4 | Friday, March 6, 2020 HONG KONG EDITION | CHINA DAILY CORONAVIRUSHK 469 stranded residents fl own home Virus on animal: More flights will be arranged to bring back the rest of HK people in Owners urged not

By GU MENGYAN and HE SHUSI in Hong Kong to abandon pets A two-day operation to evacuate Hong Kong residents stranded in Hubei province — the epicenter of By CHEN ZIMO in Hong Kong the coronavirus epidemic — end- [email protected] ed on Thursday with a total of 469 evacuees flown home aboard four The government and The past month chartered flights arranged by the experts on Thursday urged saw no increase government. members of the public not to in animals being The operation, which began abandon their pets during the on Wednesday, saw a total of 225 outbreak of the novel coro- abandoned in the residents returning on two flights navirus — as no evidence yet city. There were on Thursday, joining 244 others suggests pets can be a source about 10 cases of who were brought back the previ- of COVID-19 infections. ous day. All the residents will be The appeal came after the this being report- quarantined for 14 days at Chun city reported the world’s fi rst ed each week, the Yeung Estate in Fo Tan district, case of an infected dog, which same as before the where more than 200 Hong Kong belongs to a COVID-19 patient. passengers evacuated from the The dog repeatedly tested pneumonia epi- Diamond Princess cruise ship in weak positive for the novel demic.’’ Japan last month were previously coronavirus beginning Feb the Society for the quarantined. 26, which indicated a low Prevention of Cruelty to A total of 379 evacuees had been level of infection of the virus, Animals trapped in the provincial capital of Thomas Sit Hon-chung, assis- since the city was locked tant director (inspection and down in late January following the quarantine) of the Agriculture, tion of Cruelty to Animals, a outbreak, while the rest were picked Fisheries and Conservation local animal welfare group, up from other areas in the province. Department, told during a said the past month saw no Secretary for Constitutional and daily press conference. increase in animals being Mainland Affairs Patrick Nip Tak- Top: Hong Kong residents who Experts from local univer- abandoned in the city. There kuen, who led the operation along landed at Hong Kong International sities and the World Organ- were about 10 cases of this Airport in one of the chartered with Director of Immigration Tsang isation for Animal Health being reported each week, the flights from Hubei province board Kwok-wai, said on his return that also agreed that it was most same as before the pneumo- a bus to a quarantine facility on Thursday’s operation had proceeded likely a case of human-to-ani- nia epidemic, the group told Thursday. Left: Airline employees at more smoothly than that of the pre- Wuhan Tianhe International Airport mal transmission. The dog’s China Daily. vious day. The government had ear- distribute airplane tickets to stranded owner, a 60-year-old female, The group praised Hong lier said that at least 533 Hong Kong Hong Kong residents on Thursday. became the 85th person to Kong pet owners for continu- residents could be brought back INFORMATION SERVICES DEPARTMENT have contracted the disease, ing to protect their animals from Hubei but, according to Nip, on Feb 25. during these trying times. 64 people were unable to board the The dog shows no symp- The group also reminded fl ights for various reasons, including toms relating to COVID-19. It dog owners to observe good failure to pass the required body tem- does not need treatment and hygiene when taking their perature tests or a desire to remain in now has a chance to heal itself, dogs for walks. For example, Hubei with their relatives. said Sit. pet owners should clean up Thursday’s first flight — on a The department strongly their dogs’ excrement with Cathay Dragon aircraft — landed at port to catch the fl ight home so that the Betterment and Progress of Hong as an imported case. She tested posi- advises that mammalian pets newspapers or plastic bags, Hong Kong International Airport at the girl can take the DSE exam. Kong. She said the woman had suf- tive for the disease on Wednesday. from households with infected and wash the urine with water about 4:30 pm, while the second — On his social media page, Nip fered a miscarriage on Thursday Since her return, the patient had patients or their close contacts mixed with white vinegar. on a Cathay Pacific jet — touched thanked doctors and nurses from afternoon and needs emergency sur- reportedly visited banks, restaurants, should be put under quaran- In addition, owners must down at around 9:10 pm, about half the Department of Health and the gery in Hong Kong. a wet market and supermarkets in tine in AFCD facilities. wash hands thoroughly with an hour behind schedule. The evacu- Hospital Authority who joined the Quat urged the government to Causeway Bay, Central and Sheung Ho Pak-leung, president of soap after handling a dog’s ees, wearing face masks and protec- operation to provide aid to pregnant send chartered aircrafts to Enshi Wan, as well as attending a wedding the Carol Yu Centre for Infec- excrement, the group stressed. tive clothing, descended down the women and those requiring urgent or , where about 460 Hong banquet in Kowloon Tong on Tuesday. tion at the University of Hong Ken Chan, 40, is an owner of ramp to be driven away in waiting medical attention. Kong residents are left unattended. Executive Councilor Lam Ching- Kong, called on the public to two shiba inu dogs. Chan, who buses to Chun Yeung Estate under He said further flights will be Meanwhile, no new confi rmed case choi told China Daily that preventive stay calm and fight the epi- works in the shipping indus- police escort. arranged “as soon as possible” to of the coronavirus, was reported in measures had not been taken earlier demic together with the pets. try, said he does not worry Among them were 14 pregnant bring home an estimated 3,500 oth- Hong Kong on Thursday, with the tally as India was not deemed to have Ho recalled that eight cats about his pets being infected women, people requiring urgent er Hong Kong people who are still standing at 104. So far, 46 patients have been hard-hit by the epidemic. and one dog tested positive for and defi nitely will not aban- medical treatment and students due trapped in about 40 cities scattered been discharged from hospitals, while He said the woman’s case has the SARS virus in Hong Kong don them, although he has to take this year’s Diploma of Second- across Hubei province. 56 are under treatment, including one raised alarm over Hong Kong’s pre- in 2003. However, neither a heard of other dog owners ary Education examination, which Among them is a woman in her in critical condition and three in seri- ventive measures, and urged authori- transmission of the SARS virus expressing the concerns. begins on March 27. They also includ- 10th week of pregnancy who is ous condition. ties to strengthen their monitoring of from pets to human beings, Pets are innocent, said ed a woman and her daughter who stranded in Enshi city — about seven A 69-year-old woman, who first the outbreak around the world. nor an outbreak among ani- Chan. It is time for human had spent more than three hours hours’ drive from Wuhan — accord- developed symptoms during a tour mals, was found anywhere beings to take full responsibil- traveling by bus from city ing to legislator Elizabeth Quat Pui- of India a day before returning to Contact the writers at worldwide. ity in the care for their pets, to Wuhan Tianhe International Air- fan of the Democratic Alliance for Hong Kong on Feb 24, was confi rmed je [email protected] The Society for the Preven- he added. Learning at home: A duel of trapped beasts es, he called on parents to enhance “I don’t think the teachers have home-school cooperation and take followed up students closely. I wor- By WILLA WU in Hong Kong proper care of their children. ry about the fi nal exam. I think he [email protected] Time for studying has been will perform poorly,” Zou said. reduced signifi cantly. Ching used to The EdU survey shows that Amid the novel coronavirus out- spend eight hours a day in school. almost 50 percent of parents of break, Hong Kong’s nearly 700,000 Now school time has been reduced primary school students were not elementary and secondary school to less than two hours daily. In satisfi ed with the online learning students have a big challenge — those two hours, Zou instructs her arrangements, citing a “lack of sup- learning at home while schools son in Chinese, English, math, gen- port from schools and insu« cient remain closed. It’s a test of skill eral studies, music, and so on, with communication between teachers and determination. In the midst of online materials provided by the and parents”. the scare, parents and teachers are school. Nicole Wong, an English teach- going through similar tests. “It is not easy to teach, even er at Ta Ku Ling Ling Ying Public Gilbert Ching, a second-grader at though what you are teaching is School, agreed that home-schooling Zoe Zou an elementary school in Tsuen Wan, just as simple as ‘1 plus 1’. I don’t is a “demanding” task for most par- tutors her has been taking classes at home get the way how I can plant the ents, especially when their kids are son in their since the beginning of February. knowledge in my son’s head,” she in primary schools. apartment He cannot go back to his classroom said, frowning. “On top of taking care of the kids’ in Tsuen until April 20 at the earliest. In a survey released on Wednes- daily life, they now have to play Wan on From Monday through Friday, he day, the Education University of multiple roles — a teacher, some- Thursday. logs on to an online platform where Hong Kong (EdU) polled 6,702 times a technician to fi x technology PROVIDED TO his teachers have uploaded instruc- parents of preschool and prima- problems, and a counsellor to deal CHINA DAILY tion videos and homework assign- ry school students, and found 80 with emotional needs. It is hard,” ments. For a math class last week, percent of the parents of primary Wong said. there were two parts — a 25-minute school students had witnessed dif- The primary teacher disagreed video about subtraction, followed fi culties among their children when with the perception that the need us,” Wong said. pared is what matters,” Hui noted. to record it so that I can give it to by a 35-minute section to fi nish 22 studying online. absence of classroom time has Jacqueline Hui, Chinese teacher She was told to do online teaching those who didn’t show up. I don’t exercises. Zou admitted yelling at Ching made life easier for her. “It is a big from the Church of Christ in China at the end of January with her fi rst want any of my students to miss Ching said he is happy learning when the boy was not paying atten- challenge for teachers as well,” she Ming Kei College, shares Wong’s online class set for early February. classes. But I have no clue how to at home. “No more teacher scolding tion. “The relationship has gone said. assessment. Hui struggles with the She was brave enough to try live- do so, even though I’ve tried many me for being absent-minded, and I tense. Sometimes, it is like a duel Wong has 28 students, among technology she needs to put her streaming lessons to her Form 4 times,” Hui said. can decide which class to take fi rst,” of trapped beasts,” she said. them 16 cross-border students now lessons online. and Form 5 students. It marked the Learning at home goes on, at said the 8-year-old. To further strain Zou’s nerves, her on the mainland. Her work begins “It is like you are caught off- fi rst time in her career, while most least until the end of the Easter His enthusiasm is not shared by son’s real head teacher cannot be as early as 6 am and fi nishes as late guard and sent to the front line of her colleagues choose to make holiday. To Ching, it is a piece of his mother, Zoe Zou. She’s a stay- reached. She sent a message asking as 12 am. immediately,” Hui said. videos instead. She said she wants good news. He shows no sign of at-home mother who has been details about a piece of homework Besides preparing teaching plans, On the Education Bureau’s web- to be able to interact with her stu- missing school at all. Zou, on the handed another job on top of her on Feb 28, but received no reply. emailing materials, and grading site, there is guidance for conduct- dents to make sure her teaching is other hand, eagerly awaits her son’s regular household chores. She’s The head teacher contacts her homework, Wong spends a lot of ing online teaching, including doc- getting the message across. return to school even if it means now a teacher. When Secretary for once a week, commenting on time calling each of her students to uments, videos and recommended She still hasn’t solved one big classes during the usual summer Education Kevin Yeung Yun-hung Ching’s homework and asking see if they followed her teaching. websites. “The assistance is abun- problem: She doesn’t know how break. She’s looking forward to get- announced the suspension of class- about any di« culties. “My phone beeps all day. Parents dant. But the time for getting pre- to record the live sessions. “I want ting her life back to normal.