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Virus-hit Hong Kong considering lockdown
HONG KONG • Hong Kong may impose a China-style hard lockdown that confines people to their homes, authorities signalled yesterday, with the city’s zero-Covid strategy in tatters and bodies piling up in hospitals.
Two years of strict zero-Covid policies kept the coronavirus largely bay but a breakthrough of the highly transmissible Omicron variant exposed how little authorities had done to prepare for a mass outbreak.
Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam previously ruled out a citywide lockdown and instead has ordered all 7.4 million residents to be tested in March.
But in a U-turn, health secretary Sophia Chan confirmed yesterday that it was still an option.
Asked by a presenter at Commercial Radio whether a lockdown was still ruled out she replied: “No. We are still discussing.”
“From a public health perspective, to bring out the best effect of compulsory universal testing, we need to reduce people’s movements to some extent,” she added.
Chan’s comments came a day after Li Dachuan, a senior mainland official involved in a joint taskforce with Hong Kong authorities, described a lockdown as “the most ideal and best approach to achieve the best effect of universal tests”.
The revelation adds fresh uncertainty and anxiety for residents and businesses in a city gripped by the kind of chaos that was more familiar at the start of the pandemic.
Hong Kong announced 26,000 new infections and 83 deaths on Sunday alone. Before the current wave, the city had recorded just 12,000 cases from the start of the pandemic.
Hospitals have been stretched to breaking point for weeks and on Sunday officials revealed bodies are piling up at hospitals because mortuaries are full.
“At this moment, we face a problem of transportation of dead bodies from hospital to public mortuary,” Hospital Authority chief manager Lau Ka-hin told reporters.
“That’s why there are some bodies who were initially planned to be transported to public mortuary, but stayed in hospital.”
Hong Kong’s seven-day average death rate is currently running at around eight per one million people.
— AFP
Johor Port channels aid to 228 underprivileged students
JOHOR Port Bhd, a member of MMC Group, has provided aids to 228 underprivileged students from SK Kopok, SK Cahaya Baharu and SK Perigi Acheh as part of its corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiative, “Jom Ke Sekolah” programme.
With the objective of lightening the financial burden of families with low household income, the provision of brand-new school supplies and Covid-19 essentials will enable these children to embark on their new academic year 2022/2023 confidently.
Johor Port CEO Md Derick Basir said, “We hope these gifts will bring cheer to the students who have been attending the Homebased Teaching and Learning most of last year due to the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic.”
“Johor Port’s focus in giving back to the community will help to empower the lives of the younger generations and strengthen the already good relationship with the community,” he said, adding that the company will play its part in ensuring the underprivileged students will not be left behind or drop out of school.
The distribution of the financial aid and school supplies were targeted to be in conjunction with the first day of school in March as scheduled.
School representatives were present at their respective schools to receive the contribution on behalf of the students.
Johor Port’s CSR initiative focuses on giving back to the communities especially in the areas where it operates, to facilitate the growth of the local socio-economy.
The company has always been supportive of underprivileged students and has helped and contributed to numerous schools in the Pasir Gudang area through the “Jom Ke Sekolah” programme since 2018 and will continue to help more students in the future.
— TMR
SK Kopok’s representatives expressing gratitude to Johor Port for their enormous financial aid and school supplies on behalf of the students
Pic courtesy of Johor Port

Virus-hit Hong Kong considering lockdown

Johor Port channels aid to 228 underprivileged students