Cathay Pacific Aircraft Carried a Wuhan Coronavirus victim Continued to be Used Without Disinfection for Over 30 Times

The second confirmed case of Wuhan pneumonia in Japan was a passenger who transited from Wuhan to Tokyo via Hong Kong on January 19. Cathay Pacific confirmed the two flights the patient took this evening (Jan 24) and said it would disinfect the two aeroplanes.

According to records, the patient stayed in Hong Kong shortly for only 1 hour and 50 minutes, but the two aeroplanes he flew on were later used for another 18 and 15 flights to and from 12 destinations respectively.

Staff members of Cathay Pacific revealed that routine cleaning work of a plane is usually roughly conducted. They expressed their deep concern that it is insufficient to inhabit any virus.

Source: Apple Daily
https://hk.news.appledaily.com/local/20200124/X7VWFYCL3M4U5OSL5WPKGSKXCM/

#Jan24 #ChinesePneumonia #Wuhan #GlobalOutbreak

Citizens call for shut-down of High-speed Rail to Stop Coronavirus Pneumonia From Spreading to Hong Kong

As Wuhan Pneumonia hastily spreading around the globe, citizens initiated “Seal the High Speed Rail Operation”, demanding the government to shut down the broader connecting China to prevent the virus from spread into Hong Kong.

It was sighted at West Kowloon High Speed Rail Station on January 26 that Police officers have put on filter masks and protective goggles.

Editor's note: Although Hong Kong raised its alerts to the highest level on January 25, the Chief Executive of HKSAR refused to close down the boarder connecting China, the most effective way to contain the deadly contagion as top microbiologists recommended. The high-speed rail is the most common way for Wuhan residents to travel to Hong Kong.

#Jan26 #ChinaPneumonia #Wuhan #GlobalOutbreak #HighSpeedRail

Beijing closes Wuhan's Borders to Contain Escalating WARS Threat; Yet Mainlanders in HK Still Confident in Government Policies

The pneumonia epidemic in Wuhan is getting increasingly severe, and the number of confirmed cases in Beijing is also picking up, causing dire public concern. On Saturday (January 25), the Beijing Municipal Transportation Department confirmed that as a preventive measure, all inter-provincial land transportation in Beijing will be shut down from Sunday (January 26), with recovery time undecided.

The Cultural Tourism Bureau has confirmed that starting from next Monday (January 27), all tour groups, including outbound groups, will be suspended.

Source from the Municipal Culture and Tourism Bureau also confirmed that mainland tours to Beijing have already been stopped on January 24. Starting January 27, not only the mainland, but all outbound tour groups, air tickets, hotels and other services from Beijing will also be suspended. Refund and other issued would be followed-up and resolved by travel agencies in accordance with the contract and related laws.

Amidst an increase in confirmed cases and death tolls in China in past few days, mainlanders who came to Hong Kong for New Year holiday continued to show great confidence in the Government, believing that they will put the WARS outbreak under control. Many of them visiting the two theme parks in Hong Kong did not even bother to wear face masks. A tourist from Dongguan said, “the government has put in place policies. What is there to worry about?”

Sources: Oriental Daily, Apple Daily

#Jan25 #ChinesePneumonia #Wuhan #GlobalOutbreak

#WuhanPneumonia #GlobalOutbreak
4 steps to properly wear a mask

1. Look
Make sure the colored side face outward with the metallic strip uppermost.

2. Wear
Hold on to the ear-loops on both sides of the mask. Make sure the center position of the mask is facing your nose, and then put elastic bands around both ears.

3. Adjust
Extend the surgical mask to fully cover the mouth, the nose and the chin.

4. Press
Mould the metallic strip over the nose bridge and the surgical mask should fit snugly over the face.

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WHO Acknowledged “Diction Error” in Risk Assessment of Coronavirus on Regions and the World

On Jan 27, the World Health Organisation revised the risk assessment of Wuhan pneumonia in China to "very high risk” while its risk to regions and the world to “high”. The report states in a footnote that there was a “diction error” in previous reports published on the 23rd, 24th, and 25th stating global risk as “moderate”.

Antoine Flahault of the Swiss School of Public Health criticised that during an interview by AFP ,” This is a mistake, it is definitely a blunder ... I really think it is a grave mistake, and it has been corrected now.”

Harvard University Public Health Specialist Eric Feigl-Ding expressed on Twitter that the new coronavirus is severe and he called on WHO to include it as soon as possible in an international public health emergency.

Source: Stand News #Jan28
#ChinesePneumonia #Wuhan #GlobalOutbreak #WHO

Steps to Wearing your Medical Face Mask the Right Way:

1. Wash your hands with soap and water or hand sanitizer before putting on the mask

2. Make sure the colored side faces outwards with the wired edge on top

3. Stretch and position the elastic straps around your ears

4. Press and secure the wired edge on your nose bridge

5. Pull the mask folds downwards so it covers your nose, mouth and chin

6. Pinch the wired edge so and press it firmly around your nose bridge

7. Ensure that the sides of the face mask is pressing securely against your cheek, and avoid touching the mask afterwards

8. To remove the mask, touch only the elastic straps * Folding the mask is not necessary*

9. Dispose of a used mask in a trash can with lid, then wash your hands thoroughly

#WuhanPneumonia #NewCoronavurus #GlobalOutbreak
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UAE Confirms its First Case of Wuhan Pneumonia; First in the Middle East

United Arab Emirates (UAE) confirmed its first case of 2019-ncov in the Middle East. The patient was from Wuhan, where there are 3554 confirmed cases in Hubei, accounting for 125 deaths (~93%) out of the 135 in mainland China.

Source: NOW #Jan29
#WuhanPneumonia #GlobalOutbreak

#ChinesePneumonia
Foreign reporters witness police and medics in protective suits dealing with a corpse on streets of Wuhan

An AFP Reporter saw a dead man on the street on Thursday (January 30), a block from the Wuhan Number Six Hospital, one of the main medical centres for treating those with virus symptoms.

Although he could not get details from police and health officials regarding how the man had died, the reaction of the police and medical staff in hazmat suits, as well as some of the bystanders, highlighted the fear pervading the city.

It was also mentioned in the article that in the two hours that AFP was at the scene observing, at least 15 ambulances passed by, attending to other calls.

Source: AFP

#Jan31 #GlobalOutbreak

#Evacuation
UK Unable to Evacuate Its Citizens From Coronavirus-hit Wuhan

While officials in Japan and the US have already brought home its citizens stuck at the epicentre of the Coronavirus, a planned flight to bring British nationals in coronavirus-hit Wuhan back to the UK will not leave on Thursday as China has not yet granted Whitehall permission to evacuate its citizens.

Source: The Independent

#Jan31 #GlobalOutbreak #ChinesePneumonia

#Border
Scholar Denies Commenting on Passenger Traffic Release First Day After Border With China Partially Shut

A columnist and scholar, Leung Kai-chi was asked to comment on the passenger figures released by the Immigration Department on the first day after the “selective border shutdown” was implemented. He declined to comment on whether “a sharp cut of 80%” is a double-talk of the government.

Leung shared on his Facebook page that he would rather ask the government to spend time to procure masks for locals.

However, Leung did urge the government to continue publishing detailed daily passenger figures, including the place of origin of tourists and their Visa types, for public monitoring purpose.

Source: Facebook; Immigration Department
#Jan31 #GlobalOutbreak #ChinesePneumonia

#HealthCrisis
Frontline Medical Staff of Prince of Wales Hospital Urge Government to Ban Entry of All Chinese Mainlanders and Provide Sufficient Protective Gear
Medical staff at the Prince of Wales Hospital issued an open letter to the senior management of Hospital Authority today (January 31), asking the management to escalate their request to the government to ban entry of all mainland visitors and to provide sufficient protective equipment to frontline medical staff.

Frontline staff of the anaesthesia and intensive treatment ward as well as those in operation ward stated in the letter that they have vigilant in discharging their duty to take care patients.

However, in view of the lack of appropriate protective equipment meeting WHO standards, inadequate isolation facilities in hospital, and potentially unreliable travel and contact history self-declared by patients, frontline staff urged the government to take on stringent measures before Hong Kong's public health system crumbles.

Source: RTHK
#Jan31 #GlobalOutbreak #ChinesePneumonia #BorderShutdown

Medical Staff Pledged to Go on a Strike, Urging Government to Shut down Hong Kong-China Borders

Hospital Authority Employees Alliance (HAEA) held a press conference today (January 31) responding to the preventive measures against Wuhan Pneumonia announced by the Government. HAEA stated that around 6,500 medical staff have pledged to go on a strike next week. Chairman Yu Wai-ming reiterated that "border shutdown" is the most suitable way to curb the epidemic.

Source: Stand News #Jan31
#GlobalOutbreak #WuhanPneumonia #BorderShutdown

#Strike
Flight Attendants’ Association calls a strike in support of medical staff, urging government to lockdown all borders with China

The Hong Kong Dragon Airlines Flight Attendants Association appealed to members and the public that a strike doesn’t mean they are clinging to life and fear death, rather it is because they do not want front-line colleagues to bear the great risk of being infected, worrying about work safety everyday.

“Guarding the health of our colleagues, passengers and the people of Hong Kong, the Association, though reluctantly, is calling for a strike, hoping to curb the virus from being transmitted to Hong Kong and to spread the epidemic any further.”

https://www.facebook.com/594642803906393/posts/2702744526429533/

#Feb5 #ChinesePneumonia #GlobalOutbreak #HealthCrisis

#Breaking #OpenBorders
PRC Nationals on Princess Diamond Cruise to Be Evacuated With Hong Kong Citizens to Hong Kong

This arrangement has never been disclosed by the Hong Kong government and instead released by the PRC Embassy in Japan.

The first flight will take off on Feb 20 at 01:45.

Although the flights are run by Cathay Pacific and the evacuation plan was carried out by the Hong Kong goverment, Hong Kong CE Carrie Lam openly reiterated her appreciation to the PRC Embassy in Japan for arranging coaches to transport the passengers to the airport in Tokyo.

As of Feb 19, there are 621 confirmed cases of Wuhan pneumonia on the cruise.

Despite many countries having issued ban to prohibit PRC nationals from entering, the Hong Kong government had insisted to leave the borders with China open.

Read more:
https://publielectoral.lat/guardiansofhongkong/17501

Source: Stand News; RTHK

#Feb19 #DiamondPrincess #GlobalOutbreak #ChinesePneumonia #FailedState

#CensorshipKills
China Conceals Coronavirus Cases by Destroying Samples and Test Results

According to media outlets in China, the Chinese authorities have been covering up details into Wuhan pneumonia, for instance, by stopping tests and destroying samples of new coronavirus.

On January 1, a staff member of a genetic sequencing company received an order from the Hubei province health care committee to suspend analysis of the new coronavirus; moreover, samples should be disposed of and no information should be released externally. The government officer demanded, "all new Coronavirus cases should be reported directly to the state."

On January 3, the General Office of China's National Health and Health Commission cascaded similar directives.

Source: HKET
https://china.hket.com/article/2575710/

#Feb27 #ChineseCoronavirus #GlobalOutbreak

#HongKongPolice #Mask
Police not wearing mask properly while stationing at quarantine camp

The SAR Government has finally sent charter flights to evacuate stranded Hong Kong citizens in China's epicenter Wuhan. The returnees will be quarantined in Fo Tan's Chun Yeung Estate, a brand new public housing estate where the actual tenants were denied in last minute after the government forcefully turned the place into a quarantine camp.

Perhaps 'unafraid' of the spread of the virus, a police officer with his mask pulled down was sighted smoking with his colleague at the quarantine camp.

Source: Stand News
https://www.facebook.com/710476795704610/posts/2901517329933868/

#Mar5 #ChinesePenumonia #GlobalOutbreak #ChunYeungEstate

#CensorshipKills #GlobalOutbreak
Hong Kong Experts: Wuhan Coronavirus originated from China is an "outcome of Chinese bad habits"

- Using "Wuhan coronavirus" or "Wuhan pneumonia" in daily communication and media coverage is for the sake of easy understanding

- China has forgotten the hard lesson of SARS epidemic by allowing fresh game meat to become food delicacy in modern cities

- Wuhan's South China seafood wholesale market was the origin of the coronavirus.

- Wuhan pneumonia is an "outcome of Chinese bad habits" which include the "indiscriminate hunt of wild animals, inhuman treatment of animals, and lack of respect for life".

- Should such culture remain, SARS 3.0 would certainly break out.

- World Health Organization was too slow in its decision to declare a pandemic of COVID-19", making many countries unprepared for the outbreak.

- Claims of the origin of the coronavirus in the United States are "unsubstantiated" and "self deceiving".

Source: Stand News #Mar18

#CensorshipKills #GlobalOutbreak
Hong Kong Experts: Wuhan Coronavirus originated from China is an "outcome of Chinese bad habits";
Many Countries Unprepared Due to WHO's Slow Response

The naming of the novel coronavirus has stirred up disputes, as China opposed the insertion of "Wuhan" despite that it is the origin of the virus.

Professor Yuen Kwok-yung, a SARS expert and microbiologist at the University of Hong Kong, and honorary assistant professor, Lung chun-bong contributed an article to Ming Pao on March 18. They wrote that using Wuhan coronavirus or Wuhan pneumonia in daily communication and media coverage is for the sake of mass communication. The name is easier for the public to understand, compared to the formal term adopted in scientific debates or academic discussions.

Yuen and Lung expressed that during the 2013 SARS outbreak, coronavirus was found in civet cat, leading to an outright ban of game meat trading in China; however, 17 years later, the game meat market is flourishing in China. In other words, China seemed to have forgotten the hard lesson of SARS epidemic. Yuen and Lung criticized the behavior allowing fresh game meat to become food delicacy in modern cities as eye-popping.

The article pointed out directly that the South China seafood wholesale market in Wuhan was the origin of the coronavirus. The virus was spread through cross-infection and mutated from its natural host to an intermediate host and to human being, eventually causing human-to-human infection.

The Wuhan Coronavirus was described in the article as an "outcome of Chinese bad habits" which include the "indiscriminate hunt of wild animals, inhuman treatment of animals, and lack of respect for life". The article concluded that should such culture remain, SARS 3.0 would certainly breakout in some ten years later.

In response to China's statement that the virus was originated in the United States, the article criticized such statement as "unsubstantiated", "self-deceiving" and should be stopped to avoid making fool of themselves.

The article also criticized "the World Health Organization for being slow in its decision to declare a pandemic of COVID-19". As a result, many countries are left insufficiently prepared in anti-epidemic measures vulnerable for the disease. For the time being only Singapore, Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan are better guarded for virus attack.

[Editor's note: In the evening of March 18, Mingpao said Yuen and Lung withdrew their article from the newspaper and that Yuen said that scientists should not get involved with politics. See Stand News Report.]

Sources: Ming Pao; Stand News
#Mar18 #WuhanPneumonia #WHO #China #CoronavirusPandemic #GameMeatDelicacy