Tales from the frontline

Local Chinese language media have been reporting stories from the quarantine centres around Sai Kung. We roundup some of these below:

Bat corpse causes panic in Kei Ling Ha San Wai

Yesterday (27/2) lunchtime the police received a report that dead bat corpse was found on the side of the road in Kei Ling Ha San Wai, Sai Kung. Hygiene personnel were sent to the scene, where they found the dead body, and then disinfected the area.

The bat’s body was put into a box, placed in a sealed plastic bags, then taken away to  be inspected by FEHD personnel. They sprinkled disinfectant powder on and around the scene.

On 30 January this year, bat corpses were also found in the flower bed in  Shek Kip Mei Village, Sham Shui Po. Residents have been especially wary since the novel coronavirus epidemic is reported to have started with cross-infection between bats and humans in Wuhan.

Room disputes break out at the Sai Kung Recreational Outdoor Centre

LCSD reported they received a call from a quarantined person for assistance. It is understood that the incident involved a quarrel between people sharing a room. The police were asked for  assistance, who classified the case as a dispute. A 54-year-old man had started arguing with one of the others sharing a room with him. Up to six people are sharing each accommodation unit. Police officers arrived at the scene to handle the situation, believing that the case did not involve criminal elements.

Government accused of running a sloppy quarantine regime

Mr. W, a Sai Kung man quarantined at the Sai Kung Outdoor Recreation Centre Quarantine Centre, travelled between China and Hong Kong frequently because of his work. He returned to Hong Kong from the Mainland before the Lunar New Year. Because of fear of infecting his family, he chose to go to a quarantine camp arranged by the government. He currently shares a 6-person room at the quarantine centre.

The room-mates have to share a public toilet, and usually eat around a communal table . As for quarantine measures such as taking body temperature, he thought it was very sloppy. “Every day you have to take your body temperature and record it yourself, if you can manage it!” Even after recording the temperature, no staff will check it. You just need to submit the paper before leaving after 14 days of isolation.

At the same time, the quarantined person can move around without any staff restrictions. The living and sleeping area is for six or seven. He was concerned about the possibility of  cross-infection caused by the gathering of many people, and bluntly stated that “(the quarantine camp) is very dangerous and is essentially useless.”

Friends rejected beer delivery

Mr. W also said that the food in the quarantine camp was not bad, but it was insufficient. On 24 February some people in the camp quarreled with the staff due to the food problems. Yesterday (26/2) his friend tried to take two dozen cans of beer to the camp, but was refused entry by the police. Mr. W felt helpless about not allowing alcohol in the camp. Relatives and friends must first deliver any goods to the police stationed in front of the camp, and cannot directly contact the camp inmates.

Up to $100,000 lost in gambling sessions at the camp

It has been reported that those who have been quarantined at the Sai Kung Outdoor Recreation Centre gather in a room from 1:00 pm to 12:00 pm every day, to gamble and some people are suspected to have lost more than $100,000. Around a dozen people gather every day and gamble non-stop. They play poker, “San Gong”, etc.