8 mystery pneumonia cases found in 5 days; Microbiologist warned for a surge during Chinese New Year

Government announced 3 new suspected mystery pneumonia case from Wuhan in China on Jan 4, making a total of 8 cases in the past 5 days, although none was considered severe.

Secretary for Food and Health Bureau, Sophia Chan, said the government has been vigilant and a series of measures would be put in place, including cutting down the visiting time in public hospital to reduce the flow of people. Staff might be sent to Wuhan to understand the situation, and amendments would be proposed to the Prevention and Control of Disease Ordinance, which required reporting of all concerning suspected cases.

Earlier today, the head of the University of Hong Kong's Centre for Infection, Ho Pak-leung, urged the Government to deploy all possible monitoring system at the city's borders, including the high-speed rail terminus for the new viral pneumonia from mainland.

Although Wuhan officials said that no evidence of human to human transmission had been found, Ho remained firm on his view that the virus could possibly pass from person to person. Ho hoped the mainlaid authority could release more information to help experts analyse the illness.

Ho also said, "so many infections in such a short period of time in Wuhan is worrying". The microbiologist, at the same time, warned for a surge in cases during Chinese New Year.

Emergency Notice:
https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/14769

What Mask to Wear during Pneumonia outbreak?
https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/14847

In #Singapore, Chinese girl with pneumonia warded, isolated after travel to Wuhan, China
https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/14851

Source RTHK #4Jan #Pneumonia #Plague

#SARS #Pneumonia #Plague
Hong Kong Government States That Reducing Flights or Trains to Wuhan, #China Is Not Necessary at This Stage

The pneumonia outbreak in China has aroused much public's concern; eight suspected cases (including a 4-year-old girl) were recorded in Hong Kong.

Hong Kong Chief Secretary for Administration Matthew Cheung Kin-chung stated that it was not necessary to reduce the frequency of flights or Express Rail Link trains to Wuhan as the government has been on high alert and would keep closely in touch with the National Health Commission for any updates.

Source: Stand News #Jan4
https://tinyurl.com/r8lepql

8 mystery pneumonia cases found in 5 days; Microbiologist warned for a surge during Chinese New Year
https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/14849

In #Singapore, Chinese girl with pneumonia warded, isolated after travel to Wuhan, China
https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/14851

#Pneumonia #Plague
In #Singapore, Chinese girl with pneumonia warded, isolated after travel to Wuhan, China

By Channel News Asia #Jan4

//A Chinese girl with pneumonia has been warded in Singapore and isolated as a precautionary measure after travel to Wuhan, where there has been an outbreak of the illness...

"We are monitoring the pneumonia situation in Wuhan closely. There is no evidence of people-to-people transmission, so will likely be just a normal fever outbreak," said Minister for Transport Khaw Boon Wan in a Facebook post on Saturday.

"But after SARS in 2003, we cannot be complacent. In any case, it is a good occasion to remind and to exercise the public health measures."//

Read more:
https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/wuhan-pneumonia-outbreak-china-girl-warded-isolated-singapore-12233644

Hong Kong Government States That Reducing Flights or Trains to Wuhan, #China Is Not Necessary: https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/14850

HKT1515 #Jan24
#ChinaPneumonia #Outbreak
2 More New Cases Confirmed in Singapore; The Philippines to Deport 135 Chinese Tourists from Wuhan

On January 24, Singapore confirmed 2 more new cases of Wuhan Pneumonia, accumulating to a total of 3 cases.

The same day the Philippines announced the deportation of over 135 Chinese tourists from Wuhan who landed at the Kalibo International Airport on January 23.

Source: TVB; Apple Daily
#Singapore #ThePhilippines

#ChinesePneumonia #Outbreak
4 Locally Transmitted Cases Among a Total of 6 New Coronavirus Patients in Singapore

//Four Singapore residents with no recent travel history to China have tested positive for the virus, which has sickened more than 20,000 and killed more than 420 people since it was detected in Wuhan in central China.

One of them was a tour guide for a group of Chinese tourists, two work at a shop the group had visited, while a fourth case of local transmission was the domestic helper of one of the cases, the Ministry of Health (MOH) said at a briefing.

The tour group had arrived in Singapore from China on Jan 22 and went to Malaysia from Jan 24 to 26. They re-entered Singapore via Woodlands Checkpoint at 3am on Jan 27 and flew from Changi Airport Terminal 1 at 6am.//

Source: CNA #Feb4
https://cna.asia/37WnwpB
#LocallyAcquired #Singapore

#Newspaper

Hong Kong, Singapore and Taiwan — once heralded for early successes in battling the pandemic — are now confronting a new wave of coronavirus cases, largely fueled by infections coming from elsewhere.

The first confirmed cases in all three places were connected to people who had travelled to Wuhan, where the pandemic began, followed by small clusters of cases among residents with no travel history.

This article compares and analysis in details the epidemic in these three places, with well illustrated graphs.

Full Article: NYTimes, (09-Apr)
https://nyti.ms/2V4FCRX

#HongKong #Taiwan #Singapore #Pandemic #TravelBan #Quarantine

#Analysis

Foreign Media Praised Female Leaders For Outstanding Leadership During Pandemic, Yet Carrie Lam is Not Named?

(15 Apr) With the global spread of COVID-19, foreign media have recently compared the anti-pandemic policies of global leaders, and have come to the conclusion that female leaders generally perform better. Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen, Germany's Chancellor Angela Merkel, and New Zealand's Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, among others, have been praised by foreign media as high-performing female leaders. However, Hong Kong's female Chief Executive Carrie Lam, who said she was "quick to respond", didn’t make it to the list.
At the time of writing, there were 1,016 confirmed cases in Hong Kong, which was lower than those in neighbouring regions, yet Carrie Lam has not been credited. Both local experts and foreign media noticed that Lam has been repeatedly criticized for her slow response in recent months, such as the inability to close Hong Kong-Mainland borders. It is believed that Hong Kong's success in fighting the epidemic is largely due to the fact that Hongkongers saved themselves during the crisis.

//one-third of the number of cases in Singapore

//Prohibiting officials from wearing masks; Refusal to close borders; Delays in closing karaoke lounges and beauty salons

//The Government is hopeless, Hongkongers need to rescue themselves

//Hongkongers have completely lost their trust in the Government after 6 months of protests.

Full translation:
https://telegra.ph/Foreign-Media-Praised-Female-Leaders-For-Outstanding-Leadership-During-Pandemic-Yet-Carrie-Lam-is-Not-Named-04-23

Source: The Stand News
https://bit.ly/3cEKt2f

Further reading:
Letter to Ms Boseley, The Guardian
https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/19763

#SelfHelp #FailedState #CarrieLam #Singapore #Epidemic #HoPakLeung #HongKongProtest

#Newspaper

Non-resident deposits in Singapore jump 44% to record S$62b in April

//Deposits from residents outside Singapore jumped 44 per cent to its highest level of S$62.14 billion, according to data by the Monetary Authority of Singapore.

//This includes deposits from persons with registered addresses outside Singapore such as overseas residents, Singaporeans working abroad and companies with a registered overseas address.

//Meanwhile, foreign currency deposits at banks here soared almost four times to a record S$26.97 billion in April from a year ago.

//Collectively, Singdollar and foreign currency deposits saw the largest jump in terms of absolute growth on a month-on-month basis.

//foreign currency deposits have been on the rise in Singapore since the second half of last year, coinciding with the Hong Kong unrest and escalating tensions between the United States and China due to the trade war.

//Foreign currency deposits can come from both residents and non-residents, and have mostly stayed within the S$7-8 billion range in the past few years before July 2019... analysts pointed out that foreign currency deposits make up only about 4 per cent of total deposits in the domestic banking unit.

//As for Singdollar- denominated deposits, the surge is a "reflection of a sharp slowdown in economic activity" brought about the circuit breaker measures

//analysts believe that the influx of deposits for both foreign currency and Singdollar will likely carry on in the near future, with much hanging on geopolitics and the overall state of the economy.

//A national security law announced in Hong Kong last month could see civil unrest flare up, with more investors potentially parking their funds in safe havens such as Singapore

//"In times of crisis, safety is first for depositors... Savers like us will just have to grind our teeth and brace for lower interest rates."

Full Article: Businesstimes, (03-June)

#Singapore #Nationalsecuritylaw #HongKongProtest #economic

#PressConference #TheHongKongMedicalAssociation [#HKMA]
Why is Hong Kong not capable of...?

A reporter asked, “why can Macau and Singapore preform 11000 and 20000 test respectively? Is the way of testing different? Is the nasopharyngeal [nucleic acid] test there different from the deep throat saliva test in Hong Kong?”

Choi Kin, chairman of HKMA, picked up the microphone immediately and answered, “The Chief Executives are different.”

Source: Telegram Channel
https://t.me/hktgb
Translated by: Hong Kong Echo

#Coronavirus #VirusTest #Macau #Singapore

#Newspaper

South Korea’s Naver relocates Hong Kong data centre to Singapore

//Naver — a Google rival that dominates the South Korean market for web services and owns a majority of Japan-based WhatsApp competitor Line — confirmed it was relocating its data back-up centre from Hong Kong to an expanded site in Singapore.

//The move is the first by a major foreign tech group to formally retreat from the territory in response to China’s new national security laws

//Its exit comes amid widespread concern among foreign groups that they will be forced to hand over private user data to Hong Kong authorities as well as face censorship by the Chinese Communist party. Similar fears have stopped many US tech companies from operating within China for years.

//#Facebook, #Google and #Microsoft were among companies that this month temporarily blocked Hong Kong’s government from accessing user data as they assessed the implications of the new law. The US tech groups, most of which have data centres in Hong Kong, are locked in negotiations over a proposal to give regulators in the territory access to customer banking records.

//The decision by Seoul-based #Naver highlights the potential that other companies and investors could similarly shift operations and assets to Singapore, as Hong Kong loses its lustre as the region’s leading low-tax financial centre and a key tech and trade hub as Beijing tightens control.

Full article: FT, (21-Jul)

Further reading:
As National Security Law Descends upon Hong Kong, VPN Service TunnelBear Removes Hong Kong Servers, ProtonVPN Lists Hong Kong as “High-Risk Country”
https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/23722
In Hong Kong, a Proxy Battle Over Internet Freedom Begins
https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/23731

#Singapore #NationalSecurityLaw #Relocation #TechGroup

#OpinionArticle

CCP’s hand has reached Singapore and US long ago

(24 Jul)No one will expect an international relation expert in Singapore is indeed a spy sent by CCP to spy on the US. The show hand of the espionage battle between China and US is only getting more and more intense. First, on researchers like Tang juan, who conceal their military studies background, the states can charge them with Visa fraud, which has a lower bar for prosecution. The merit of such charge is that no-one has to prove any state secret is stolen at all, and 10 years in jail will be given if found guilty. So people can make an example of it, so to scare the Chinese researchers.

The details of the espionage case was released today but the spy had been arrested in Nov 2019. It shows that the intelligence department has already begun tightening the net, and is no longer afraid of alerting the enemy.

Defendant Yao Jun Wei admitted to breaching the Foreign Agents registration act, section 951. This section was used against Cuba, and is then expanded to all agents who threaten the US homeland security. Combining with the Foreign agent registration act, it is being put into full use. As long as the agents are not registered and are acting in substance in their spy role, they commit a crime. In this sense, all those Chinese enterprises who expand their businesses in the US, will easily be affected under this law. Who will disclose that they are indeed working for the CCP? TikTok wishes to sell the business in a rush, and swaps all the Chinese management personnels. This is simply because they, too, fear this law.

Yao Jun Wei expanded his business in the US for the CCP, and runs a fake consultancy company, like those civilian think tanks. Intelligence, that is not publicised, is the most difficult to obtain, and is highly restricted to those in the authority. According to those mole cases disclosed by the Department of State, most were tempted with woman or money. Mostly those in financial difficulty were reached. Yet, when the Trump government arrested these moles high profile, the public servants became more careful and no longer accept gifts easily. This in turn, increases the difficulty for CCP to steal intelligence. Yao Jun Wei’s case demonstrates CCP’s move adapt to such changes.

Yao Jun Wei used Linkedin to “remodify” action of espionage into a legal business. He sent out recruitment ads en masse, and recruited target to write consultancy reports of different subjects. He lied that these reports are for research of Asian clients, and such action will be safe. Each report is priced from USD 1000 to 2000, and this scam is targeted at public servants who want quick money. The court released three examples, in which the CCP obtained three insider news from such operation, including Japan purchasing F35A, the influence of retreat of US army in Afghanistan on China and the confidential background of a cabinet official.

Source: Author
https://bit.ly/30vWdkE
Translated by: Hong Kong Echo

#ChinaInfluence #Singapore #Spy #YaoJunWei #US #China #Tiktok #EspionageBattle #Linkedin

Families of captured Hong Kong activists demand their return from Chinese detention

A group of Hong Kong families on Saturday (Sep 12) demanded the urgent return of their activist relatives detained last month by mainland Chinese authorities as they tried to flee the city by boat to Taiwan. This was their first public appeal for help, and it was supported by several pro-democracy activists.

Some were emotional, and they issued demands such as allowing the detainees to consult lawyers chosen by themselves, and also the access to medication for those of them with medical problems.

However, Chief Executive Carrie Lam said earlier this week that if they had been arrested for breaking mainland law, "then they have to be dealt with according to the mainland laws".

Source: Channel News Asia #Sep12
https://bit.ly/3kf8HEk

#Singapore #HongKong #Save12HKYouth #CarrieLam

Singaporean activist charged with illegal assembly after inviting Joshua Wong to video conference

Jolovan Wham, a Singaporean Activist, invited Joshua Wong [formerly] from Demosisto to give a video speech in 2016 event through Skype. Wham posted on Twitter yesterday (20 August) that the court has rejected his conviction appeal. He refused to pay the fine, as a result, he will be jailed for ten days from today.

Jolovan Wham, aged 40, is a social worker who advocates for sexual minorities, freedom of assembly and free speech. He hosted a forum on civil disobedience and social movement in November 2016 and invited his 7,600 followers on Facebook to join. On the day, there were a few overseas activists who gave speeches, Joshua Wong also spoke in the meeting via Skype.

According to The Straits Times from Singapore in October last year, Wham’s lawyer pointed out in the trial that this event was not defined as an “assembly” under the law, but an academic discussion only, it did not have immediate threat to public order and safety. Yet, the High Court in Singapore rejected Wham’s appeal. The judgement stated that Wham promoted social reform through civil disobedience at the meeting; and that he invited Joshua Wong to the meeting, who was undoubtedly expected to promote civil disobedience. The court believed that Wham was telling the audience about how civil disobedience was practised in Hong Kong, and invited them to peruse civil disobedience in Singapore, which was enough to determine there was promotion of civil disobedience.

In the end, Wham was convicted of organising an unlawful public assembly and refusing to sign a police statement. He was sentenced to fines of $2,000 and $1,200 Singapore dollars respectively for the two convictions (approximately equivalent to $11,300 and $6,800 Hong Kong dollars). Wham made statement on Twitter that he refused to pay the charge of $2,000 resulting ten days imprisonment starting from today (21 August). He also expressed his appreciation of the support from everyone on Twitter.

#JolovanWham #Singapore #JoshuaWong #CivilDisobedience #IllegalAssembly #HighCourt

Sources: Stand News, The Straits Times
https://bit.ly/3cHbaVj (#Aug21)
https://bit.ly/36bS20y (#Oct25)

Singaporean Spies on US for China, Arrested on Return

Dickson Jun Wei Yeo, a Singaporean citizen who admitted to collecting sensitive information about the US for Chinese intelligence agencies and jailed in America, was arrested upon return to Singapore after serving his sentence. In a statement released on 30 December, Singapore’s Internal Security Department (ISD) said Yeo had been arrested and would be questioned to see if he had engaged in activities that endanger Singapore’s national security.

In their statement, the ISD stressed that the Singaporean government “takes a very serious view on any Singaporean who enters into a clandestine relationship with a foreign government and engages in espionage or subversive activities at the behest of the foreign power”. They said that the authorities would not allow “nationals to be subverted or used by any foreign actors for activities prejudicial to our security and national interests”.

Source: Stand News #Dec30

#Singapore #US #China #NationalSecurity #Espionage

https://bit.ly/2NycukN

American Fashion Group VF to Relocate from Hong Kong to Shanghai and Singapore

American fashion group VF announced on January 11 that it will be moving its brand operations centre and Asia product supply hub from Hong Kong to Shanghai and Singapore respectively. The parent company of brands including North Face, Timberland, and Supreme stated that its relocation to Shanghai can help establish a closer relationship with Chinese consumers.

In its press release, VF said the transformation will take place over the next 12 to 18 months with the first stage of the plan commencing this April. Steve Rendle, VF’s chairman and CEO, said the company has built on the many opportunities in Asia since it began its expansion in the region 25 years ago. “Now,” he continued, “we’re further transforming our Asia operations so we can better serve this fast-moving, technology-driven market with increased speed and capabilities.”

VF added that it is seeking to establish closer relations with its Chinese consumers by moving its brand operations centre from Hong Kong to Shanghai. The relocation of its Asian product supply hub, on the other hand, is an effort to consolidate its global supply chain network, of which European and American hubs are key parts. Workforces and other resources will also be allocated to primary sourcing countries in the region to strengthen cooperation with suppliers and boost efficiency.

Source: Stand News #Jan12

#HK #Shanghai #Singapore #VFGroup #Supreme #NorthFace #Timberland #Economy

https://bit.ly/2Px6pGB

Beijing loses US-China conference to Singapore

Bloomberg, the former New York City mayor and owner of the eponymous financial information group, told the Financial Times that “logistics”, including Singapore’s Covid-19 safety record and the “very concerning” conditions in China for journalists, had persuaded the group to hold the New Economy Forum in the city-state in November.

The conference was held in Beijing in 2019 and virtually last year. The inaugural event in 2018 was meant to be held in Beijing but had been moved to Singapore amid escalating US-China tensions that year.

Source: Finance Times #May06

https://www.ft.com/content/fedf44c2-1d16-4e0d-bb9b-77965adb3424

#Beijing #US #China #Singapore #COVID19

Multinationals turn away from Hong Kong for dispute resolution

Concerns over the rule of law are threatening Hong Kong's ambitions to become a hub for corporate arbitration, according to lawyers, stoking the appeal of regional rival Singapore for many multinationals.

The Chinese city still handles hundreds of arbitration cases each year. However, companies drafting new contracts are increasingly choosing places other than Hong Kong as the location for arbitration, a dozen lawyers and corporate advisers in Hong Kong, Singapore and London told Nikkei Asia.

Cross-border commercial contracts must specify a location for handling arbitration cases should they arise. Judicial independence and whether arbitral awards are readily enforceable are key factors in making that selection.

source: Nikkei Asia #Jun08

https://asia.nikkei.com/Spotlight/Hong-Kong-security-law/Multinationals-turn-away-from-Hong-Kong-for-dispute-resolution

#RuleOfLaw #HongKong #Arbitration #Dispute #Singapore #London