Over in China, Hunan, a 28-year-old medical staff worked consecutively for ten days to fight the Wuhan virus. He suddenly died, allegedly due to overwork, yesterday.
Somewhere in a world filled with flowers, a nurse had to give her daughter a flying hug because she was in the frontline fighting the Wuhan virus. The touching incident was caught on camera and used as a music video in G.E.M’s tribute song to countless selfless Wuhan virus fighters (don’t watch it unless you’re prepared to cry):
And over in Hong Kong, medical staff went on strike for the third day, in protest of their leader’s refusal to close all entry points from mainland China.
Reader Bao: Can’t they just send a message through other channel, like, erm, getting the bus drivers to go on strike? Or worse, get the telecoms to shut down all internet?
I don’t know, Mr Bao. All I know is that I’m glad I’m in Singapore now.
Status of Wuhan Virus in the Two Financial Hubs in Asia
Lest you’ve been living under a rock and waiting for the Wuhan virus to be contained before you come out of your isolation, a lot has happened.
For a start, the Wuhan virus appears to be more contagious than ever: here in Singapore, there are now 24 confirmed cases, and 4 of them were infected domestically.
Over in Hong Kong, there are 18 confirmed cases as of time of writing, with 4 of them being transmitted locally.
Also, there has been a death: a 39-year-old man died on Monday, thought it should be noted that he had an existing health condition (diabetes).
And as you probably know by now, some people in Hong Kong don’t believe in making changes just by signing a petition on change.org; they bring their displeasure offline and would do anything to see changes.
First, the protests that we’re so familiar with.
And now, the medical staff strike.
Hong Kong Medical Staff Continue Strike Even After a Death is Announced
In Hong Kong, a newly formed union called the Hospital Authority Employees Alliance (HAEA) has voted for medical staff in the union to go on a strike if the government doesn’t close all entry borders to mainland China.
Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam then announced that all border entries would be closed except for three of them.
The rationale is that closing all borders would be “inappropriate, impractical and discriminatory.”
And the union isn’t happy.
They said in a statement, “As the disease is spreading rapidly in our community, and locally infected cases are steadily increasing, we are dangerously close to a massive community outbreak comparable to Sars.”
On the first day of the strike (in which the death occurred), non-essential medical workers walked off their job.
On the second day (yesterday), more than 7,000 hospital employees walked off their job.
Today, the strike continued though the exact number of people leaving their job hasn’t been confirmed yet. On the streets, there were people holding posters of “Hospital workers on strike” and even posters of “If we burn, you burn too”.
In addition to the strike, dozens of medical representatives, including the chairman of HAEA, went to the Government HQ to reiterate their request for all borders to be sealed.
Aren’t you glad you’re in Singapore?
