bc magazine

Red Outbound Travel Alert for Europe

The Hong Kong government today issued a Red Outbound Travel Alert (OTA) for 26 European countries. The alert warns against all non-essential travel to countries in the Shengen area, the part of Europe covered by an open-border travel arrangement.

“In view of the health risks arising from the outbreak of the COVID-19 in Europe, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government today (March 13) issued the Red Outbound Travel Alert (OTA) on certain European countries (Schengen Area), including Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Principality of Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovak Republic, Republic of Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland.”

The Red OTA urges members of the public planning to travel to the aforementioned countries to adjust travel plans and avoid non-essential travel.

After returning to Hong Kong travelers should consult a doctor promptly if experiencing a fever or other COVID-19 symptoms, and wear a surgical mask until 14 days after returning to Hong Kong.

More information can be found on the government’s dedicated website www.coronavirus.gov.hk

Compulsory Quarantine For Inbound Travellers

The Department of Health announced that from 14 March compulsory quarantine orders, under the Prevention and Control of Disease Regulation (Cap. 599A), will be enforced against people arriving in Hong Kong who have been to Italy, France, Germany, Japan and Spain in the past 14 days, regardless of whether they are Hong Kong residents.

The new orders require people to stay in a Quarantine Centre for the duration of their quarantine.

More information can be found on the government’s dedicated website www.coronavirus.gov.hk

Choosing Who Lives or Dies….

Two weeks ago, Italy had 322 confirmed cases of the coronavirus. At that point, doctors in the country’s hospitals could lavish significant attention on each stricken patient.

One week ago, Italy had 2,502 cases of the virus, which causes the disease known as COVID-19. At that point, doctors in the country’s hospitals could still perform the most lifesaving functions by artificially ventilating patients who experienced acute breathing difficulties.

Today, Italy has 10,149 cases of the coronavirus. There are now simply too many patients for each one of them to receive adequate care. Doctors and nurses are unable to tend to everybody. They lack machines to ventilate all those gasping for air.

Now the Italian College of Anesthesia, Analgesia, Resuscitation and Intensive Care (SIAARTI) has published guidelines for the criteria that doctors and nurses should follow as these already extraordinary circumstances worsen. The document begins by likening the moral choices Italian doctors may face to the forms of wartime triage that are required in the field of “catastrophe medicine.” Instead of providing intensive care to all patients who need it, the authors suggest, it may become necessary to follow “the most widely shared criteria regarding distributive justice and the appropriate allocation of limited health resources.”

The principle they settle upon is utilitarian. “Informed by the principle of maximizing benefits for the largest number,” they suggest that “the allocation criteria need to guarantee that those patients with the highest chance of therapeutic success will retain access to intensive care.”

Read the full article here at The Atlantic

High Speed Rail is Finally Here

The new Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong High Speed Rail (Hong Kong Section) will finally start operation on the 23 September 2018. Ticket pre-sales starts on the 10 September 2018 for the short haul journeys to and from the Hong Kong West Kowloon Station and the six Mainland stations Futian, Shenzhenbei, Guangmingcheng, Humen, Qingsheng and Guangzhounan, as well as medium to long haul journeys connecting to destinations across China.

The first departure is at 7am with the last train leaving at 11pm and according to the MTR train frequency depends on demand. There are four ticket classes: Second, First, Premium and Business and for example the prices of a one-way trip to Guangzhou are $247, $371, $423, $519 respectively.

All classes appear to enjoy a basic set of facilities which includes free wi-fi, power sockets (either individual seat sockets or per row) and free hot water if you bring your own cup. Trains have 68 first and 511 second class seats spread across 8 compartments.

Note: Just to fully show who is in control ticket prices are set in Renminbi (RMB) and will vary depending on the HK$/RMB exchange rate! So prices will change daily if you pay in HK$.

Tickets can be bought up to 30 days in advance. Onlineticketing is here www.highspeed.mtr.com.hk, with ticket sales closing 2 hours before departure. At West Kowloon Station you can buy tickets up to 45 minutes before departure. Partial refunds are available and you can change your ticket times once based on the purchase deadlines.

bc has asked the MTR for clarification on the fares, how to buy return tickets – which appear to unavailable, you have to buy two single tickets – but the MTR have refused to reply.

The high speed rail was sold to HongKongers (we paid for it all) as reducing the journey time to Guangzhou but according to the published timetable most trains from HK only go Shenzhen – again the MTR have refused to respond to clarification on this.

If you have to change trains in Shenzhen to trains which do not have the features sold with your ticket (the last high speed train bc took in China, had no power sockets or free wifi in second class) what really is the point of the billions of taxpayer dollars spent on building the line.

Lunar New Year Discount MTR Fares on 9-10 February

CNY 2016

Travel this Lunar New Year is cheaper as the MTR reduce fares. On the 9 and 10 February adult Octopus holders will enjoy child concessionary fares and holders of other octopus card will pay just $1 per journey.

Other existing MTR discounts such as the Interchange Discount, the Fare Saver Discount and the 25% discount for connecting journeys with the Monthly Pass Extra etc will still function – unless the resulting fare is $0. There are no completely free trips.

The main exclusions for the discounted Lunar New Year travel are the Airport Express, MTR Feeder Bus, journeys to or from Lo Wu and Lok Ma Chau stations and East Rail Line First Class Premium.

Full Terms and Conditions here: http://www.mtr.com.hk/en/customer/main/cny_festive_discount_2016.html