The Bizarre Case of Stolen Saliva Samples

The outpatient clinic where the elderly man took the box of saliva samples

On Thursday a box of saliva samples disappeared from a general outpatient clinic in Tseung Kwan O in the early afternoon.

It strangely turns out an 82-year-old man took the box to use as a shield as it was raining heavily at the time.

The box contained these bags

The box, which contained of saliva samples people had left there to be tested, was reported missing around 1pm.

After reviewing the security camera footage, it was found that an elderly man had taken the box to protect himself from the rain.

He told the clinic where he left the box, and the police managed to retrieve it within 15 minutes at 7.45pm that evening.

The man was subsequently arrested on suspicion of theft.

Why would he use a box filled with saliva samples as an umbrella over his head??? Did he know what was in the box? Or did he think no one would notice?

I have seen this collection box before in an outpatient clinic, and it was placed on the floor by the door. But still... why would you use this box? It is clearly marked that it is holding saliva samples that even says "biohazard" in English and Chinese on the plastic bags!

Now the clinic is contacting those who had placed their samples in the box to re-do the test again...

As for stepped up security, will they hire someone to watch a cardboard box? But maybe the clinic could provide extra umbrellas for people to "borrow" next time there's heavy rain...

Tests Yield Few Results So Far

Over 800,000 have signed up to take the free coronavirus virus test so far

Today it was reported in the universal testing scheme, of the 128,000 tested so far, only six were found to be positive, four of which were recovered patients who were discharged last month. So basically only two new cases were found.

That means the program so far has a success rate of 0.0046 percent.

Dr Yuen demonstrating how to take self-tests

According to Dr Chuang Shuk-kwan of the Centre for Health Protection, the four cases had small traces of the pathogen, but did not pose a risk to others and did not need to be quarantined.

The other two were a 63-year-old man who lives in Kwai Tsing, and a 22-year-old woman in Tuen Mun. 

Despite the six cases, University of Hong Kong microbiologist Professor Yuen Kwok-yung warned finding asymptomatic carriers was crucial in this exercise.

"Just a handful of cases could undermine us," he said. "Let's say there are 20 cases in every 800,000 people. If you do the maths, given that Hong Kong has a population of 7 million, there are going to be some 100 cases."

If those 100 people went out and spread the coronavirus in restaurants and public transport, then Yuen says, the consequence could be "very serious".

Also he even gave a demonstration of how to do the nostril and throat swabs -- on himself much to the delight of his fans who have admired his work on the coronavirus pandemic.

THIS IS EPIC - Prof. Yuen Kwok-Yung showing how to take throat swab for #COVID19 testing by himself via @StandNewsHK pic.twitter.com/sXTVrGiYmn

— Galileo Cheng (@galileocheng) September 3, 2020

As of Thursday night, 884,000 people registered to do the free virus test, and 470,000 have completed the test.

At least one Chinese brokerage company forced its employees to participate in the universal testing. If they didn't, it would be noted in the employees' work performance.

Even Carrie Lam and Matthew Cheung (centre) took the test

The accusation was made by the Hong Kong Financial Industry Employees General Union. It criticized Founder Securities, saying the citywide tests are voluntary in nature and workers have the right to choose whether to take part "based on their actual needs and wishes".

The union asked Founder Securities to respond but it didn't.

Today eight new coronavirus cases were reported, one of which was imported.

More Social-Distancing Restrictions Lifted

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

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

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

Ha!

Chan also announced dining can be extended until 10pm

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

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

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

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

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

Tennis courts can reopen, but not swimming pools

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

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

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

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

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

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

Law says the mass testing scheme is not scientific

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

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

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

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

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

Sowing Seeds of Confusion

Lam says the public has the wrong understanding of the Basic Law

Hong Kong's alternative reality continues with the government pushing through its version of how the city should be governed versus what people have lived with since July 1, 1997.

Yesterday Secretary for Education Kevin Yeung Yun-hung explained that liberal studies textbooks removed references to Hong Kong having a separation of powers between the executive, legislature and judiciary, and that it would be wrong for textbooks to suggest that it does.

Yeung says textbooks weren't changed due to political pressure

He rejected suggestions that the changes were made due to political censorship, and that publishers were not instructed on what should and should not be included.

But he insisted the content be factually accurate, adding the SAR has never had a separation of powers, neither before nor since the handover.

"As a matter of fact, some of the concepts now included in the textbooks are much more accurate than before," he said.

That raised a lot of eyebrows because this totally goes against what Chief Justice Geoffrey Ma Tao-li said back in 2014:

"The Basic Law sets out clearly the principle of the separation of powers between the legislature, the executive and the judiciary, and in quite specific terms, the different roles of the three institutions," he said in a speech.

However, today Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor defended and reiterated Yeung's statements in her weekly media briefing.

The new liberal studies textbooks have amended content

"There is no separation of powers in Hong Kong, so I fully support the remark made by Secretary for Education, and I fully support him in the textbook consultation services launched. In the process we'll be able to better explain the constitutional order in Hong Kong," she said.

"Every so often someone will make this a topic -- whether there is separation of powers in Hong Kong -- they will cite some well-known persons or judges but there is nothing clearer than the Basic Law," Lam said.

Huh???!!

She added people have the wrong understanding of the Basic Law.

"I have carefully looked at what people from the legal sector said; they are mainly talking about the division of labour, of course in terms of trials and the judicial system, they can act independently," Lam said.

Compare the changes to previous liberal studies textbooks

"This is about the division of labour in terms of their functions under the Basic Law; if you look at the relations amongst the three powers, of course they would perform their duties and carry out their functions, I do agree that there are checks and balances, I can give you a lot of examples."

Are we all talking about the same Basic Law?

Legal sector lawmaker Dennis Kwok Wing-hang remarked that if Lam's interpretation of the Basic Law is that there is no separation of powers, then the rulings by the top court are all wrong, and that the Court of Final Appeal should clearly explain this to everyone.

"The courts have always referred to and relied on the separation of powers as the fundamental principle when it comes to dealing with all kinds of cases, concerning the rights of Hong Kong residents, the constitutionality of legislation, and the legality of executive decisions," he said.

"So, for Carrie Lam as the Chief Executive to now come out and say that there's in fact no separation of powers in Hong Kong is a joke," Kwok said. "It's ludicrous, and it's an offense to the common sense of the Hong Kong people."

Kwok says people have not misunderstood the Basic Law

He dismissed Lam's comment that people misunderstood the Basic Law, and accused the government of changing its stance to please Beijing.

Kwok also cited an article written by Basic Law Committee member Albert Chen Hung-yee in 2018, which said the courts in Hong Kong have stated that the separation of powers is "an important and indispensable constitutional principle embedded in the Basic Law".

Lam and her administration are trying to sow seeds of confusion, perhaps in a bid to justify the need for the national security law? To make Hong Kong lawyers unnecessary? To undermine the Basic Law?

But her audience is highly skeptical of what she and her officials are doing. There has still been no authoritative explanation of how the national security law interfaces with the Basic Law, only that it exists and a separate judicial system is set up to deal with cases -- a small number -- we were constantly told.

Chow on the evening she was arrested under the NSL

One of them, Agnes Chow Ting, went to the Tai Po Police Station today about the extension of her bail. She was asked to give a new statement with regards to her arrest under the national security law, but did not disclose more details to the media three hours after she entered the police station.

Chow has not yet been charged with anything, but has to report back to the police station on December 2, a day before her 24th birthday.

She hopes to celebrate her birthday at home...