https://www.scmp.com/rss/327066/feed Karen Zhang joined the Post's Hong Kong desk in 2018. Previously, she was an investigative reporter at HK01. Her works have received international and regional awards including SOPA awards. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com On Friday, Hong Kong’s Education Bureau took the unusual step of ordering the city’s independent examinations authority to strike out a question from the Diploma of Secondary Education (DSE) history paper. The offending question focused on the relationship between Japan and China in the first half of the 20th century, including the World War II years. What set off the storm was the way the question was worded, as well as two accompanying readings. It asked if Japan “did more good than harm to... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education/article/3084674/how-history-exam-question-stirred-controversy-over-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education/article/3084674/how-history-exam-question-stirred-controversy-over-china?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 16 May 2020 02:00:15 +0000 A Hong Kong court has handed down the city’s harshest penalty yet for smuggling pangolin scales, sentencing two mainland Chinese men to 21 and 27 months in jail for trafficking 100kg of the scales. The outer layer of the critically endangered animal is highly prized in traditional Chinese medicine, despite the lack of proof of its effectiveness in treating ailments. Zhang Guozhu, 47, from Fujian province, and Ding Wei, 21, from Zhejiang province, pleaded guilty to smuggling pangolin scales worth... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3084245/hong-kong-hands-down-its-stiffest-sentence-yet?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3084245/hong-kong-hands-down-its-stiffest-sentence-yet?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 13 May 2020 10:42:36 +0000 Masks from the Hong Kong government’s giveaway have been advertised for sale online, the Post has found, leading critics to accuse officials of taking too long to introduce the scheme aimed at fighting Covid-19’s spread. At least nine individuals have offered the reusable mask – to be handed out for free to every city resident who wants one – for up to HK$200 (US$26) each on Carousell, the online selling platform. The profiteering has prompted legislators, lawyers and a former government... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3084076/coronavirus-free-masks-hong-kong-government?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3084076/coronavirus-free-masks-hong-kong-government?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 12 May 2020 15:30:36 +0000 A senior civil servant overseeing the distribution of reusable masks to all Hongkongers has promised to put the production of their replacement filters out to tender after admitting to shortcomings in the transparency of the original contract awarded by the government. Annie Choi Suk-han, permanent secretary of the Innovation and Technology Bureau, on Friday rejected suggestions the government had intentionally hidden the identity of the manufacturer chosen for the HK$320 million (US$41 million)... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3083609/hong-kong-civil-servant-charge-reusable-mask?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3083609/hong-kong-civil-servant-charge-reusable-mask?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 08 May 2020 15:17:06 +0000 Hong Kong’s reusable mask scheme sparked an application rush when online registration opened on Wednesday, with more than 1.5 million signing up for a free one for each person, to be delivered to their homes. The government scheme has been well-received as the city seeks to return to normal, with no new local coronavirus infections for 17 straight days, while also keeping its guard up to avoid a relapse. Secretary for Innovation and Technology Alfred Sit Wing-hang said there was no need to rush... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3083066/coronavirus-hong-kongs-free-mask-scheme-sees?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3083066/coronavirus-hong-kongs-free-mask-scheme-sees?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 06 May 2020 03:10:31 +0000 Hong Kong police have dismissed as “unfounded” accusations in a media report that the commissioner had not taken any action against unauthorised building works at a flat he had rented in 2016. In a statement on Monday, the force said the report “deviates from facts”. Police were responding to a report by Chinese-language newspaper Apple Daily that accused commissioner Chris Tang Ping-keung of turning a blind eye to illegal structures on the rooftop of a flat in Kowloon Tong when he was a tenant... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/3082831/hong-kong-police-dismiss-media-accusations-inaction-their-chief-over?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/3082831/hong-kong-police-dismiss-media-accusations-inaction-their-chief-over?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 04 May 2020 15:06:20 +0000 Canto-pop star Aaron Kwok Fu-shing is to throw a charity concert online on Saturday to raise funds for dancers and film crew hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic. The Cheer Up & Dance concert will be held from 5pm to 6pm. Kwok, 54, said the performance would help raise funds for the city’s professional dancers and crew in the film industry, who barely benefit from the government’s HK$138 billion relief package. “I’m a dancer and an actor … I hope the concert can help raise some funding for... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3082731/coronavirus-canto-pop-star-aaron-kwok-hold-fundraising?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3082731/coronavirus-canto-pop-star-aaron-kwok-hold-fundraising?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 04 May 2020 06:59:21 +0000 Dr Vincent Cheng Chi-chung recalls the exact moment he received the Health Authority text message on his mobile phone, at 7.45pm on March 18. The infection control officer was among about 100 health care personnel and other staff called up to perform what seemed to be a “mission impossible” – they had less than 48 hours to convert a 60,000 sq ft exhibition hall at the AsiaWorld-Expo into a temporary testing facility for Covid-19. The temporary centre was needed to screen all travellers from... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3082624/coronavirus-race-set-covid-19-screening-centre?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3082624/coronavirus-race-set-covid-19-screening-centre?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 03 May 2020 23:00:20 +0000 A shopping and dining campaign aimed at supporting Hong Kong businesses that publicly identify with the anti-government protest movement gathered steam on Friday as the “golden week” holiday kicked off, with crowds queuing at eateries and shops across the city. The hoped-for spending spree, a bid to provide relief to so-called yellow businesses battered by the Covid-19 downturn, began on Thursday following the launch of an online campaign dubbed “Hongkonger’s 5.1 Golden Week” by organisers. A... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3082496/yellow-hong-kong-shops-slammed-covid-19-hope?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3082496/yellow-hong-kong-shops-slammed-covid-19-hope?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 01 May 2020 09:33:02 +0000 All Hong Kong government departments will have to submit plans on fully resuming services next week, the Post has learned, after the city also reported zero new Covid-19 infections for a second straight day. The prospect of most of the city’s 180,000 civil servants heading back to office after more than a month working from home comes as the government is in discussions with its mainland Chinese counterparts on easing cross-border travel restrictions. Separate sources confirmed the back-to-work... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3081681/coronavirus-infection-rate-slows-hong-kong-government-under?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3081681/coronavirus-infection-rate-slows-hong-kong-government-under?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 27 Apr 2020 05:04:52 +0000 The financial risks to Hong Kong are under control during the coronavirus crisis, the official in charge of the city’s economy said on Sunday as he revealed the government had approved more than HK$400 million (US$52 million) worth of full loan guarantees for businesses in the first few days of the scheme. But Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po’s assurances came as another minister said that welfare applications for the unemployed had soared 151 per cent from February to March after the jobless... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3081607/major-threats-hong-kong-economy-are-under-control?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3081607/major-threats-hong-kong-economy-are-under-control?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 26 Apr 2020 09:54:02 +0000 Education University chief Frederick Ma Si-hang has said character education should start as early as in kindergarten to teach children to show more respect to teachers, revealing his team had contacted several schools to implement a pilot project to promote gratitude and ethical development. Ma also said there could be problems in the implementation of a liberal studies curriculum in secondary schools, but added it was not fair to blame education for every social problem. In an interview with... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3081587/education-university-chief-frederick-ma-says-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3081587/education-university-chief-frederick-ma-says-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 26 Apr 2020 05:36:52 +0000 Hong Kong reported four more coronavirus cases on Tuesday, ending a one-day break from new infections, as the government extended social-distancing rules for another two weeks. Leisure and sports venues would remain shut until at least May 7, although restrictions on restaurants would be partially eased, officials said. Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor said that despite no new infections being recorded on Monday, the closures and ban on group gatherings of more than four people were... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3080878/coronavirus-hong-kong-reports-4-more-cases-ending?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3080878/coronavirus-hong-kong-reports-4-more-cases-ending?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 21 Apr 2020 09:04:14 +0000 Beijing’s liaison office in Hong Kong has a HK$3.4 billion property portfolio in the city, according to research based on 2019 data from pro-democracy activists who said it offered a glimpse into the expansion of the central government’s local operation. With a power row intensifying over the agency’s role in Hong Kong affairs, Demosisto on Monday published its findings that the institution owned 757 properties in the city, including residences, offices, car parks and entire buildings, as of... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3080753/beijing-liaison-office-hong-kong-has-hk34-billion-property?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3080753/beijing-liaison-office-hong-kong-has-hk34-billion-property?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 20 Apr 2020 12:08:14 +0000 Hong Kong’s labour minister said on Sunday enough data was not available to support the listing of Covid-19 as an occupational disease, drawing criticism from unionists who accused the government of failing to protect workers facing high risks of infections. Secretary for Labour and Welfare Law Chi-kwong made the remarks on his blog on Sunday, when four unions and 90 organisations urged the government to list Covid-19 as an occupational disease, saying there were more than 70 suspected... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3080609/coronavirus-enough-data-not-available-enlist?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3080609/coronavirus-enough-data-not-available-enlist?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 19 Apr 2020 12:43:13 +0000 Beijing’s foreign affairs arm in Hong Kong has thrown its support behind two fellow mainland agencies that slammed opposition filibustering tactics on Monday, saying they had “the right to supervise” how the city exercises its high degree of autonomy and “set things right”. Meanwhile, controversy continued to mount over the vacant leadership of the Legislative Council’s House Committee – the centre of the dispute – as a pro-establishment heavyweight on Thursday proclaimed herself “chairman” in a... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3080296/mainland-bodies-have-duty-supervise-set-things-right-hong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3080296/mainland-bodies-have-duty-supervise-set-things-right-hong?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 16 Apr 2020 15:07:24 +0000 More than 60 per cent of edible salt samples tested by Hong Kong’s consumer watchdog were found to contain metallic contaminants, with one containing chemicals that can cause cancer, according to the latest report from the body. In a press conference on Wednesday, the Consumer Council said they conducted safety tests on 39 samples of pre-packaged edible salt found in the city, including sea salt, rock salt, table salt, iodised salt, lake salt and smoked salt. The prices of each package ranged... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3080089/hong-kongs-consumer-watchdog-finds-metal?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3080089/hong-kongs-consumer-watchdog-finds-metal?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 15 Apr 2020 11:54:54 +0000 Consumers should be extra cautious when purchasing alcohol-based disinfectants amid the Covid-19 pandemic, Hong Kong’s consumer watchdog warned on Wednesday, revealing new tests that showed a toxic substance found in some brands sold locally. Over March 11 to 13, the Consumer Council purchased 24 alcohol disinfectants from drug stores in six districts including Tsuen Wan, Mong Kok, North Point, Sha Tin, Kwan Tung and Causeway Bay. During lab tests commissioned by the council, micro amounts of... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3080047/coronavirus-hong-kong-watchdog-urges-wariness-over-alcohol?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3080047/coronavirus-hong-kong-watchdog-urges-wariness-over-alcohol?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 15 Apr 2020 09:05:14 +0000 Hong Kong reached the grim milestone of 1,000 coronavirus cases on Saturday as authorities urged the public to stay at home during the long Easter weekend after thousands flocked to beaches and the countryside the previous day. Underlining the severity of the situation, a leading microbiologist said containing the outbreak before July was almost impossible as not enough people had developed immunity to the virus. The warning came as the city recorded 11 new infections, the fewest since March 17,... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/3079488/coronavirus-hong-kong-records-11-new-cases-taking-tally-1000?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/3079488/coronavirus-hong-kong-records-11-new-cases-taking-tally-1000?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 11 Apr 2020 08:41:11 +0000 Thousands of residents were out and about in force across Hong Kong on Friday at the start of the Easter break, ignoring pleas to follow social distancing rules and flocking to beaches and country parks even as officials warned they were risking a new wave of coronavirus infections. Only one among 16 new confirmed infections was a locally transmitted case, the rest coming in from overseas to take the city’s total to 989, but watching the surge of people going shopping or gathering at leisure... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3079419/coronavirus-hong-kong-residents-flock-beaches-and?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3079419/coronavirus-hong-kong-residents-flock-beaches-and?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 10 Apr 2020 10:24:39 +0000 Artificial lungs have been fitted to a coronavirus patient for the first time in Hong Kong, health officials said on Friday, as 16 new infections took the city total to 989. The prosthetic device – which provided life support to patients with respiratory failure and was also known as extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) – was used for a critically ill 75-year-old woman whose condition worsened while in intensive care, the authorities said. Hongkongers hit scenic spots in the thousands “She... https://www.scmp.com/news/article/3079408/coronavirus-warning-hongkongers-heading-outdoors-easter-16-new-infections-take?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/article/3079408/coronavirus-warning-hongkongers-heading-outdoors-easter-16-new-infections-take?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 10 Apr 2020 09:11:29 +0000 A firm has saved half of the minibus routes from the residential district of Whampoa in Hong Kong that were axed by its original operator after 40 years because of the Covid-19 pandemic. The minibus operator, Chit Fai Motors Co Ltd, announced on Thursday afternoon that it would terminate from Friday four minibus routes from Whampoa Garden to Kowloon Tong and Tsim Sha Tsui. It later agreed to prolong the services until Saturday after negotiations with the Transport Department. But in a reprieve... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/transport/article/3079306/minibus-services-hong-kongs-whampoa-stop-sunday?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/transport/article/3079306/minibus-services-hong-kongs-whampoa-stop-sunday?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 09 Apr 2020 15:26:21 +0000 Hong Kong recorded 25 new Covid-19 cases on Wednesday, including a two-month-old baby and a staff member of a public clinic, bringing the city’s infection tally to 960. Fifteen people who had recent travel history were also among the fresh cases, according to Dr Chuang Shuk-kwan, head of the Centre for Health Protection’s communicable diseases branch, who spoke at the daily press briefing. The new cases came as the government announced on Wednesday night that 27 Hong Kong residents who were... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3079010/coronavirus-hong-kong-records-25-new-cases?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3079010/coronavirus-hong-kong-records-25-new-cases?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 Apr 2020 09:05:11 +0000 Beauty and massage parlours in Hong Kong must close for 14 days from Friday, the government has declared, after three such venues were linked to confirmed Covid-19 cases. In addition, an earlier ban on gatherings of more than four people at public venues such as restaurants has been extended until April 23. The moves on Wednesday came as the city reported 25 new Covid-19 cases, bringing the total to 960. Meanwhile, television station TVB announced its annual Miss Hong Kong Beauty Pageant would... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3078909/coronavirus-hong-kong-close-beauty-and-massage?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3078909/coronavirus-hong-kong-close-beauty-and-massage?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 Apr 2020 01:18:29 +0000 Most bars and pubs in Hong Kong shut on Friday to comply with the government’s latest ban aimed at limiting social gatherings and curbing a growing number of Covid-19 cases tied to entertainment hotspots. Health authorities said six of nine new local coronavirus infections were linked to bars in Central and Tsim Sha Tsui, with 34 others coming from overseas, taking the city’s overall tally to 845. The latest shutdown order came as residents prepared to fan out across the city on Saturday to... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3078325/hong-kong-records-43-new-coronavirus-infections?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3078325/hong-kong-records-43-new-coronavirus-infections?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 03 Apr 2020 09:04:33 +0000 The Hong Kong government has ordered a two-week closure of pubs and bars from Friday, in a drastic escalation of social-distancing rules which will mothball about 1,200 businesses. The shutdown targeting all premises exclusively or mainly used for the sale of alcohol was unveiled after 37 new infections on Thursday took the city’s total to 802 and amid a warning that existing curbs against the spread of Covid-19 were likely to last longer than planned. Those who break the new emergency measure... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3078130/coronavirus-two-beauty-parlour-employees-among?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3078130/coronavirus-two-beauty-parlour-employees-among?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 02 Apr 2020 08:58:41 +0000 Hong Kong suddenly shut down karaoke lounges, mahjong parlours and nightclubs on Wednesday, getting tougher on growing community-spread coronavirus infections as the city confirmed another 51 Covid-19 patients, 17 of them with no recent travel history. Most of the new infections were once again identified as imported cases, taking the city’s steadily rising tally to 765, but two more patients were added to a list of five who were traced back to a karaoke parlour in Tsim Sha Tsui, amplifying... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3077887/coronavirus-hong-kong-government-adds-karaoke?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3077887/coronavirus-hong-kong-government-adds-karaoke?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 01 Apr 2020 04:16:02 +0000 Hongkongers’ monthly pay could plunge 20 per cent this year as the city reels from the Covid-19 pandemic and the lasting impact of the anti-government protests that broke out last summer, job market experts have predicted. The forecasts were made as official figures published on Monday revealed the median wage increased 3.8 per cent year on year to HK$18,200 (US$2,350), in data not reflecting the grim economic picture in Hong Kong today, they said. The Census and Statistics Department released... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3077648/hong-kong-wages-could-drop-20-cent-2020-city?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3077648/hong-kong-wages-could-drop-20-cent-2020-city?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 31 Mar 2020 00:30:16 +0000 Domestic helpers in Hong Kong made do with limited freedom during their precious weekly day off on Sunday, after the government banned gatherings of more than four people to curb the coronavirus epidemic. More than a dozen domestic helpers in the city told the Post that they preferred to enjoy their time off outdoors with social distancing, despite concerns they get infected and offers from their employers for them to stay at home or work for extra pay. On Sunday, more than 100 domestic helpers... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/3077463/coronavirus-hong-kongs-domestic-helpers-getting-used-new-normal?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/3077463/coronavirus-hong-kongs-domestic-helpers-getting-used-new-normal?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 29 Mar 2020 12:47:32 +0000 Hong Kong would run out of hospital beds to cope with the daily surge in coronavirus infections “very soon”, health officials warned, as the city confirmed another 59 cases on Sunday, taking the total to 641. On the day new social-distancing regulations came into force, Secretary for Food and Health Sophia Chan Siu-chee said the measures, such as curbing public gatherings, could remain for as long as it took for them to embed into daily life. “The coming two weeks are going to be critical,” Chan... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3077449/coronavirus-hospital-beds-warning-59-new-cases?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3077449/coronavirus-hospital-beds-warning-59-new-cases?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 29 Mar 2020 09:18:35 +0000 Hong Kong’s sedition laws, though nearly 80 years old, are still necessary to provide the only offence against hate crimes in the city, a top government adviser insisted on Friday, after an opposition politician was arrested for an online post against a police officer. Ronny Tong Ka-wah made the defence of the statute as one legal scholar noted that the rarely used law had always been vaguely worded and politically charged, and predicted appeals which could go all the way to the top court. Cheng... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3077230/government-adviser-ronny-tong-defends-hong-kong-polices-use?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3077230/government-adviser-ronny-tong-defends-hong-kong-polices-use?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 27 Mar 2020 06:16:57 +0000 Officials in Hong Kong insisted on Thursday that home-quarantine measures without coronavirus tests or tracking wristbands for arrivals from mainland China were sufficient despite medical and IT experts warning that more needed to be done to contain the spread of the epidemic. Appeals for more stringent procedures came as immigration figures revealed that the average daily number of non-residents crossing into the city through the two remaining land border checkpoints with the mainland more than... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3077173/coronavirus-officials-defend-hong-kongs-home?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3077173/coronavirus-officials-defend-hong-kongs-home?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 26 Mar 2020 15:18:37 +0000 An opposition politician was arrested under the colonial-era offence of sedition early on Thursday morning, over an online post which criticised a police officer who shot a journalist, and called for “an eye for an eye”. The force was also investigating whether Cheng Lai-king, who chairs Central and Western District Council, breached a court injunction banning the doxxing of officers and their families. Meanwhile, Cheng’s party colleagues decried what they said was an act of revenge over her... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3077029/hong-kong-opposition-politician-arrested-alleged?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3077029/hong-kong-opposition-politician-arrested-alleged?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 26 Mar 2020 02:20:12 +0000 Hong Kong may roll out even tougher measures as early as this week to deal with an alarming resurgence of coronavirus infections, as the city fights to contain both community clusters and a daily tally of imported cases. The city confirmed 24 new Covid-19 cases on Wednesday, mostly people returning from overseas, which took the total to 410, more than doubling the count from a week ago. Four patients have died so far in Hong Kong. British exam board latest to cancel global tests amid... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3076932/coronavirus-hong-kong-records-24-new-cases-mostly?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3076932/coronavirus-hong-kong-records-24-new-cases-mostly?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 25 Mar 2020 08:56:40 +0000 Hong Kong postponed university entrance examinations by a month and ordered civil servants to resume working from home as its leader warned the city was facing “a critical moment” over the next two weeks in containing the spread of the deadly coronavirus. Describing the risk of a massive community outbreak as “the highest in two months”, Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor also announced the closure of public sports facilities, four museums and seven libraries that had reopened earlier... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3076274/coronavirus-hong-kong-civil-servants-return-work-home?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3076274/coronavirus-hong-kong-civil-servants-return-work-home?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 21 Mar 2020 09:50:13 +0000 Hong Kong confirmed 48 new coronavirus cases on Friday, by far the biggest daily increase and a stark reminder that the city was facing the real risk of an overwhelming surge of imported as well as community-spread infections. Most of the new patients had a recent history of travel, many having returned from hard-hit Europe, prompting dire warnings from health experts fearing an explosion of infections over the next couple of weeks. With the city’s infection tally now at 256, Dr Chuang... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3076236/coronavirus-hong-kongs-single-day-record-48-new?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3076236/coronavirus-hong-kongs-single-day-record-48-new?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 20 Mar 2020 16:54:00 +0000 Ten new coronavirus cases were confirmed in Hong Kong on Tuesday, marking the city’s largest daily increase and taking its total to 167. At least eight of those had travel history, with four returning to the city on Monday, and students rushing back from overseas universities ahead of new restrictions on arrivals among them. The latest cases were recorded as Hong Kong authorities revealed they would start inspecting the vent pipes of all buildings where Covid-19 cases had been confirmed, after... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3075601/coronavirus-hong-kong-confirms-five-more?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3075601/coronavirus-hong-kong-confirms-five-more?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 17 Mar 2020 10:05:34 +0000 Hong Kong authorities are considering ramping up travel restrictions to place anyone coming into the city under mandatory quarantine orders, as it faces a second wave of imported coronavirus infections from countries lagging behind in controlling their own outbreaks. Top infectious disease experts on Monday called for tougher measures, from putting all arrivals under self-quarantine to banning non-Hong Kong residents flying in from countries that the city has issued red travel alerts for, even... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3075351/coronavirus-top-expert-calls-quarantine-all?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3075351/coronavirus-top-expert-calls-quarantine-all?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 16 Mar 2020 06:30:04 +0000 More chartered flights will be sent to pick up Hongkongers stranded in the mainland Chinese province at the centre of the Covid-19 pandemic later this month, officials have announced, as the city confirmed seven more coronavirus cases on Monday. Other than the provincial capital Wuhan, the flights will pick up residents stuck in the Hubei cities of Xianning, Xiaogan and Huangshi, as well as others scattered across the province with chronic diseases or in urgent need. Officials did not specify... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3075319/coronavirus-two-more-rescue-flights-planned?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3075319/coronavirus-two-more-rescue-flights-planned?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 16 Mar 2020 02:59:41 +0000 Hong Kong has issued a red travel alert on the United States, Britain and Ireland and will impose a 14-day quarantine period on all arrivals from the three countries and Egypt from Thursday in a bid to halt the number of imported Covid-19 infections. Compulsory home quarantine would apply to everyone, including Hong Kong residents, arriving in the city from March 19 who had been to any of the four countries in the previous 14 days, the government announced on Sunday night. The red alert is the... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3075294/coronavirus-hong-kong-issues-red-travel-alert?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3075294/coronavirus-hong-kong-issues-red-travel-alert?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 15 Mar 2020 12:47:17 +0000 Eight more households were evacuated overnight from a Hong Kong public housing block where three coronavirus patients lived, health officials said on Sunday as the city confirmed seven Covid-19 cases, bringing the total to 148. At least 43 people have been evacuated from Heng Tai House at Fu Heng Estate in Tai Po since the operation started on Saturday night, soon after a 59-year-old man was revealed as the third infection in the block. Health authorities originally planned to evacuate 10... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3075275/coronavirus-eight-more-households-evacuated-hong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3075275/coronavirus-eight-more-households-evacuated-hong?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 15 Mar 2020 09:54:35 +0000 It was supposed to be an ideal family trip – a cruise aboard a luxury liner setting out from Japan and sailing around Asia. But for one Hongkonger, a journey in late January with his two daughters turned into a nightmare that ended with him being made – wrongly, he says – into a global pariah, patient zero of the coronavirus outbreak that left about 700 people on board the Diamond Princess infected, and seven dead. The passenger, who asked to be identified only by his surname Wu, recently spoke... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3074698/coronavirus-hong-kong-resident-denies-he-patient-zero?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3074698/coronavirus-hong-kong-resident-denies-he-patient-zero?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 12 Mar 2020 00:00:20 +0000 An overwhelming majority of people responding to a questionnaire about image-based sexual violence said they had been photographed or videotaped nude or in a sexually revealing way without their consent, a concern group said on Saturday. Some 73 per cent of participants reported being victims of such abuse, while more than half said the perpetrator was someone they knew, according to the Association Concerning Sexual Violence Against Women, which released its findings a day ahead of... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3074103/concern-group-says-women-face-common-threat-nude?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3074103/concern-group-says-women-face-common-threat-nude?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 07 Mar 2020 14:48:24 +0000 Three more Covid-19 cases were confirmed in Hong Kong on Friday, including a businessman recently back from Europe, bringing the city’s tally of confirmed infections to 107, health authorities said. The news came along with word that still-unproven antiviral drug remdesivir would be offered to patients at three local hospitals beginning next week. Speaking at a daily press briefing, Dr Chuang Shuk-kwan, head of the communicable disease branch at the Centre for Health Protection, said the first... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3073863/coronavirus-hong-kong-man-who-recently-returned?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3073863/coronavirus-hong-kong-man-who-recently-returned?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 06 Mar 2020 03:28:18 +0000 A pet dog in Hong Kong may have caught the coronavirus from its infected owner. A Pomeranian belonging to a Covid-19 patient in the city has contracted the virus, the city’s health authorities confirmed on Wednesday. (What is Covid-19? Where did the coronavirus come from? Here’s what we’ve learned so far about the coronavirus.) The dog has repeatedly tested positive for having a low level of the virus since Friday last week. The infection is likely to be the first case of human-to-animal... https://www.scmp.com/health/hong-kong-officials-say-pet-dog-has-tested-positive-virus/article/3065175?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/health/hong-kong-officials-say-pet-dog-has-tested-positive-virus/article/3065175?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 05 Mar 2020 10:24:43 +0000 Hong Kong’s animal welfare authority insisted on Thursday that a Covid-19 patient’s pet dog was infected with the coronavirus, despite some experts saying that further blood test results are needed to confirm the first human-to-animal transmission of the disease. Dr Thomas Sit Hon-chung, assistant director of inspection and quarantine at the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department, said officials had consulted international experts to reach the conclusion that it was a case of... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3065190/coronavirus-hong-kong-dogs-infection-not?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3065190/coronavirus-hong-kong-dogs-infection-not?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 05 Mar 2020 07:35:20 +0000 About 100 Hongkongers evacuated from Japan after being stranded on a coronavirus-hit cruise liner finally finished their 14-day quarantine at a public housing estate at midnight on Wednesday. “The first batch of passengers on the Diamond Princess cruise who have returned to Hong Kong will finish their quarantine at 11.59pm,” the Department of Health said. “Among the 108 evacuated, two confirmed Covid-19 cases are receiving treatment in hospital, while the remaining 106 passengers may leave Chun... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3065070/106-hongkongers-coronavirus-hit-diamond-princess?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3065070/106-hongkongers-coronavirus-hit-diamond-princess?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 04 Mar 2020 16:05:14 +0000 A pet dog belonging to a Covid-19 patient has contracted the coronavirus, Hong Kong health authorities confirmed on Wednesday. Experts called it a “low-level infection” that was likely to be the first reported case of human-to-animal transmission of the disease. Dog’s coronavirus infection not confirmed until blood tests, health adviser says The Pomeranian, which has repeatedly tested “weak positive” since last Friday – suggesting it was surface contamination, with the dog picking up traces of... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3065016/coronavirus-pet-dog-belonging-covid-19-patient?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3065016/coronavirus-pet-dog-belonging-covid-19-patient?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 04 Mar 2020 13:43:24 +0000 The Hong Kong Jockey Club is closing its Happy Valley clubhouse from Wednesday after a 63-year-old member who had visited the premises multiple times over the past few weeks was confirmed to be infected with the coronavirus on Monday night, taking the city’s total to 100. The man was identified as the brother of a 60-year-old woman, also a Jockey Club member, who had been all over Hong Kong Island – visiting private clinics, restaurants and shops, getting her hair done, going to a temple and... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3064838/coronavirus-hong-kong-jockey-club-closing-happy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3064838/coronavirus-hong-kong-jockey-club-closing-happy?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 03 Mar 2020 16:03:27 +0000 Hundreds of Hong Kong’s social enterprises each need an HK$80,000 (US$10,300) government handout to save them from the coronavirus crisis that has already forced dozens to close or suspend their operations, according to the sector. The relief measure should target about 500 of them as part of a HK$40 million package for the industry, the Hong Kong General Chamber of Social Enterprises said on Monday as it released a survey showcasing their struggle during the epidemic. The poll painted a... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3064660/hong-kongs-social-enterprise-sector-needs-hk40?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3064660/hong-kongs-social-enterprise-sector-needs-hk40?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 02 Mar 2020 12:51:07 +0000