with Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor.

A swirling mass of tear gas in Mongkok this evening

Will she stay or will she go?

We'll find out the protesters' reaction this coming weekend...