Lam Drops Hotel Quarantine to 14 Days

Lam announces hotel quarantines will be reduced to 14 days

Today Hong Kong recorded a record 164 Covid-19 cases, the most logged in a single day since the pandemic began in January 2020. There is now a new cluster in Wong Tai Sin.

It was not surprising then that Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor announced that social-distancing measures would continue until February 17, while in-person classes will be suspended until February 21.

One bright spot was that travellers coming back to Hong Kong would only need to do hotel quarantine for two weeks and then one week at home starting from February 5. 

A record number of 164 cases logged today

The decision to shorten the quarantine period came after persistent complaints from travellers and companies paying high quarantine costs for employees.

Currently Hong Kong residents who return to Hong Kong must undergo quarantine for 21 days in designated hotels, while those arriving from countries with serious Covid issues like the United States must first quarantine for four days at Penny's Bay before completing the rest of the quarantine in a hotel.

Finally today a tycoon spoke out about the tough measures the government has implemented in a bid to have a "zero-Covid" goal, saying the restrictions were seriously impacting businesses. 

Ronnie Chan, chairman of Hang Lung Properties has read reports that the Omicron variant is much like the influenza, and should be treated as such.

"It seems Omicron is going in the direction of becoming flu-like. It is possible to consider how the policy needs to progress. There may be a need to study the possibility of a change," he said on Thursday.

Chan said the current zero-Covid policy would make sense if the virus caused a high percentage of deaths. He said an approach based on building herd immunity would be "fine" if the current wave of infections does prove similar to influenza.

Chan calls for easing of social-distancing 

Hang Lung is the first Hong Kong developer to openly call for a change in Covid-19 policy.

Chan said the city is "in a difficult situation". It is "stuck in the middle", between the need for people to cross the border with mainland China freely, and the desire to align with other countries.

"Of course, Hong Kong is a big international city. So we need to align with the world," he said. "The fact that the staff of big companies [have not been] able to return to Hong Kong without [undergoing a quarantine of] three weeks, is extremely difficult to accept in terms of commercial sense."

When will other tycoons start voicing their opinions as well? Surely they are tired of being stuck in their mansions on The Peak and want a chance of scenery like the rest of us?

Seems that Lam did listen to him and shorten the hotel quarantine time, but it is still 21 days for no specific scientific reason, when Omicron can be detected within the first few days.

In any event, the 15 days of Chinese New Year are completely cancelled, and Valentine's Day too.

The Year of the Tiger will not be off to a roaring start... will we have better news after the Winter Olympics are over?

One can only hope.

Omicron Weighs Down on HK

More testing unveiled another 98 local positive cases

The Omicron wave is wearing down on Hong Kong with another 109 new cases confirmed today, 98 of them local. There is another 100 preliminary positive cases for tomorrow.

Most of the infections have come from Yat Kwai and Ying Kwai houses, the housing estate in Kwai Chung, and now there is the possibility of another cluster forming in Wong Tai Sin, that may be linked to an infected hamster.

Meanwhile a friend who lives in Pui O told me tonight that her daughter's classmate who lives near them had tested positive, and several of the pupils and their families have been sent to Penny's Bay to quarantine. 

CHP warns of possible cluster in Wong Tai Sin

My friend and her husband are already thinking if they need to quarantine, what kinds of items they would bring. Her daughter suggested clothes, while my friend thought a power strip would be more useful...

She said Omicron has suddenly become more real for them. No kidding.

Hope she and her family don't get roped into Penny's Bay. It would be a drag having to spend Chinese New Year there...

Speaking of quarantine, there's a quirky story from China hailing a pilot for being the modern Lei Feng, the Mao-era soldier who symbolised selfless giving, modesty, and dedication, that resulted in the Communist Party using him for propaganda purposes.

Today there's China Southern Airlines A380 pilot Ma Jian, and his employer last week proclaimed him the "King of Quarantine". He earned the honour after spending a whopping 189 days in quarantine in 2021 -- 52 percent of the calendar year, so he could deliver "thousands of passengers and supplies around the world."

Pilot Ma Jian spent 189 days in quarantine

So Ma is considered a hero for spending more than half the year sitting around in hotel rooms to pass the time?

Doesn't seem half as productive as a Chinese man surnamed Yue who was trying to look for his 19-year-old son who went missing in 2020. 

The 43-year-old Yue quit his job as a fishing boat sailor and searched for his son in northern China. While he was doing that he picked up all kinds of part time work to support his wife and younger son, as well as pay for his elderly parents' medical bills.

It turns out Yue worked day and night. In Beijing he worked at construction sites, restaurants, office buildings, residential compounds, a trash collection point, and a shopping mall. Over the span of two weeks, he did 31 gigs, including many overnight ones, and only ate out once.

How do we know all this? Because he contracted Covid-19 and his detailed itinerary was revealed publicly in a bid to do contact tracing.

The posting of his itinerary reminded many middle-class people how difficult life is for migrant workers and how poorly they are treated in terms of work conditions and pay.

The 43-year-old toiled day and night. This month, in Beijing, he worked at construction sites, restaurants, office buildings, residential compounds, a trash collection point, and a shopping mall. Over the course of two weeks, he did 31 gigs, including many overnight ones, and only ate out once

A Very Quiet Year of the Ox

Victoria Park used to be packed for Lunar New Year fairs

 The upcoming Year of the Ox is going to be duller and duller.

In a not-so-surprising announcement today, the government said the annual Lunar New Year fireworks would be cancelled, the second year in the row because of the coronavirus pandemic; last year it was because of the anti-government protests.

People can't make wishes this year in Tai Po

Not only will there be no fireworks to light up the sky and scare off the evil spirits, but also the traditional new year fairs held in places like Victoria Park will not be organized this year, as well as the night parade and the Well-Wishing Festival in Lam Tsuen, where people throw a wish tied to a mandarin orange and hope it hands on a branch of the wishing tree in Tai Po. 

However, there is still no clarification on whether events will go ahead at Wong Tai Sin Temple and Che Kung Temple in Sha Tin. Usually diehards will be in the front of the line to rush to the alter to make the first offerings of the new year at midnight (this year February 12) at Wong Tai Sin Temple, or the following day at Che Kung Temple. 

What is there left to do really except stay at home and eat radish cake and new year puddings? 

In more uplifting news, lawyer and district councillor Daniel Wong Kwok-tung was finally released on bail after 40 hours in police custody. The 72-year old spoke to reporters, saying: 

Lawyer Daniel Wong free after 40 hours detained

"I will continue to use my professional knowledge and work on what I profoundly believe should be done. A lawyer will never break the law so I don't know why they come after me," he said.

Wong said no evidence was taken, and will continue his work tomorrow morning of visiting those detained. 

A man on a mission.

Protesters Mourn Hong Kong

Tens of thousands of people braved the heat and smog to march today

Today was supposed to be deadline day to clear out the protesters so that President Xi Jinping could have a flawless celebration of the 70th anniversary of the People's Republic of China. And for the most part it was -- the soldiers stepping perfectly in time -- even practicing standing for two hours and only blinking 40 seconds at a time. Xi pulled out all the military hardware and people in the parade waved wildly towards the rostrum.

This contrasted with jubilant celebrations in Beijing

But the patriotic celebrations up north did not reverberate down south. Instead protesters marked the anniversary with a funeral theme, wearing black and throwing lots of "hell money" that is usually burned to give to ancestors in the afterlife.

And then around 4pm, what we all feared the most happened -- a Hong Kong police officer shot an 18-year-old this afternoon in Tsuen Wan during a series of violent protests all over the city. Following surgery, the male student is said to be in critical condition and this incident has further inflamed protesters and the public about how the police force have handled 17 weeks of protests.

A week ago during a town hall meeting, Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor said it was remarkable that no one had been killed -- it was her way of pointing out the police had shown great restraint towards the protesters compared to elsewhere in the world.

The moment a student was shot by a police officer

However just moments before the shooting, the protester swung a thin metal rod at a police officer who retaliated by shooting a live round at close range, apparently out of self defense. The student fell to the ground and felt his chest hurt and asked for an ambulance. As of 10.20pm, there are reports saying bullet fragments have been removed from his lung where he was shot, just 3cm from his heart.

While his condition is not life threatening, the police have a lot to answer for this dramatic escalation. Police senior superintendent Yolanda Yu commented on the incident, saying the officer shot the live round to "save his life and his colleagues' lives".

She doesn't even relay the facts properly, only saying the 18-year-old was shot in "the left shoulder area", as if to play down the seriousness of the incident, but goes on to say how the protesters are rioters rampaging over the city.

Water cannons shooting water with blue dye at protesters

How is this all going to end?

The annual October 1 march was banned by the police yesterday, and in the hopes of further mitigating the situation, the MTR shut down a number of stations to try to prevent people from assembling. However, tens of thousands of people showed up at East Point Road in Causeway Bay before 1pm and led by some pan-democrats, defied the police and marched down Hennessy Road all the way to Chater Garden in Central.

While that march was peaceful, along with a few eggs pelted at a large portrait of Xi, a smaller number of protesters began heading towards Western district where the liaison office is, but a large group of riot police armed with a water cannon were there to greet them.

Running battles ensued from Central to Wan Chai and Causeway Bay, while others were in Sha Tin, Wong Tai Sin, Sham Shui Po and Tsuen Wan, where the student got shot. Over 180 people were arrested and will be charged with rioting. If convicted, they could be sentenced for up to 10 years in jail.

Carrie Lam on the Tiananmen rostrum enjoying herself

Meanwhile earlier in the day Lam was seen enjoying herself during the 70th anniversary parade in Beijing, but strangely wearing a green round-neck top and tweed blazer, when every other senior leader was sporting a red tie.

Was her not being in Hong Kong a signal that the police could have their way with the protesters? The violent confrontations were also dangerous for reporters and in the evening, some media outlets like RTHK decided to pull back their reporters.

This is not good for freedom of the press -- the police must be held accountable for their actions and this can only be done by reporters on the ground. But as the situation becomes more hairy, how can they do their jobs relatively safely?

Protesters throwing "hell money" to mourn the loss of HK

Too many questions, and not enough answers. Will Lam hold another town hall meeting to engage with Hong Kong residents? Will the police own up to its brutal tactics? Meanwhile more MTR stations have been trashed, along with apparently pro-Beijing shops and restaurants, entire shopping malls shut down, bringing the city to a halt.

There needs to be reconciliation, not just dialogue, Carrie. Withdrawing the extradition bill is not enough to satisfy the protesters... or you haven't figured that out yet?

Students Keep Protest Momentum Going

Even Mickey Mouse with an eye patch was out protesting this morning

Early this morning before class, thousands of students from at least 100 schools joined hands in front of their institutions and chanted slogans in a bid to get attention from Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor.

Much like the human chain that spread across Hong Kong on August 23, the students joined hands -- or if they were too shy to hold hands, they held a pen or poster between them and shouted, "All five demands, not one less!" that is one of many slogans in the anti-government protests.

Students hold hands outside St Paul's Co-education College

The students were from such schools as St Paul's Co-educational College, St Stephens College, Pui Ching Middle School, Wa Ying College, King's College, True Light Girls' College, Heep Yunn School, Wah Yan College and Diocesan Girls' School.

The largest student chain was made up of students from 18 schools in Yau Ma Tei, Homantin, and Tokwawan, while others were from Wong Tai Sin to Tsz Wan Shan, from Yau Ma Tei to Prince Edward, and in Central and Western District.

A student surnamed Li said: "We must protect our home despite our limited strength. Therefore we launched an action called 'The Road to Freedom' connecting a 5km chain through Tokwawan, Homantin and Yau Ma Tei. When injust is a fact, revolution becomes a right. We must stand with Hong Kong pople and never stand down until the five demands are achieved.

Students in Wan Chai formed a human chain

It wasn't just students taking part, but also parents and alumnae of the various schools.

Parent Sammy Lee said he had to support his son, as it was his first time taking part in a social movement. "I think in the future, as a Hong Kong resident, he will understand there are various ways to pursue justice. Don't look down at the subtle power of students. They can also express their demands intelligently."

One male student who wore a tear gas mask, goggles and helmet wasn't optimistic that Lam would give into the other four demands, but felt protesters should continue to do whatever they can for now.

But even younger kids have taken part too. This was from the rain-soaked August 18 march when 1.7 million people took part. Love this kid.

AUG 18/A child standing in a foot bridge leads the protesters to chant slogan:”Hongkongers, keep going”.1.7 million take part in the demonstration in downtown Hong Kong Sunday to press their demands over the No China Extradition bill. (EYEPRESS TV) pic.twitter.com/QovyBIBQWG

— EYEPRESS NEWS (@eyepressnews) August 18, 2019

Carrie's Not Budging Again

Carrie Lam reiterated she would not meet protesters' five demands

This morning Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor made an appearance following the violent clashes in Kowloon over the weekend.

She admitted there was a stalemate in that the government would not accede to the protesters' five demands.

"It's not a question of not responding, it is a question of not accepting those demands," she said.

Police officers in one-on-one combat with protesters

People all over Hong Kong could be heard collectively banging their heads against the wall or table. My colleague did.

But Carrie, this is what people want! Lots of people from all walks of life, from students to medical staff to lawyers to accountants to civil servants and even top city leaders and politicians.

While she claimed the extradition bill was "abandoned", it has not technically been withdrawn which is what the people want, and in the Legislative Council, the bill has to be withdrawn. It cannot be "abandoned" or "dead".

When trust in her has plummeted so fast, the least she can do to recover some dignity and integrity is to withdraw the bill.

But no, she refuses to do so and refuses to explain why. It's as if she lives in a parallel universe where the people see things that she can't register at all.

The police have arrested 883 people since June

In her appearance before the media, Lam said she was disappointed to see peace was disrupted by violent protests this weekend and said the government would use the law to bring order into Hong Kong.

"All laws in Hong Kong -- if they can provide a legal means to stop violence and chaos -- the SAR government is responsible for looking into them," she said.

Meanwhile, former chief executive Leung Chun-ying seems to be taking the law into his own hands and wants to do something about these protests disrupting the city.

He has bought the domain name www.803.hk, where he advertises his tip line for people to call in to rat on protesters. And to motivate them he has also put "prices" in terms of what he would pay if someone comes forward with enough information to convict a protester.

"We come from different sectors of society, and we hope Hong Kong can return to calmness as soon as possible," the website says. "The rewards come from the public entirely and we will crowdfund in the future."

A website with a snitch hotline offers bounties for protesters

For throwing the Chinese flag into Victoria Harbour, he will pay between HK$200,000 to HK$1 million, covering the Chinese emblem at the liaison office for HK$1 million, the Bauhinia emblem in the Legislative Council on July 1 is worth HK$500,000 (why half the amount of the Chinese emblem?), and breaking into Legco HK$500,000.

Others include setting a fire at the Tsim Sha Tsui police station, causing chaos at Hong Kong International Airport, and the various incidents in Yuen Long, Wong Tai Sin, Sha Tin, Kwai Fong and North Point.

One reporter called the number to only hear an automated message asking the caller to leave contact details.

How successful will this snitch line be in settling the escalating crisis? Will people be tempted? Or there won't be enough information for a successful prosecution.

The Hong Kong police have already arrested 883 people since June, including a 12-year-old. Do we need more people in jail?

The Battle Continues in Kowloon

Protesters were back putting out tear gas on the streets in Kwun Tong today

The peaceful protests last weekend ended today with police firing numerous rounds of tear gas in Kowloon Bay, Wong Tai Sin and Sham Shui Po so far. About 18 people have been arrested and there have been a few serious injuries involving their faces. It's not good.

What has made the situation worse is the MTR has made it harder for everyone to get around. After criticism from Beijing for allegedly aiding and abetting the protesters, the MTR got a court injunction to arrest anyone who vandalizes the stations and trains, or blocks carriages, which is fine, but now it has prevented people from using it whenever there is a demonstration.

Residents angry they can't access the MTR this afternoon

This afternoon the MTR warned it would shut down Kwun Tong station because of the police sanctioned march there. That left residents in the area unable to use the public transport system to get to work or do their shopping or even to come home. They were furious with the MTR staff, and no one senior enough was around to take the verbal abuse.

Perhaps the MTR or Beijing was hoping this harder stance would make it harder for protesters to show up at the march, but the plan backfired. And since the MTR is majority owned by the Hong Kong government, by extension the residents were angry at their government. And again there is no recourse, as everyone needs to use the MTR and taxpayer dollars go there too. So... again this is why Hongkongers need universal suffrage!

Beijing has strong armed Cathay Pacific and now the MTR. Who is next?

One piece of good news is that British consulate employee Simon Cheng Man-kit has been released and is now back in Hong Kong with his family. There was also a group of 10 university students who were detained in Tibet, but they have also been released now.

One protester puts his tennis racquet to good use

Why would anyone want to go to Chinese these days?

Now that Hong Kong is in the international spotlight, China is trying desperately to put up a curtain and say, "Nothing going on here, move along".

A letter sent by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China, says "the so-called 'anti-amendment' is nothing more than a hyped-up pretext," writes Hua Chunying, director general of the Information Department.

"When you look at the current situation, you'll find that those radical, violent and criminal behaviors have gone far beyond freedom of speech and peaceful assembly. They have seriously threatened the safety of Hong Kong residents and their property, severely undermined Hong Kong's rule of law and social order, gravely challenged the bottom line of 'one country, two systems', and pushed Hong Kong to a dangerous brink."

Hua's letter dated August 20 was sent to over 30 foreign media outlets. 

Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokeswoman Hua Chunying

First of all, what is this "anti-amendment" she is talking about? If she means the anti-extradition protests, they have been dragging out so long because the Hong Kong government has done nothing to address this issue.

Is Hong Kong at a "dangerous brink"? Not yet no. But she is repeating what Beijing has said before. If repeated enough, perhaps people will believe it.

She then advises journalists to take up their "social responsibility and make reports that are neutral, objective, impartial and comprehensive so that your coverage may help those protesters ignorant of the truth to get back on the right path, and help those who have been seriously misled to come to a rational and fair judgment".

That sounds eerily like Uighurs who have been led astray by Islam and need to be sent to concentration camps to be "reeducated".

Again the language shows a hardline paternalistic attitude towards Hong Kong and young people...  

Fact of the Day: 28,000 Cross-border Students

Students going through border control check points before going to school

Did you know there are 28,000 kids who live on the mainland and cross the border everyday to go to school in Hong Kong?

In the 2010-11 school year there were 9,899 of them, and 24,990 2014-15.

Twenty-eight thousand is a staggering number of them, but also illustrates the demand for good education by mainland parents.

Today was the first day of school, and for some of them -- the poor things -- had a four-hour commute.

Four-hour commutes to school are tiring for children

They were up at 6am to take the school bus to the border at Man Kam To by 7am, but it took over an hour to get through immigration. Then to make matters worse, the school bus drive in the Hong Kong side took a longer route to get to Tsuen Wan Trade Association Primary School in Tsing Yi.

Those 20 students didn't arrive to school until 10.15am.

Another 40 students coming from Huanggang border point arrived an hour late, but it was 45 minutes earlier than last year.

The school principal, Chow Kim-ho, says the school admitted 50 primary one cross-border pupils this year, which made up 62 percent of the total intake in this grade. He said it would take about two weeks for the buses to adjust and arrive to school on time.

Up until 2013, North District schools were inundated with an influx of cross-border students and it was that year when the Hong Kong government introduced a separate cross-border school catchment area, where 122 primary schools in eight districts, reserved 3,000 spots for students.

School buses shuttle students to and from border points

Previously cross-border students would compete with local ones for spaces.

But some cross-border children who live closer to the border may have to go further into Hong Kong to go to school in areas like Tsing Yi, Tung Chung or even Wong Tai Sin.

Pity these kids who have such long commutes, and then have to go home, have dinner and do homework and then do it all over again the next day.

Their parents really do think the education system is better in Hong Kong, while ironically local parents would rather their children be educated in international schools if they can afford it.

Guess it's all relative...

Hong Kong's Teething Problems

Hong Kong children need to learn more about the importance of healthy teeth

For the most part Hong Kong people are very conscious about their appearance, washing their hands a lot and bathing. They use 220 litres of water per capita per day -- way above the global average of 130 litres per capita per day.

But you'd think that hygiene ritual would include dental care, but apparently not enough attention is focused on the teeth.

The University of Hong Kong's Faculty of Dentistry has found that two out of five children, or 37 percent of the 23,000 students in 125 kindergartens examined in the last academic year had dental cavities.

This averages out to 1.5 decayed teeth, 0.1 tooth less than two years ago. Although the overall prevalence rate of tooth decay in kindergarten pupils has dropped from 44 percent two years ago to 37 percent, Dr Chu Chun-hung, from the faculty's Community and Family Dentistry, said the situation warranted serious concern.

In the United States, the prevalence for tooth decay in children two to five years of age was 23 percent, and 18 percent in three-year-olds in Japan.

"The eruption of permanent teeth begins when they are six years old until 12. Decayed teeth could affect their learning at school, as there could be pain and fever," Chu said.

Those kids studying in Sham Shui Po, Wong Tai Sin and North District had more decayed teeth than average, around 1.9 to 2 teeth.

Dr Edward Lo Chin-man, chair professor in dental public health at HKU suggests this could be because of the parents' educational and wealth levels. He said some parents neglected the importance of cleaning the children's teeth because they think there are other more important things to look after.

Lo said the government should expand its dental care service from primary schools to kindergartens.

What's even more shocking is that in March, experts said more than 90 percent of five-year-olds in Hong Kong with cavities did not get treatment because their parents weren't aware of it, and that many patients didn't see a dentist until they were in their 50s or older.

This is such a bizarre observation considering most Hong Kong people are very conscientious about their grooming habits. But obviously they have not been taught, either by their parents or at school, about the importance of good dental care.

Having clean teeth and healthy gums also indicate the overall health of the individual, as some health problems can be detected by a dentist looking in someone's mouth.

But there are probably the usual fears of visiting the dentist and being scared of the pain, or concerns about the cost, but many Hong Kong people don't understand the benefits and the necessity of checking in with a dentist at least once a year.

As Lo says the government needs to educate people about how teeth in good condition are a sign of a healthy body, just like washing hands.

The MTR these days makes public announcements of how people should use a tissue when they sneeze, and wash their hands frequently. Maybe adding that people should brush their teeth twice a day and floss should be added...

Pre-New Year Rituals

Many locals come to Wong Tai Sin to pray to the gods to improve their fates

Yesterday my friend and I made our second annual pilgrimage to Wong Tai Sin ahead of Chinese New Year on January 31.

We arrived late in the afternoon and thankfully it wasn't too busy, and a beautiful day to visit.

The temple is very organized, with designated places for people to light their incense, and periodically staff remove these joss sticks from containers in front of altars so that they don't get too crowded and catch fire, or people burn themselves. It's a shame people use a lot of the incense sticks, but everyone wants to make their offerings to the gods.

More offerings and bows to the gods

We also contributed to the mass pile of incense, buying a packet each and lighting them. Then we visited each of the gods of wealth, health, blessings and then Wong Tai Sin or Great Immortal Wong himself.

After placing most of the incense there, we paid a visit to the god of marriage, but we didn't subject ourselves to a strange ritual in how you present red ribbons to the deity before tying the knot on the marriage rope between statues of a bride and groom. I did it last year and got me no where!

We visited a few more deities before picking up a can filled with bamboo sticks and did "kao cim" where you decide what you want to ask for, then shake the can at an angle until one stick comes out that has a number on it.

When this was done we hunted down a fortune teller to help us decipher the poems correlated to the numbers we had.

My friend wanted to see a relatively famous fortune teller and there was a line in front of his stall. We waited about half an hour, and got in just before 5pm, closing time.

As a result he was very quick with reading my fortune, rambling on as if he'd said this many times before (probably true), throwing in cliche phrases here and there.

The god of marriage is popular at this time

Basically all he said was: These fortunes aren't great so just stay the course. HK$60 please.

I didn't take much stock into what he said -- while they were somewhat related to my birth month and year, he didn't ask me much more than that and didn't make any calculations, hence the stock phrases.

So while he says to stay the course, I'd rather take fate into my own hands and make some lemonade this year with a splash of vodka to make things more interesting. Life's too short to pick out crappy fortunes.