Hong Kong's pandemic woes continue but have not brought its political ones to a standstill

Victoria Harbour view from the North Point-Hung Hom ferry

that's now stopped services until who knows when!

 

In recent days, Hong Kong's reported number of new daily Covid cases have gone past the 50,000 mark.  Yesterday saw a record 55,353 new cases reported; while today saw the number rise some more to 56,827 and the overall number of Omicron fatalities go past the 1,000 mark to 1,153.  

 

And with 78 patients currently in critical condition and 116 whose conditions have been adjudged to be serious, it is extremely likely that the number of Covid deaths will increase again tomorrow.  (BTW, note that Hong Kong's total number of Covid deaths as of today is 1,366 -- which gives a very good idea how well the territory looked to be doing against the coronavirus until this fifth wave of the pandemic hit.)  

Yesterday's RTHK report about the pandemic situation in Hong Kong was done in what presumably was supposed to be a neutral tone.  But some of the lines in it sent chills down my spine.  A prime example: "As the number of Covid-related deaths remains high, a chief manager of the Hospital Authority, Larry Lee, said large freezer containers that can store up to a total of 500 bodies will be set up at public hospitals."  Put another way: the sense very much appears to be that thousands more Hong Kongers will die from Covid in the coming weeks, if not days.

 

I think it is fair to say that a good number of those who die will be unvaccinated folks -- or those vaccinated just once or twice with Sinovac (rather than BioNTech/Pfizer -- which it seems that a number of Hong Kongers still mistakenly believe is made in China).  A high number will also be elderly folks (since over 70 year olds -- and, especially, over 80 year olds -- are the Hong Kongers who are least likely to be (fully) vaccinated as well as vulnerable); with elderly care home deaths being at an unconscionably high number.      

Another group of institutions which I worry about being hit by Covid are the prisons whose inmates currently include close to 1,000 political prisoners.  (And what does it say that Hong Kong currently has more than double the number of political prisoners than Russia?!)  And, yes, I must admit that I particularly worry about the more elderly of Hong Kong's political prisoners, who include 75-year-old Koo Sze-yiu, 74-year-old Jimmy Lai, 70-year-old Albert Ho, 65-year-old Claudia Mo, 65-year-old "Long Hair" Leung Kwok-hung and 65-year-old Lee Cheuk-yan.  

So it was disturbing to learn today that Koo Sze-yiu, Albert Ho and Lee Cheuk-yan are among the around 1,000 Hong Kong prison inmates who have been caught Covid while incarcerated.  And while it's somewhat assuring to read that Ho and Lee are reportedly asymptomatic, it's worrying indeed to see reports that Koo -- who has late stage cancer as well as is a septuagenarian -- was unable to attend a court hearing today because he was feeling unwell.  

 

Speaking of court hearings and cases: The Hong Kong Correctional Services Department announced today that lawyers will not be able to visit their clients in prison for at least 2 weeks from March 7th to 20th as a result to infections not only in the prisons but also among the prison guards.  But the courts continue to operate -- and today alone saw three cases involving political prisoners proceed apace.

 

Indeed, yesterday saw the verdict delivered on a key political case: that of Tam Tak-chi.  First arrested back in July 2020, the former radio deejay turned political activist and erstwhile vice-chairman of pro-democracy party People Power has been behind bars since a subsequent arrest in September 2020.  And after being found guilty of 11 charges of sedition yesterday by National Security Law judge Stanley Chan yesterday morning, one can imagine him spending many more years languishing behind bars for what are, essentially, mere speech crimes. 

Perhaps is the fear of prosecution that has led German public broadcaster Deutsche Welle (DW) to not mention the title of an award-winning Hong Kong documentary about the anti-extradition law protests when reporting that it's created a buzz in Taiwan, where it is currently having a record-breaking theatrical run.  And this despite the reporter who wrote the piece, William Yang, being based in Taiwan, not Hong Kong.  And yes, for the record: I really would like to view Kiwi Chow's Revolution of Our Time.  But, very sadly, the likelihood of my doing so is pretty much nil due to my being in Hong Kong, where the film was made and its director continues to reside.