“Our wish is really simple. We are only hoping for a system which keeps our leaders humble, and forces the government to be accountable to its own citizens. I also believe that we can truly defend our freedom and our laws only if we have true democracy⚖️. I hope all of our citizens will continue to work towards it.”⠀

👨🏻‍🏫💬「其實我們做的事很簡單，我們只是希望有個制度，能令我們的當權者感到謙卑、令我們的政府向我們的市民負責。我也相信，只有民主才能真正捍衛我們的自由和法治⚖️。希望各位市民繼續努力💪🏻。」

📖Full text 閱讀全文 @ http://bit.ly/2WfLXen 👆🏼⠀

As the Wuhan pneumonia epidemic spreads, Yuen Kwok-yung, Professor of Infectious Disease at the Department of Microbiology of the University of Hong Kong (HKU), appears on TV every day urging the government and the public to contain the outbreak and pay attention to personal hygiene. Through his research in SARS in 2003, he quickly identified the source and path of transmission of the SARS coronavirus, and was hailed as a hero battling against the virus.

Yuen’s ties with HKU go back to his childhood. He once contracted pneumonia and was in severe condition, and was referred to Queen Mary Hospital (the teaching hospital for the HKU Faculty of Medicine). When he grew up, he was admitted to the highly selective HKU Faculty of Medicine, which only took in 150 students per year, and eventually graduated with flying colours. He is now dedicated to the research of infectious diseases, and names all the viruses discovered during research after “HKU”.

“I always thought that one reason we are not as successful as Western countries is that they value the truth and insist on it. Westerners would not only have short memories. Their spirit of science is much stronger than ours.

“Therefore, there is only one way out for Hong Kong: we have to attach importance to the truth, and we have to speak truthfully. Only if we make decisions based on truth can we be safer and have more opportunities for development. Otherwise if we go further from the truth, problems will accumulate. Our society has been away from the truth these 20 years, so we should re-approach it, as the closer to the truth, the safer we will be, or else we will be in greater danger.”

Source: Hong Kong Connection: Yuen Kwok yung,Watching the Stars from Above

近日武漢肺炎爆發，傳染病專家、香港大學微生物學系講座教授袁國勇幾乎每天都在電視上出現，呼籲政府和公眾積極控制疫情和注意個人衛生。他於2003年致力研究沙士病毒，極速發現沙士冠狀病毒的源頭和傳播途徑，被稱為抗疫英雄。

袁國勇與香港大學有很深的淵源，兒時的他曾患上嚴重肺炎，求診後被轉介到瑪麗醫院（港大醫學院的教學醫院）。後來他成功考進每年只收150人的港大醫學院，最後以優秀成績畢業。現在，他於港大醉心傳染病研究，更將所有在研究中發現的病毒以「香港大學」命名。

「我經常覺得，其中一個令我們暫時不及西方那麼成功的原因，是西方人對真理的重視和執著。西方人不會只有短暫記憶，他們的科學精神比我們強得多。

「因此，若香港要有出路，只有一個方法：就是必須重視事實，說話必須真誠。只有在真實裡作決定，我們才會更加安全，發展機會才更大。相反，若我們距離真實越來越遠，問題也只會越積越多。而這二十年來，社會確實是遠離了事實，所以我們應走近真實，因為越近越安全，越遠越危險。」

內容：《鏗鏘說：袁國勇 - 穹蒼看星》https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z7Vvi1L7zDo

“Amid the Coronavirus Outbreak, How can Communities Keep Themselves Safe?

Amid the recent outbreak of the Wuhan coronavirus, the Hong Kong public has been frantically searching for surgical face masks and rubbing alcohol on the market. The government’s incompetence in the face of the epidemic is incredibly unnerving; hence, we must focus on maintaining the safety and health of our own community. As limited masks are available, we can limit the time we spend out in public in order to conserve masks and reduce the chance of infection. In addition, make sure to frequently wash your hands with soap and thoroughly sanitize all surfaces.

Many citizens have recently asked questions about epidemic prevention and hygiene. As a district councillor, I have been trying my best to find supplies of suitable masks. On the other hand, the Council is still processing funds allocated for anti-epidemic measures. In addition to resource allocation, public education is also very important. I have been sharing information on social media to enhance public awareness against the epidemic.

Hong Kong medical staff have always been treating and caring for patients with professionalism and have been through many trying times together with the Hong Kong people. The frontline medical personnel that I know have been working steadfastly under tremendous pressure. Regretfully, in the face of a full on coronavirus epidemic, our government has not implemented any effective policies. The government has provided so little support to medical professionals that even hospitals have grossly inadequate supplies of protective equipment such as face masks. Under such dire circumstances, the medical workers’ strike is our last resort to demand more effective measures against the pending epidemic. I sincerely hope that the government will prioritize the safety and wellbeing of the public and implement sound policies immediately.”

「面對肺炎疫情，社區如何自救？

近日武漢肺炎肆虐，很多市民忙於搜購口罩、消毒酒精等。面對嚴峻的疫情，政府又無能為力，實在令人焦慮不安。我們能做的就是做好社區自救，在口罩供應有限之下，盡量減少出外，以減低使用口罩和接觸病菌的機會，並多用肥皂洗手，把所有地方都洗刷乾淨。

這陣子也有不少市民詢問有關防疫和衛生的問題，作為區議員的我一直盡力搜羅合規格的口罩供應，而早前區議會用作防疫工作的撥款則仍需經過既定程序才能批出。除了資源分配，公眾教育也很重要，我亦不時在社交媒體分享各種相關資訊，以提高公眾的抗疫意識。

醫護人員一直以專業態度、義無反顧地照顧和醫治病人，與香港人一同跨過一個又一個難關。我認識的前線醫護朋友在沉重壓力下亦一直緊守崗位。不過武漢肺炎來勢洶洶，政府處理疫情的措施並不奏效，對醫護的支援更是嚴重不足，連醫院的防護裝備如口罩等供應都極之缺乏。在如此惡劣的情況下，罷工可說是別無他法的選擇。希望政府臨崖勒馬，作出適當的措施，保護市民健康！」

📖"Do good no matter how trivial it may seem." — Read about Camille’s story about contribution to the community @ https://www.wearehkers.com/main-english/camille-yam-a-registered-nurse-volunteer-first-aider-and-elected-district-councillor-do-good-no-matter-how-small-it-may-seem

📖「莫以善小而不為。」— 了解Camille投入社區服務的心路歷程 @ https://www.wearehkers.com/main-chinese/camille-yam-a-registered-nurse-volunteer-first-aider-and-elected-district-councillor-do-good-no-matter-how-small-it-may-seem-chinese

My new year resolutions? 'Stay healthy' and 'united we stand.'

I was just in primary school back in 2003. When SARS broke out, we wore gauze masks to school every day and when a schoolmate was diagnosed a few weeks later, our school was in the spotlight. It was the first time seeing myself on TV. As classes were suspended, we had no choice but to stay at home. There wasn't much entertainment back then, so all I did was either drink bowls of bitter herbal tea or watch TV. Watching as the death toll increased every day and as both the Prince of Wales Hospital Ward 8A and Amoy Gardens became hotbeds of the epidemic and as a number of medical staff unfortunately passed away - all these scenes of isolation, emptiness and grief are still engrained in my mind.

It was a bit of a fluke that we had a long holiday as students, yet a lot of my former classmates are now the doctors and nurses risking their lives on the frontlines against the new coronavirus. We think of SARS as a part of history, but who could have imagined that we would have to face something even worse 17 years later?

我的新年願望很簡單，就是「身體健康」和「齊上齊落」。

2003年我只是個小學生，沙士爆發初期，我和同學每天都戴著紗布口罩上學，沒想到幾星期後就有同學確診感染，各電視台的記者都來學校拍攝上課和清潔情況，那可說是我人生第一次上電視。不久之後全港中小學全面停課，我們只好百無聊賴地待在家中，每天除了要喝「抗炎苦茶」和板藍根外，大部分時間都是看電視。數個月來確診和死亡人數不斷上升、威爾斯8A病房疫情失控、淘大花園大規模隔離、謝婉雯醫生等醫護人員相繼病逝的新聞至今仍歷歷在目。

當年我們僥倖過了一個悠長假期，但今天我的舊同學們卻要冒著生命危險到醫院上班。以前我們會把沙士一疫看成歷史，誰又會想到17年後的今天還要面對更壞的狀況呢？

Dr. Kenneth Kwong, widely known as "K Kwong", is a retired chemistry lecturer at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. He has been a renowned tutor for more than 30 years and known as “The Godfather of Chemistry”. Dr. Kwong has been outspoken in educating the public about tear-gas and its effects on public health during the events of the Anti-ELAB movement. Now, in face of the coronavirus outbreak, he is involved in the ‘HK MASK’ project aiming to produce reusable masks to tackle the pressing surgical masks shortage.

He emphasised that, “‘Masks for all’ comes before anything, profit or politics.”

👨🏻‍🔬💬 “There’s no concrete mask production mechanism in the territory, so Hongkongers need to save themselves. The concept of our HK MASK design is to allow people to DIY their own masks. I’m not charging for the patent. Everyone can just download our template online and purchase the filter from us at a small price, or even improve our design to make better masks or filters.

“My wife told me that she didn’t believe this project is for real as it felt like a Mickey Mouse attempt. Yes, even if it’s a Mickey Mouse attempt, I’m still very serious about it. I’m not an expert in manufacturing masks, but I'm a weaver of dreams. You got to have a dream, or else we’d be no different from mere objects. To do or not to do, there’s no option for giving up.”

人稱「K Kwong」的化學博士鄺士山是前香港中文大學講師，於補習界執教超過30年👨🏻‍🏫，被譽為「香港化學教父」。他於去年的反修例運動中經常透過社交媒體向大眾解釋催淚彈的資訊，以及其有害物質對人健康的影響。近日武漢肺炎爆發，他與義工團隊成功研發可循環再用的口罩「HK MASK」，以解決目前口罩短缺的問題。

Dr. K. Kwong曾多次強調，「人人有口罩」比任何事、利益或政治立場都來得重要。

👨🏻‍🔬💬「香港並沒有一個完善生產口罩的機制，所以香港人要自救，而HK Mask的設計意念就是人人都能DIY。雖然我們申請了專利，但並不為賺錢，而設計圖也完全公開。所有人只需在網上下載設計圖、向我們購入平價濾芯，就可自行製作口罩，甚至加以改良。」

「我老婆說她不相信這是真的，因為兒戲得像小朋友玩泥沙。但沒錯，我K Kwong就是連玩泥沙也比其他人認真。雖然我不是個製造口罩的專家，但我是織夢人：做人要有夢想，才不會像『鹹魚』（死物）一樣。我們只有『做』或『不做』，沒有『放棄』這個選項。」

Source內容參考: K Kwong、 香港蘋果日報 、 Stand News 立場新聞 、 Hong Kong Free Press HKFP 、 UNWIRE.HK

“When Hong Kong was battling SARS in 2003, I was suddenly transferred to the ICU (Intensive Care Unit) overnight to care for sick colleagues. With the recent outbreak of the Wuhan coronavirus, I’ve had scattered flashbacks of that hard battle in 2003: the sweat trapped under the protective suit, the briefings before entering the ‘warzone,’ the sound of my breath behind the N95 mask, and the noise of the ventilators...

I can only come up with two words to describe the current situation: ‘ignorance’ and ‘selfishness.’

‘Ignorance’ is for the Wuhan coronavirus occurring 17 years after SARS. It has spread so rapidly to many countries because Wuhan is an industrial hub. Even the WHO (World Health Organisation) has underestimated the severity of the disease. As Hong Kong’s medical system has gone nowhere but backwards over the past few years, frontline medical workers have now reached their breaking point. It’s hard to imagine how we could face another epidemic.

The demand for surgical masks has increased since the Hong Kong public has become more informed about epidemic prevention. However, the Hong Kong government has brushed aside the public’s concerns.

‘Selfishness’ is when obtaining a single surgical mask becomes impossible. Seeing panicked residents scramble for masks saddens me. While frontline medical staff are supposed to receive masks first so that they can focus on their duties, those masks were stolen from their workplace. How shameful is that?

The government should not place politics above patients. For all these years, we healthcare professionals have always wholeheartedly put our lives on the line to help those in need, whether it is a natural disaster or a human-made calamity. Unfortunately, the government has yet to implement any policies to support our work— our resources are tight, and we are now being criticised by people standing on their high moral grounds at such a critical time.

We cannot take the chance of letting the epidemic get out of hand simply because of the government’s incompetence. Medical workers have no choice but to go on strike to put pressure on the government.

Lastly, I would like to share another word with everyone: ‘selflessness.’

To provide selfless assistance is the duty of any medical professional. We do not fear death, but we do not want to throw our lives away for naught. The medical sector has launched a strike not only due to social responsibility, but also due to familial pressure. Although we don’t yet know whether striking will help us meet our goals, the most important thing is to stay calm and not give up on the innocent patients who rely on us.

May God bless us with wisdom, and cure the hearts of the ignorant and selfish. May my colleagues strive to do well at their own posts and never cease to give selflessly.”

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「回想起2003年非典型肺炎一疫，我一夜間被調到躺滿同工的深切治療部，那場硬仗的回憶逐漸浮現：保護衣內的汗流浹背，上『戰場』前的數字簡報，戴上N95後自己的呼吸聲，呼吸機的運作聲......

我現在只想到兩個詞語：『無知』與『自私』。

『無知』是17年後的武漢肺炎，因地理樞紐關係，令疫情迅速擴散至多個國家，連世界衞生組織亦低估了疫情的嚴重性。這些年來，香港醫療體制不進反退，前線壓力基本已接近崩潰，難以想像再承受一次疫症重創。

當市民有了更高的防疫意識，加重口罩需求，卻被政府漠視。

『自私』是口罩一個難求，市民爭相搶購的情況令人悲哀。獲優先派發口罩的前線醫護，原以為安心投入工作，誰料連自己工作的機構也發生口罩失竊事件，著實羞恥。

政府不應把政治凌駕於病患上。一直以來，從事醫護的我們都義無反顧，在天災人禍時刻，心甘命抵為有需要人士服務；可惜我們多年來都得不到政策支持，資源緊絀，甚至在這關鍵時刻也受到別人站在道德高地上的指摘。

假若今次疫情失控是因為政府失策，一點也不值，而醫護們倡議罷工來施加壓力也是迫不得已。

最後我以另一個詞語：『無私』來寄語大家。

無私的救急扶危是醫護天職，不怕死並不等於要白白犧牲，同工發起罷工，既是盡社會責任之餘，大家亦背負著家庭壓力。即使罷工未知能否達到目的，此刻更重要是保持冷靜，不能放棄需要我們照顧的無辜病患。

願神賜予智慧，醫治無知與自私的心。

願同業們在崗位上各自努力，別放棄無私的奉獻。」

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As the Wuhan coronavirus hit Hong Kong, there was a sudden surge of demand for hygiene and cleaning products such as surgical face masks and bleach. Existing market supplies are over exhausted instantly, and HKers have been searching high and low for these products. In light of this, Thai lifestyle department store AbouThai imported a large number of face masks from Thailand especially during the Lunar New Year holiday. A frontline-medics-priority purchase system was adopted to cater to frontline staff’s urgent needs before allowing the public to purchase these masks on a first-come, first-served ticket system. There were long lines outside each of the branches and all our face masks were sold several hours later. Many left disappointed. A small group of older folks were so upset that they surrounded the storefront, and only left after rounds of negotiation.

“Who is the Culprit behind this Madness in Hong Kong? I delivered the masks myself today to the storefront. Every citizen there had their masks on, yet their fear and unease were still visible through their eyes. Those in power, can you feel their fear? Several HKers who could not secure any masks took hold of me, begging me in tears to sell them a few. They should not be asking me nor anyone else— it is a human right to be able to secure one’s safety and survival, and it is the government’s responsibility to safeguard such rights. On behalf of all the HKers who cannot purchase protective supplies against the virus, I now plead with the Hong Kong government: lives are priceless. Please, before the outbreak of an epidemic, implement policies that would protect the public from potentially fatal threats. Let go of your political baggage, and prioritise the public’s lives and safety. If possible, I am willing to bow down before you— please act now.”

武漢肺炎在港爆發，口罩、漂白水等衞生和消毒用品俱不應求，市民四出搶購。泰國貨品雜貨店「AbouThai 阿布泰國生活百貨」在農曆新年假期期間專程從泰國進口大量口罩，優先供前線及醫護人員購買，其他市民則以派籌方式輪候，各分店都大排長龍。數小時後所有口罩存貨都已沽清，不少市民失望而回，一小撮年長人士則鼓譟甚至包圍店面，擾攘一輪後才離開。

「是誰讓香港人瘋狂？ 今天親自送貨到門市，每個市民都戴著口罩，但口罩並不能遮蓋他們的眼神，從大眾的眼裡我感受到徬徨與恐懼。當權者，你感受到嗎？ 有幾位未能購買口罩的香港人捉著我，哭求我賣口罩給他們，他們不應該求我，他們亦不應該求任何人，保障自我的安全與生存都是人應有的權利，這是政府的責任。 我在此謹代表所有未能購買防護用具的市民強烈向香港特別行政區政府及相關決策人士作出卑微的請求：生命無價，請在疫情爆發前，用方法去阻止這個會做成生命威脅的事情發生。放下你的政治包袱，為市民的生命安全為首要考慮，如果可以，我願意卑躬屈膝，向你們下跪，只求你們立即行動。」

💬Original post 原文: https://www.facebook.com/103385657854752/posts/121347619391889/

Photo: HK01