 |
| No signs of social distancing on Chater Road today despite 2 new infections being reported |
Two new Covid-19 cases were reported in Hong Kong today, May
1, both brought in by residents newly evacuated from Pakistan
The two confirmed cases ended five straight days of no new
infections being detected in the city, and prompted a warning from health
officials that more imported cases could be expected, and that local
transmission remains a possibility.
Both patients were taken to hospital from a quarantine centre
where all the 319 Hong Kong residents previously stranded in Pakistan
One is a 34-year-old man living in Pakistan with his parents, while the other is a
16-year-old Hong Kong student who traveled to
the South Asian country on Mar 3.
Officials say 5,000 more residents stranded in Pakistan and India
In today’s press briefing, Dr Chuang Shuk-kwan of the Centre
for Health Protection said: “It is expected that there will be more imported
cases in Hong Kong , and we hope the virus will
not be transmitted to the community.”
She said it is too early to say that the contagion is under
control because the incubation period can be as long as 14 days, and in some
cases, even longer. Thus, it is safer to wait for 28 more days, or until May
20, before declaring that the local outbreak has been contained.
“The last local case was sent to hospital on Apr 22, so if
there are no new cases in two incubation cycles (28 days) we can say the local
outbreak is under control,” Chuang said.
Despite her word of caution, law enforcement was noticeably
lax today, even if it was a statutory holiday, meaning foreign domestic workers
were also taking a day off.
 |
| Filipino community leaders show their displeasure at the Phl government in a street protest to mark May Day |
On busy Chater
Road
As many as 10 in a group could be seen on sidewalks playing
card games, eating or just catching up after several weeks of staying away from
their usual haunts.
A large crowd also gathered around a makeshift stage where
Filipino community leaders marked Labor Day with a protest against the
Philippine government’s failure to extend help to its overseas workers during
the coronavirus pandemic.
Under the social amelioration program of President Rodrigo
Duterte’s government, all overseas Filipino workers and their families are not
entitled to receive the financial assistance of between Php5k-Php8k given to
each household.
A separate program under the Department of Labor and
Employment only provides the USD200 cash assistance to OFWs who lose their jobs
because of the pandemic, or are infected with Covid-19, leaving millions others
without any help.
 |
From a yearly payment of Php2,400, all migrant workers will
now be charged 3% of their monthly salary, or a minimum of Php10,800 each
annually.
 |
| Pro-government supporters heckled as Villanueva spoke |
At the other end of the road, a bigger crowd gathered as
Eman Villanueva of Bayan Hong Kong and Macau, lambasted Duterte’s government
not only for withholding aid from OFWs, but also for allegedly using the
pandemic as an excuse to crack down on dissent.
A small group of pro-government OFWs stood nearby and tried
to drown out Villanueva’s voice, to no avail. Police were on standby but did
not interfere.
