#Shanghai starts China's biggest #COVID19 lockdown in 2 years; residents call it "insane"
Although Chinese officials said lockdown would not be imposed on #Shanghai, two days later the authorities announced that the city will be locked down in two stages from Monday, March 28, 2022 onwards for nine days.
According to BBC, this is the biggest city-wide #lockdown since the Covid outbreak began more than two years ago.
Soon after the government's announcement was out, panic buying occured in various parts of Shanghai.
Videos on Weibo, a Chinese social media platform, showed people fighting in supermarket over produce. Some Chinese netizens commented that it was "unbelievable that they are looking at 21st-Century Shanghai" and that the policy was "insane".
Source: InMedia; BBC #Mar28
https://bit.ly/380pPwx
#WuhanPneumonia #ChineseStyle #Lockdown #Pandemic #Regime
Although Chinese officials said lockdown would not be imposed on #Shanghai, two days later the authorities announced that the city will be locked down in two stages from Monday, March 28, 2022 onwards for nine days.
According to BBC, this is the biggest city-wide #lockdown since the Covid outbreak began more than two years ago.
Soon after the government's announcement was out, panic buying occured in various parts of Shanghai.
Videos on Weibo, a Chinese social media platform, showed people fighting in supermarket over produce. Some Chinese netizens commented that it was "unbelievable that they are looking at 21st-Century Shanghai" and that the policy was "insane".
Source: InMedia; BBC #Mar28
https://bit.ly/380pPwx
#WuhanPneumonia #ChineseStyle #Lockdown #Pandemic #Regime
#FailedState #CovidResilience
Hong Kong ranks last on COVID Resilience Ranking among 53 countries
Hong Kong declines to the last spot in Bloomberg's COVID Resilience Ranking among the 53 economies after its outbreak became the deadliest in the world in March, 2022.
According to the report, the Asian financial hub also scored poorly on Flight Capacity and Community Mobility.
Next to Hong Kong is Russia (ranks No. 52), which is weighed down by a slow vaccine rollout and the worst GDP growth outlook among all the ranked places in 2022 largely due to its invasion of Ukraine.
Since November 2020, the Covid Resilience Ranking has provided a monthly snapshot of where the pandemic is being handled the most effectively with the least upheaval to people and business.
#WuhanPneumonia #Bloomberg
Read full article:
https://www.bloomberg.com/graphics/covid-resilience-ranking/
Hong Kong ranks last on COVID Resilience Ranking among 53 countries
Hong Kong declines to the last spot in Bloomberg's COVID Resilience Ranking among the 53 economies after its outbreak became the deadliest in the world in March, 2022.
According to the report, the Asian financial hub also scored poorly on Flight Capacity and Community Mobility.
Next to Hong Kong is Russia (ranks No. 52), which is weighed down by a slow vaccine rollout and the worst GDP growth outlook among all the ranked places in 2022 largely due to its invasion of Ukraine.
Since November 2020, the Covid Resilience Ranking has provided a monthly snapshot of where the pandemic is being handled the most effectively with the least upheaval to people and business.
#WuhanPneumonia #Bloomberg
Read full article:
https://www.bloomberg.com/graphics/covid-resilience-ranking/
Make vaccines mandatory for elderlies, Pro-Beijing lawmaker urges
Hong Kong's COVID-19 death toll soared to its highest at 7,612 on March 31, during the fifth-wave of Omicron outbreak.
Elderly care homes are reportedly facing the gravest threat, as too many elderly residents were not vaccinated due to chronic health issues. Staff shortages and lack of on-site isolation facilities also added to the soaring death rate.
During a Legislative Council Health Affairs Committee meeting, Holden Chow Ho-ding, vice-chairman of the pro-China Democratic Alliance for the Betterment of Progress of Hong Kong (#DAB), urged the government to act “decisively” and make it mandatory for the city’s elderly to be vaccinated.
“Reduce deaths. Reduce severe cases. The government should act decisively, and make it legally required for seniors aged 70 and above to be vaccinated," said Chow.
Source: Inmediahk, #Apr1
https://bit.ly/3wVogu8
#WuhanPneumonia #Elderly #VaccineMandate
Hong Kong's COVID-19 death toll soared to its highest at 7,612 on March 31, during the fifth-wave of Omicron outbreak.
Elderly care homes are reportedly facing the gravest threat, as too many elderly residents were not vaccinated due to chronic health issues. Staff shortages and lack of on-site isolation facilities also added to the soaring death rate.
During a Legislative Council Health Affairs Committee meeting, Holden Chow Ho-ding, vice-chairman of the pro-China Democratic Alliance for the Betterment of Progress of Hong Kong (#DAB), urged the government to act “decisively” and make it mandatory for the city’s elderly to be vaccinated.
“Reduce deaths. Reduce severe cases. The government should act decisively, and make it legally required for seniors aged 70 and above to be vaccinated," said Chow.
Source: Inmediahk, #Apr1
https://bit.ly/3wVogu8
#WuhanPneumonia #Elderly #VaccineMandate
HK Schools Resumed after "Early Summer Vacation", with Daily Rapid Testing for Students
#WuhanPneumonia #OmicronWave #ClassSuspension
Source: Inmediahk; #Apr11
Read more
⬇️⬇️⬇️
#WuhanPneumonia #OmicronWave #ClassSuspension
Source: Inmediahk; #Apr11
Read more
⬇️⬇️⬇️
HK Schools Resumed after "Early Summer Vacation", with Daily Rapid Testing for Students
During the daily #COVID19 press conference on April 11, Chief Executive Carrie Lam announced plans for schools to resume beginning on April 19, after nearly 2 months of suspension due to a wave of #Omicron sweeping through the city.
Students will need to take a rapid test every day before attending school; only those with a negative result will be allowed in.
The government also laid out guidelines for closing schools: if 5% of a school's students and staff test positive, the Centre for Health Protection (#CHP) will investigate the outbreak.
Vaccination will not be required for students, but those without it will not be allowed to attend extracurricular activities.
The timeline for resuming in-person classes:
Secondary schools: Starting May 3, schools can resume their classes in stages or entirely. By May 10, all classes must resume.
Primary schools: classes can resume in stages or entirely starting April 19. All classes must resume by May 3.
Kindergartens: One-third of classes are to resume starting May 3, with the remaining to resume on May 10. All classes must resume by May 16.
This will bring an end to the suspension of classes, which was began on Feb 21 when the government announced an "early summer vacation" for all schools.
During the press conference, Carrie Lam expressed her thanks that more schools have proactively taken anti-pandemic measures, including arranging vaccinations and distributing prevention kits, as a result of the government-mandated "summer vacation".
During the questioning period, a NowTV reporter asked whether parents could opt for online classes, instead of sending their children to school.
Secretary of Education Kevin Yeung replied that the policy was a balance between needs and risks, and they found that despite the risk being non-zero, resuming in-person classes was necessary. He further stated that students aged 6-15 are required by law to attend school.
#Apr11 #WuhanPneumonia #OmicronWave #ClassSuspension
source: In-Media HK
https://bit.ly/3Jrc6vN
During the daily #COVID19 press conference on April 11, Chief Executive Carrie Lam announced plans for schools to resume beginning on April 19, after nearly 2 months of suspension due to a wave of #Omicron sweeping through the city.
Students will need to take a rapid test every day before attending school; only those with a negative result will be allowed in.
The government also laid out guidelines for closing schools: if 5% of a school's students and staff test positive, the Centre for Health Protection (#CHP) will investigate the outbreak.
Vaccination will not be required for students, but those without it will not be allowed to attend extracurricular activities.
The timeline for resuming in-person classes:
Secondary schools: Starting May 3, schools can resume their classes in stages or entirely. By May 10, all classes must resume.
Primary schools: classes can resume in stages or entirely starting April 19. All classes must resume by May 3.
Kindergartens: One-third of classes are to resume starting May 3, with the remaining to resume on May 10. All classes must resume by May 16.
This will bring an end to the suspension of classes, which was began on Feb 21 when the government announced an "early summer vacation" for all schools.
During the press conference, Carrie Lam expressed her thanks that more schools have proactively taken anti-pandemic measures, including arranging vaccinations and distributing prevention kits, as a result of the government-mandated "summer vacation".
During the questioning period, a NowTV reporter asked whether parents could opt for online classes, instead of sending their children to school.
Secretary of Education Kevin Yeung replied that the policy was a balance between needs and risks, and they found that despite the risk being non-zero, resuming in-person classes was necessary. He further stated that students aged 6-15 are required by law to attend school.
#Apr11 #WuhanPneumonia #OmicronWave #ClassSuspension
source: In-Media HK
https://bit.ly/3Jrc6vN
$90 Million HKD Collected in Anti-Pandemic Fines, Govt Data Shows
In response to the outbreak of #WuhanPneumonia in early 2020, the government enacted a series of social distancing measures, including a #GatheringBan, #MaskMandate, and mandatory use of the "#LeaveHomeSafe" contact tracing app. These regulations are part of the Prevention and Control of Disease Ordinance, also known as Cap. 599.
From April 1, 2021 to Feb 28, 2022, police had issued 21,613 tickets against more than 1,100 individuals for Cap. 599 violations, collecting $89,980,000HKD in fines for the government.
The number of tickets issued, by regulation, are:
Gathering ban (599G): 13,525 tickets
Mask mandate (599I): 6102 tickets
Business and premises regulation (599F): 1986 tickets
Since the 5th wave of outbreak earlier this year, the number tickets for violating the mask mandate more than doubled, rising from January's 550 to February's 1909.
Source: In-Media HK
https://bit.ly/37enUnZ
Related news: a few instances when 599G and 599I tickets were issued:
Hong Kong Police Ticket 14 Pro-democracy Elderly for violating gathering ban, each fined for HK$5,000
https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/27235
Hong Kong Police Accuse Civilians Queueing Up to Enter Courtroom of Breaching the Gathering Ban
https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/28952
Carrie Lam Defends Top Officials for Violating Gathering Ban in Extravagant Banquet with Property Developer: "You can't just turn away after seeing abalone"
https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/30485
#SocialDistancing #COVID19 #PoliceState
In response to the outbreak of #WuhanPneumonia in early 2020, the government enacted a series of social distancing measures, including a #GatheringBan, #MaskMandate, and mandatory use of the "#LeaveHomeSafe" contact tracing app. These regulations are part of the Prevention and Control of Disease Ordinance, also known as Cap. 599.
From April 1, 2021 to Feb 28, 2022, police had issued 21,613 tickets against more than 1,100 individuals for Cap. 599 violations, collecting $89,980,000HKD in fines for the government.
The number of tickets issued, by regulation, are:
Gathering ban (599G): 13,525 tickets
Mask mandate (599I): 6102 tickets
Business and premises regulation (599F): 1986 tickets
Since the 5th wave of outbreak earlier this year, the number tickets for violating the mask mandate more than doubled, rising from January's 550 to February's 1909.
Source: In-Media HK
https://bit.ly/37enUnZ
Related news: a few instances when 599G and 599I tickets were issued:
Hong Kong Police Ticket 14 Pro-democracy Elderly for violating gathering ban, each fined for HK$5,000
https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/27235
Hong Kong Police Accuse Civilians Queueing Up to Enter Courtroom of Breaching the Gathering Ban
https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/28952
Carrie Lam Defends Top Officials for Violating Gathering Ban in Extravagant Banquet with Property Developer: "You can't just turn away after seeing abalone"
https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/30485
#SocialDistancing #COVID19 #PoliceState
#FailedState
Hong Kong's #COVID Hospital Switches Computer to Chinese for Mainland Medics, but Needs Local Staff to Retype in English
The first batch of Chinese mainland medical staff arrived in Hong Kong in March 14, 2022, and are assigned to work at the temporary #AsiaWorldExpo isolation facility.
In preparation, the computer system for clinical management at the facility has been changed to display Chinese.
The President of Hong Kong Public Doctors' Association, #LingSiuChiTony, revealed in a radio interview that after discharging a patient from the makeshift hospital, Hong Kong medical staff have to retype the documents by mainland medics before submitting them to the #HospitalAuthority (#HA) network, as Hong Kong's medical records system is in English. He was also concerned about the diagnosis process; although most of the mainland staff were from Guangdong -- where Cantonese is spoken -- their medical as well as conversational language both have differences from those used by Hongkongers.
The mainland medical staff serving in the COVID hospital are exempt from registration. Although the HA claimed to take responsibility for them, if a medical incident were to occur, it would be difficult to hold them responsible.
"Since they (mainland staff) are not locally registered, we cannot hold a disciplinary hearing on them or revoke their license. By the time of the hearing, they may have left Hong Kong already."
Source: Inmedia #Mar15
https://bit.ly/3q7pn5P
#HKPDA #WuhanPneumonia #OmicronWave
Hong Kong's #COVID Hospital Switches Computer to Chinese for Mainland Medics, but Needs Local Staff to Retype in English
The first batch of Chinese mainland medical staff arrived in Hong Kong in March 14, 2022, and are assigned to work at the temporary #AsiaWorldExpo isolation facility.
In preparation, the computer system for clinical management at the facility has been changed to display Chinese.
The President of Hong Kong Public Doctors' Association, #LingSiuChiTony, revealed in a radio interview that after discharging a patient from the makeshift hospital, Hong Kong medical staff have to retype the documents by mainland medics before submitting them to the #HospitalAuthority (#HA) network, as Hong Kong's medical records system is in English. He was also concerned about the diagnosis process; although most of the mainland staff were from Guangdong -- where Cantonese is spoken -- their medical as well as conversational language both have differences from those used by Hongkongers.
The mainland medical staff serving in the COVID hospital are exempt from registration. Although the HA claimed to take responsibility for them, if a medical incident were to occur, it would be difficult to hold them responsible.
"Since they (mainland staff) are not locally registered, we cannot hold a disciplinary hearing on them or revoke their license. By the time of the hearing, they may have left Hong Kong already."
Source: Inmedia #Mar15
https://bit.ly/3q7pn5P
#HKPDA #WuhanPneumonia #OmicronWave
#ShanghaiLockdown
Shanghai Violinist Leaped to his Death after COVID Restrictions Denied him Medical Assistance
Source: In-Media HK
#HumanitarianCrisis #ChenShunPing #WuhanPneumonia
Read more
⬇️⬇️⬇️
Shanghai Violinist Leaped to his Death after COVID Restrictions Denied him Medical Assistance
Source: In-Media HK
#HumanitarianCrisis #ChenShunPing #WuhanPneumonia
Read more
⬇️⬇️⬇️
#ShanghaiLockdown
Shanghai Violinist Leaped to his Death after COVID Restrictions Denied him Medical Assistance
71-year-old amateur violinist Chen Shunping, who lived in #Shanghai, had taken his own life after being denied medical help for his suspected pancreatitis during the city's month-long lockdown. He was a member of the Shanghai Pops Orchestra.
Three #COVID19 deaths had been recorded [Ed: as of April 18] since Shanghai's lockdown began in late March, all of whom were seniors with chronic illnesses.
However, reports often surfaced on Chinese social media surrounding deaths of patients not being able to get medical treatment.
According to chat messages from Chen's family, he began to feel unwell in the evening of April 13, with stomach pains and vomiting; from experience, he suspected it was pancreatitis.
His family called an ambulance, who took Chen to two separate hospitals, but both turned him away, citing COVID restrictions. Unable to endure the severe pain, Chen left suicide notes for his family before leaping to his death from his apartment.
Chen's wife was stricken with grief as she remembered him as a cheerful and kind man, with a passion for life and music: "This society had taken an ordinary, lively man and pushed him to his death!"
His death also sparked outcry online; netizens commented that he "didn't get COVID, but died because of COVID."
A separate incident of a pregnant Shanghai woman who died from blood loss during a premature birth also circulated on social media. Shanghai police quickly refuted it as "fake news", announcing that the woman successfully gave birth to twins, and that they had arrested the spreader of the rumor.
Netizens were quick to react: "Why don't you refute Chen Shunping's fake news?" "Chen's case still hasn't been refuted, so it must be true."
Source: In-Media HK
https://bit.ly/3OeDLUx
#HumanitarianCrisis #WuhanPneumonia #ChenShunPing
Shanghai Violinist Leaped to his Death after COVID Restrictions Denied him Medical Assistance
71-year-old amateur violinist Chen Shunping, who lived in #Shanghai, had taken his own life after being denied medical help for his suspected pancreatitis during the city's month-long lockdown. He was a member of the Shanghai Pops Orchestra.
Three #COVID19 deaths had been recorded [Ed: as of April 18] since Shanghai's lockdown began in late March, all of whom were seniors with chronic illnesses.
However, reports often surfaced on Chinese social media surrounding deaths of patients not being able to get medical treatment.
According to chat messages from Chen's family, he began to feel unwell in the evening of April 13, with stomach pains and vomiting; from experience, he suspected it was pancreatitis.
His family called an ambulance, who took Chen to two separate hospitals, but both turned him away, citing COVID restrictions. Unable to endure the severe pain, Chen left suicide notes for his family before leaping to his death from his apartment.
Chen's wife was stricken with grief as she remembered him as a cheerful and kind man, with a passion for life and music: "This society had taken an ordinary, lively man and pushed him to his death!"
His death also sparked outcry online; netizens commented that he "didn't get COVID, but died because of COVID."
A separate incident of a pregnant Shanghai woman who died from blood loss during a premature birth also circulated on social media. Shanghai police quickly refuted it as "fake news", announcing that the woman successfully gave birth to twins, and that they had arrested the spreader of the rumor.
Netizens were quick to react: "Why don't you refute Chen Shunping's fake news?" "Chen's case still hasn't been refuted, so it must be true."
Source: In-Media HK
https://bit.ly/3OeDLUx
#HumanitarianCrisis #WuhanPneumonia #ChenShunPing
Studies point to China's #HuananMarket as #epicenter of #Covid19, wildlife trade associated
The following is excerpted from a statement released by the American Association for the Advancement of Science (#AAAS), which is the publisher of the peer-reviewed journal "Science", on July 26, 2022:
//Two studies published in #Science by #MichaelWorobey et al. and #JonathanPekar et al. use complementary approaches – involving spatial and environmental analyses, as well as molecular analyses – to provide evidence that the Huanan market in #Wuhan, China, was the early epicenter for the COVID-19 #pandemic.
The scientists concluded that SARS-CoV-2 was very likely present in live mammals sold at this market in late 2019 and suggest the virus spilled over into people working or shopping there ... //
Read more:
https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/959879
Source: AAAS; Canada TV #Jul27
https://www.ctvnews.ca/health/coronavirus/studies-suggest-covid-19-likely-emerged-from-wuhan-market-1.6003139
#WuhanPneumonia
The following is excerpted from a statement released by the American Association for the Advancement of Science (#AAAS), which is the publisher of the peer-reviewed journal "Science", on July 26, 2022:
//Two studies published in #Science by #MichaelWorobey et al. and #JonathanPekar et al. use complementary approaches – involving spatial and environmental analyses, as well as molecular analyses – to provide evidence that the Huanan market in #Wuhan, China, was the early epicenter for the COVID-19 #pandemic.
The scientists concluded that SARS-CoV-2 was very likely present in live mammals sold at this market in late 2019 and suggest the virus spilled over into people working or shopping there ... //
Read more:
https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/959879
Source: AAAS; Canada TV #Jul27
https://www.ctvnews.ca/health/coronavirus/studies-suggest-covid-19-likely-emerged-from-wuhan-market-1.6003139
#WuhanPneumonia
Surveillance for All: China Pushes for Permanent Health Code by 2025
Source: Radio Free Asia #Nov10
#CCP #SurveillanceState #WuhanPneumonia #HealthCode #BigData #BigBrother
Read more
⬇️⬇️⬇️
Source: Radio Free Asia #Nov10
#CCP #SurveillanceState #WuhanPneumonia #HealthCode #BigData #BigBrother
Read more
⬇️⬇️⬇️
Surveillance for All: China Pushes for Permanent Health Code by 2025
Although the #WHO had clearly stated that there had been a drastic 90% decrease in COVID deaths across the world, China had not embraced this optimistic view. Instead, it has declared a goal of making the Health QR Code mandatory for everyone in the country by 2025, enforcing a long-term, real-time surveillance for its citizens.
On Nov 9, The National Health Commission of China announced on its website that by 2025, every Chinese citizen will have a dynamically-managed electronic health file and a fully-functional electronic health code. The announcement is jointly published by the National Health Commission, State Administration of State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, and National Bureau of Disease Control and Prevention.
According to the announcement, the health code systems currently in use are run by each province separately, and the systems from different provinces do not generally recognize each other's codes. In response, the central government aims to create a basic, inter-connected surveillance platform by 2025, in which each resident will have a dynamically-managed electronic health file and a fully-functional electronic health code.
With such a system in place, the Chinese government will be able to leverage big data to trace the so-called "high-risk individuals", establishing a long-term, real-time surveillance and control of the Chinese populace.
Source: Radio Free Asia #Nov10
https://www.rfa.org/cantonese/news/code-11102022062758.html
see also:
"Encode us": Health Code, or is it CCP's Social Credit System? (Aug 17, 2020)
https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/24283
#CCP #SurveillanceState #WuhanPneumonia #HealthCode #BigData #BigBrother
Although the #WHO had clearly stated that there had been a drastic 90% decrease in COVID deaths across the world, China had not embraced this optimistic view. Instead, it has declared a goal of making the Health QR Code mandatory for everyone in the country by 2025, enforcing a long-term, real-time surveillance for its citizens.
On Nov 9, The National Health Commission of China announced on its website that by 2025, every Chinese citizen will have a dynamically-managed electronic health file and a fully-functional electronic health code. The announcement is jointly published by the National Health Commission, State Administration of State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, and National Bureau of Disease Control and Prevention.
According to the announcement, the health code systems currently in use are run by each province separately, and the systems from different provinces do not generally recognize each other's codes. In response, the central government aims to create a basic, inter-connected surveillance platform by 2025, in which each resident will have a dynamically-managed electronic health file and a fully-functional electronic health code.
With such a system in place, the Chinese government will be able to leverage big data to trace the so-called "high-risk individuals", establishing a long-term, real-time surveillance and control of the Chinese populace.
Source: Radio Free Asia #Nov10
https://www.rfa.org/cantonese/news/code-11102022062758.html
see also:
"Encode us": Health Code, or is it CCP's Social Credit System? (Aug 17, 2020)
https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/24283
#CCP #SurveillanceState #WuhanPneumonia #HealthCode #BigData #BigBrother
Radio Free Asia
【鐵腕清零】中共2025年推全國通行健康碼 實現長期監控所有國民
中國表明要以防疫為由,以2025年為目標,推全國通行健康碼,對所有國民作長期實時監控。
China is set to open reopen its borders on January 8 after scrapping its draconian zero-COVID strategy as large-scale outbreaks sweep through its population.
WHO criticized the nation of 1.4 billion for under-representing the severity of its outbreak, calling China's data "incomplete".
Many countries have since imposed restrictions on travellers from China, a response the WHO has called "understandable". The list of countries continues to be growing.
source:
Al Jazeera
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/1/2/which-countries-have-placed-covid-curbs-on-travellers-from-china
Time
https://time.com/6243967/covid-travel-restrictions-china/
#ChinaReopening #WuhanPneumonia #COVID19 #TravelRestriction
WHO criticized the nation of 1.4 billion for under-representing the severity of its outbreak, calling China's data "incomplete".
Many countries have since imposed restrictions on travellers from China, a response the WHO has called "understandable". The list of countries continues to be growing.
source:
Al Jazeera
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/1/2/which-countries-have-placed-covid-curbs-on-travellers-from-china
Time
https://time.com/6243967/covid-travel-restrictions-china/
#ChinaReopening #WuhanPneumonia #COVID19 #TravelRestriction