Category: May

Olympic Sevens Repechage Draw

Hong Kong’s men’s and women’s rugby 7s teams will soon discover their route to Tokyo. The Olympic Sevens Repechage Draw, the final rugby qualification event for the Olympic Games in Tokyo, will take place on Tuesday, 11 May at 10:00 BST (GMT+1) and will be streamed live on World Rugby’s digital platforms.

Monaco will host the final Tokyo 2020 Olympic qualification event on 19-20 June.

Women’s Competition

The women’s competition will see the 12 teams drawn into three pools of four teams. The teams have been banded based on placements in their regional competitions alongside performances in World Rugby tournaments. One team from each band will be drawn into each pool.

Band 1: France, Papua New Guinea, Russia
Band 2: Argentina, Hong Kong, Kazakhstan
Band 3: Colombia, Jamaica, Mexico
Band 4: Madagascar, Samoa, Tunisia

The top two teams in each pool, plus the two third-placed teams with the highest point totals will qualify for the knockout stages of the competition. As there are two Olympic qualification places available for women, the Repechage will feature two rounds of knockout games with the final round featuring four teams competing in two matches where both winners gain Olympic qualification and claim their tickets to Tokyo.

Men’s Competition

For the men’s competition, the 10 teams are drawn into two pools of five teams, including one team from each of the five pre-determined bands.

Band 1: France, Samoa
Band 2: Hong Kong, Ireland
Band 3: Chile, Tonga
Band 4: Uganda, Zimbabwe
Band 5: Jamaica, Mexico

Teams will play against all four opponents in their pools with the top two teams from each pool progressing through to the knockout stages, culminating in the final with the winner booking their place on the plane to Tokyo.

Total Lunar Eclipse on 26 May

There will be a total lunar eclipse on Wednesday 26 May, coincidentally the same day as the biggest full moon of the year – when the diameter of the moon will be about 7 per cent larger than an ordinary full moon.

The total lunar eclipse will begin before ‘moonrise’, as the elevation of the moon will be quite low. The best observation places will be those with an unobstructed view to the southeast – weather permitting of course.

The total lunar eclipse will begin at 7.09pm and end at 7.28pm, with the maximum eclipse occurring at 7.19pm. During the period of the total lunar eclipse, the moon will not completely vanish but will appear as dull red. This is the result of the blue part of sunlight being scattered away by the Earth’s atmosphere and the remaining red light refracted onto the moon.

If you can’t find a good vantage point the eclipse will be live-streamed: www.hko.gov.hk/en/gts/event/webcast-20210526.htm.

The next lunar eclipse observable in Hong Kong will be a partial lunar eclipse on 19 November, 2021.

Images: HK Observatory 

Mills & Chung Path

The heat and humidity have arrived even earlier this year making hiking a sweaty and dehydrating experience. So if you don’t fancy a draining hike under the midday sun – how about a gentle stroll along the south side of HK Island.

https://bcmagazine.smugmug.com/Bcene-photos/2021/20210509-Mills-Chung-Path/i-wfWdbvR

The Mills & Chung Path connects Deep Water Bay and Ocean Park and offers a gentle stroll along the seashore. It takes about 20 minutes and there are refreshments at both ends. Want to walk further, follow the path along to Repulse Bay (30 minutes) or keep going all the way to Stanley (2-3 hours).

https://bcmagazine.smugmug.com/Bcene-photos/2021/20210509-Mills-Chung-Path/i-QPRJL6g

Deep Water Bay is the only beach on HK Island with lifeguards all year. There are two food and beverage outlets, free changing rooms (no lockers), toilets, swimming pontoons, and barbecue pits (closed due to Covid).

Boarding and Quarantine Arrangements for Persons Arriving in Hong Kong

Adjusted boarding, quarantine and testing arrangements for persons arriving in Hong Kong (including Hong Kong residents) will apply from 12 May for those who have completed their COVID-19 vaccination course.

Overseas places outside China have been categorised under the Prevention and Control of Disease (Regulation of Cross-boundary Conveyances and Travellers) Regulation (Cap. 599H) into extremely high-risk Group A1 specified places, very high-risk Group A2 specified places, high-risk Group B specified places, medium-risk Group C specified places, and low-risk Group D specified places.

Low-risk Group D

Under the new arrangements, persons who have stayed in low-risk Group D specified places, and who have been fully vaccinated, will be subject to compulsory quarantine in designated quarantine hotels for seven days (originally 14 days). They will subsequently be required to self-monitor for seven days and undergo compulsory testing on the 12th day of their arrival at Hong Kong.

Medium-risk Group C, High-risk Group B

For persons who have stayed in medium-risk Group C specified places and high-risk Group B specified places, and who have been fully vaccinated, they will be subject to compulsory quarantine in designated quarantine hotels for 14 days (originally 21 days), and subsequently, be required to self-monitor for seven days and undergo compulsory testing on the 16th and 19th day of their arrival at Hong Kong.

Extremely High-risk Group A1, Very High-risk Group A2

As for extremely high-risk Group A1 specified places and very high-risk Group A2 specified places, the boarding, quarantine, and testing arrangements will remain unchanged.

For persons who have stayed in Group A1 specified places Brazil, India, Nepal, Pakistan, the Philippines and South Africa) for more than two hours, they WILL NOT be allowed to board any passenger flight for Hong Kong.

For very high-risk Group A2 specified places, the relevant persons will be subject to compulsory quarantine in designated quarantine hotels for 21 days (with the number of tests to be conducted during the period increased to at least four times), subsequent seven-day self-monitoring, and compulsory testing on the 26th day of their arrival at Hong Kong. The shortened quarantine period for fully vaccinated persons will not be applicable.

Persons arriving from China (the Mainland, Macau and Taiwan) who did not return under the Return2hk Scheme. The compulsory quarantine period for relevant fully vaccinated persons, whether arriving at Hong Kong via land boundary control points or the airport, will also be shortened from 14 days to seven days, with a subsequent seven-day self-monitoring period and compulsory testing on the 12th day of arrival at Hong Kong.

Fully vaccinated means persons who have received the necessary doses as stipulated in guidelines of a COVID-19 vaccination course 14 days prior to their arrival at Hong Kong.

Details on the grouping of specified places and their respective boarding and compulsory quarantine requirements can be found at www.coronavirus.gov.hk/eng/high-risk-places.html.

Regret’s Eponymous Hardcore Debut

New hardcore band Regret have released an eponymous 7-track debut EP on cassette and through bandcamp.

A veteran of the local music scene singer Riz also plays guitar in Dagger, fronted the massively popular King Ly Chee and runs the popular Unite Asia hardcore music website.

Commenting on his new band and their debut EP Riz said “We were just looking to play something that was more straight-ahead hardcore punk whose simplicity and directness is better suited to capture the intense emotions we all have as HongKongers living through the tumultuous past couple of years.”

Regret‘s seven tracks, including We Exist, the band’s debut single released in March, are about political turmoil, minority rights, police brutality and censorship.

“The past couple of years have been heavy on the people of Hong Kong, but then you’re seeing similar issues pop up in Myanmar, Thailand, Chile, USA, and everywhere else,” commented Riz in an interview.

“Though you may find your own situation so utterly hopeless, seeing others fighting the same causes brings a sense of camaraderie. So instead of letting all of these dark, chaotic, uncertain emotions eat us up inside, we’re getting it out through this music.”

Regret: Riz, Kuro, Egas

Updated Quarantine Requirements for Vaccinated Close Contacts

The Government today (7 May) announced updated quarantine requirements for vaccinated close contacts of locally acquired COVID-19 cases. 

Close Contacts of Locally Acquired Cases Who Do NOT Have a Mutant Strain 

The duration of compulsory quarantine is shortened to seven days of quarantine in a Quarantine Centre, counting from the last day of exposure to the confirmed case (the day of last exposure is regarded as Day 0), provided the following three criteria have been satisfied:

(a) documented proof of completion of two doses of CoronaVac or BioNTech COVID-19 vaccines, and that 14 days have passed from the date of receiving the second dose#; and

(b) results of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) of the respiratory specimens taken on Day 0 or Day 1 after admission to a QC being negative; and

(c) positive immunoglobulin G (IgG) or total antibody against SARS-CoV-2 spike protein, or positive surrogate neutralising antibody, taken after admission to a QC.

After completing the seven-day quarantine, the close contact will be subject to seven days of self-monitoring, and to compulsory testing at a community testing centre (CTC) on Day 12.

Close Contacts of Locally Acquired N501Y Mutant Strain

The duration of quarantine in a QC is shortened from 21 days to 14 days, counting from the last day of exposure to the confirmed case, provided the following three criteria have been satisfied:

(a) documented proof of completion of two doses of CoronaVac or BioNTech COVID-19 vaccines, and that 14 days have passed from the date of receiving the second dose#; and

(b) results of PCR testing of the respiratory specimens taken on Day 0 or Day 1 after admission to a QC, and those taken on Day 7 and Day 12 after last exposure to the confirmed case, being all negative; and

(c) positive IgG or total antibody against SARS-CoV-2 spike protein, or positive surrogate neutralising antibody, taken after admission to a QC.

After completing the fourteen-day quarantine, the close contact will be subject to seven days of self-monitoring, and to compulsory testing at a community testing centre (CTC) on Day 19.

# Persons Regarded as Satisfying Criteria (a):

1) close contacts who had documented past infection of COVID-19 within nine months after discharge; or

2) close contacts who had documented past infection of COVID-19 more than nine months after discharge plus one dose of CoronaVac or BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine, and for whom 14 days have passed from the date of receiving the dose.

Lucid Express Debut Release Wellwave

Originally know as Thud, the band have changed its name to Lucid Express and released a debut track Wellwave.

Lucid Express’s eponymous debut album will be out on 16 July. You can pre-order the 7 track release on vinyl, cassette and CD from http://smarturl.it/lucidexpress

Updated Boarding and Quarantine Arrangements for Persons Arriving at Hong Kong

The HK Government announced today (May 4) the continued suspension of passenger flights from India, Nepal, Pakistan, and the Philippines, and the continued restriction on persons who have stayed in India, Nepal, Pakistan, the Philippines, Brazil, and South Africa from boarding flights for Hong Kong.

The lifting of the ban on 7 May for persons who have stayed in Ireland and the United Kingdom on boarding for Hong Kong, to allow flights to resume, subject to the compulsory quarantine and testing arrangements upon arrival at Hong Kong.

The full press release can be read here

Details on the grouping of specified places and their respective boarding and compulsory quarantine requirements can be found at www.coronavirus.gov.hk/eng/high-risk-places.html.