Sheung Wan Resident Who Tested Positive for Covid19 Hasn't Been in the City for Two Weeks

Yesterday, Centre for Health Protection officials locked down a Sheung Wan residence tower for mandatory testing, even though the person who has tested positive for Covid19 has a high antibody rate and returned from the United States last night. 

This would only suggest that he acquired the infection in the US, say experts. 

It seems that the catalyst for such urgency in testing is the knowledge that he carries the L452R variant, which is more contagious than other variants. 

The man works at a local company and was staying in the residence from June 27 to July 4. He left for the United States on July 4 and returned on July 19. 

Even though he hasn't been in his building for two weeks, and even though nobody in his building has tested positive for the virus, they are locking down his building and testing everyone in the building. 

Anyone who has spent more than two hours in the building from June 27 to July 19 is mandated to undergo testing. 

Hong Kong Instagram Star Sophia Cheung Dies in Waterfall Accident Taking Selfie

A local Instagram star has died in a waterfall accident while taking a selfie, according to several reports. Sophia Cheung died while trying to position herself for a photo while visiting Ha Pak Lai park. She was 32 years old. 

According to friends who were with her when she died last weekend, Cheung was hiking and taking photos near Tsing Dai stream, a popular tourist spot, when she wanted to get into another position on some rocks near a waterfall. She lost her footing and fell into a pool of water below. 

At the time of her death, she had amassed about 35,000 followers. 

She was pronounced dead on Saturday, July 17 at Pamela Youde Nethersole hospital. 

Hong Kong Continues with Covid19 Containment Strategy Even Though Local Expert Says 70% Vaccination Rate Will Not Be Enough

While countries like the US and the UK are moving away from a zero case and lockdown-driven COVID19 strategy, local experts in Hong Kong warn that 70% vaccination rate will not be enough to change the pandemic strategy for the city. 

We could be seeing the same zero tolerance policy and social distancing measures well into 2022. 

The reason for this, say experts, is that the government has done little to ensure strong vaccination rates in the elderly. Even with 70% of the population vaccinated, these groups will have still had very low vaccination rates and will be weak points in keeping Hong Kong from resurgences in Covid19 rates. 

Then there is the matter of the potential "booster" needed for recipients of the two previous jabs. There are concerns that the Sinovac vaccine does not offer as strong protection as the other two mainstream vaccines. 

All of this seems confusing for residents. If vaccination from Covid is not enough to ward off Covid, and if vaccination rates mean nothing, then why endure the strict policy of quarantine on arrival? Why not just stick with home quarantine and self-monitoring with rigorous testing? It seems that isolation and contact tracing work just as effective as vaccination does. 

Even with less than full herd immunity and less than 70% vaccination rates, other countries are opening up. As a world city, and one with a huge percentage of financial and trade jobs, Hong Kong needs to be a place that can endure the comings and goings of foreigners. Likewise, residents need to be able to travel for business. 

Rapidly Developing Tropical Storm Cempaka May Lead to Signal 3 in Hong Kong

Tropical Storm Cempaka, which began rapidly to develop last night and led to Hong Kong Observatory issuing the Signal 1, seems to be growing in intensit. Weather watchers may raise signal three later today.

What is now Tropical #Storm #Cempaka looks to be very quickly organising just southwest of #HongKong. Microwave, radar, and satellite imagery show a storm with an eye and robust hot towers curling inward. It is very possible that this is undergoing rapid intensification. #Tropics pic.twitter.com/SKOoba7wOm

— Storm’s Edge (@StormsEdgeWx) July 19, 2021

Hong Kong Observatory says they are monitoring the situation. The storm is currently growing over a body of water that is quite warm around 100 miles southwest of Macau and Hong Kong. The storm is moving at a west / northwest direction, so it is unlikely to bring a direct hit to Hong Kong. However, wind shear levels are very low, which means that the tightening bands will be given a lot of room and time to develop into something stronger.

For this reason, Hong Kong should be cautious, as it is likely that the city will experience the outer storm bands from this system, which could bring continual bouts of intense rain and wind into tomorrow. 

UK House of Commons Votes to Boycott 2022 Winter Olympic Games in Beijing

The UK House of Commons has voted unanimously to stage a boycott of the Winter Olympic Games in China next February unless China addresses the "atrocities" taking place in Xinjiang. 

China has for several years denied that it is holding Muslims against their wills in massive internment camps, and more Western Governments are speaking out about the claims of abuse

The legislative motion demands that House of Commons politicians turn down any invitation to the Winter Olympics. The motion also mentions British citizens who have had sanctions put on against them for speaking publicly about the claims of abuse against Muslims by China in Xinjiang. 

Politicians say that China will use the Olympics to push a narrative that it is a liberal and humanitarian nation open to trade and relationships with all, while at the same time pursuing autocratic policies against cities like Hong Kong.

Cannes Unveils "Surprise" Documentary about Hong Kong Protests Called "Revolution of our Times"

The committee at Cannes Film Festival today announced the entry of a "surprise" documentary "Revolution of Our Times," which documents the 2019 protests against the government there. The documentary was not revealed earlier to protect the Hong Kong filmmaker, Kiwi Chow, who is in hiding. 

Chow's documentary covers a series of protests during what has been called the Anti-Extradition Law Amendment Bill Movement. These 2019-2020 protests were sparked by the Hong Kong government's move to amend extradition laws without the typical legislative consultative process. Hong Kong citizens, worried that the amendments would enable China authorities to transfer people to mainland China without due process, protested in marches that sometimes brought over 2 million people into the streets. 

Attempts to bring documentary attention to this movement have met with censorship and outright bans from the China government. This year's Academy Awards was not shown live in Hong Kong for the first time in its history because of the presence of another documentary about the Hong Kong protests in a list of nominees for Best Documentary. 

Chow's movie will be screened at Cannes on Friday. 

Yuen Long Councillor Resigns After Facing Arrest for "Criminal Intimidation"

The independent Yuen Long District Councillor Ben Ho, who was arrested this week for what police described as a threatening Facebook post in March 2020, has resigned. 

Ho is said to have stepped down from his post after charges were laid against him for posting a photo of a knife on Facebook last year and announcing a sweep of a local neighbourhood he was preparing to make to put an end to gambling and street crime. 

Police have said that they received an anonymous complaint about the post last year. The resident said they were scared and concerned. The police then consulted twice with the Justice Department and made the arrest this week.