NEWS

Pet owners can be assured that there is no evidence that the novel coronavirus can affect dogs or cats, according to two experts in infectious diseases of cats and dogs from the Jockey Club College of Veterinary Medicine and Life Sciences at City University, together with veterinary surgeons from the Hong Kong Veterinary Association and the SPCA. Previous experience with SARS suggests that dogs or cats in contact with the new virus will neither become ill nor transmit the virus. However, owners should continue to take normal precautions such as washing hands after handling their pets.

SEVENS TAKING A BACKSEAT

The Hong Kong Sevens is the latest sports event to be affected by the coronavirus outbreak. This year’s tournament, the 45th edition, will be moved back to October 16 to 18 despite organisers saying that the event was “all systems go” earlier on in the year. The Sevens joins a long list of sporting events that have been cancelled or postponed by either the protests or the virus outbreak, the most notable of which include the Standard Chartered Marathon and the Longines Masters. For updates, keep an eye on hksevens.com

ALL POOPED OUT

Hong Kong residents continue to panic despite government assurances that supplies of toilet paper remain unaffected by the coronavirus outbreak. Supermarkets have been unable to restock quickly enough, leading to long queues and shelves stripped bare. Amidst citywide panic-purchasing, three armed robbers stole hundreds of toilet rolls that were being delivered to a supermarket in Mong Kok in mid-February. The robbers, wielding knives, threatened the delivery man and took off with rolls worth more than $1,000. Two arrests were made later.

KAI TAK MTR OPENS

MTR opened phase one of the Tuen Ma Line on Valentine’s Day with the inaugural train running from the new Kai Tak Station to Wu Kai Sha Station at 5.45am. A simple ceremony on the platform took place where the MTR management team took part in a countdown

with hundreds of onlooking passengers. The new line currently runs between Kai Tak, Diamond Hill, Hin Keng and Tai Wai, joining the existing Ma On Shan Line. Phase two of the Tuen Ma Line is expected to open by the end of 2021.

SLOW SEASON

Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) announced in mid-February that Hong Kong received 3.2 million visitor arrivals in January, a daily average of 100,000, dropping 53% from 200,000 in the first half of 2019. While average daily arrivals recovered to 130,000 with the pre-Chinese New Year rush in January, the outbreak of COVID-19 aggravated the decline once again and visitors plunged to 65,000 a day in late January. Find out more on discoverhongkong.com, where HKTB is providing instant updates on the latest measures to assist visitors.

AT A LOSS

Classes for preschool, primary and secondary schools have been suspended since Chinese New Year and will not resume until midMarch. Because of this, nearly 70 percent of Hong Kong kindergartens have reported that parents are refusing to pay education fees, according to the Professional Teachers’ Union (PTU). The union also found more than 40 percent of kindergartens have predicted serious financial issues if the situation continued and some even warned of closures. Many kindergartens, especially private ones that do not receive government subsidies, are struggling to maintain daily operations while paying staff salaries and rent. The Education Bureau has said that it understood the challenges faced by kindergartens and would assist them where possible.

ON A BREAK

Cathay Pacific’s beloved fanfares, which typically go live on the company’s website every Tuesday morning, have been suspended for an indefinite amount of time. Cathay states that the programme “is taking a short break for network and schedule adjustments”. Stay tuned for any updates on their Facebook page at facebook.com/cathaypacificHK