One
min video of our new centre in Jordan: The
MercyHK Hostel E (can accommodate 16 people)MercyHK's help for Covid domestic
workers - by Fr John
Time line from Feb 17, 2022 to April 2, 2022.
This is just from my side of the fence.
The huge amount of work done by Fr Jun O.M.I. and Lucia Leung is barely mentioned.
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Thursday Feb 17, 2022: About 6pm I received a phone call from the NGO Voice for Prisoners Chairman John Budge, asking if I could provide accommodation for 2 Covid positive domestic workers. (See March 15, below, for details about one of these 2 women). John said that other NGOs had been asked to help, but none could do so. I said I would try and I asked that the women contact me, which they did. I realised that no landlord or landlady would allow Covid positive guests, so I phoned a local street lady and she agreed to provide two rooms. Previously she had helped MercyHK's social worker Simon to find accommodation for some homeless people. I explained to the street lady that the women were positive and I agreed to pay her a bit extra for this situation. The street lady agreed to help. The women arrived, separately, around 9pm and I took them to their rooms after making sure they had food and medicine etc.
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Email of Feb 17 from John Budge to the
NGO Pathfinders:
Dear C......,
I have been in touch with the Senior Pastor of ......... ......... Church. Although sympathetic to the plight of these ladies, .......... is mainly a commercial building, and he regrets that he is not able to assist.
I have however spoken to Father John Wotherspoon from MercyHK. He is willing to help those ladies who have no accommodation and are likely to sleep on the street. Please contact him at 6709-5674.
Best wishes,
John
Email of Feb 17 from Pathfinders to John Budge:
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Friday Feb 18: Today a 3rd room was rented from the street lady for a 3rd Covid domestic helper. Today I phoned my Oblate confrere Fr Jun to invite him to call the 3 women (all from the Philippines) and counsel them. As more women arrived in the coming days Fr Jun became our coordinator with the NGO HELP for Migrant Workers who had referred the 3 women and would continue to refer dozens more in the coming weeks. Fr Jun also soon began liaising with government agencies for the transfer of women to government quarantine centres. In addition to the above 3 women, MercyHK was already helping 2 positive male cases at the Alhambra Building in Yau Ma Tei and a positive female asylum seeker at a room in Tsim Sha Tsui.
Saturday Feb 19: Today I bought ten mattresses for use at the Dr Jesus Centre at 187 Temple Street, Jordan, since more women were in urgent need of accommodation ... like this one who spent 2 nights in a park in Yau Ma Tei in wet and cold weather. In fact, the 2 women in this report were the first 2 women who arrived on Feb 17. According to my daily blog, I spent all of today and a large part of the night helping some of the people in this report to find accommodation in Yau Ma Tei ....with another women accommodated by the street lady and a group (of 3?) which began staying at the Dr Jesus Centre which had been turned into a quarantine centre. Today HELP set up a special W/App Group Chat for the domestic helpers and those assisting them. Fr Jun immediately began using this Chat to keep in touch with the domestic helpers and give them constant encouragement and advice.
Sunday Feb 20: Today and tonight were replays of yesterday ... with homeless people arriving even late last night .... people who belong to this group who are some of the many homeless people who are sleeping out these nights in wet and freezing weather. There are now 10 women staying at the Dr Jesus Centre and two at a nearby new centre especially rented for this situation. The new centre, which came to be known as Hostel A, was far from 5-Star ....just four rooms with poor ventilation and some water leakage ....but better than sleeping in a park or at the airport. The kind landlord allowed positive cases to stay and charged $15,000 for rent of the whole unit for one month. Hostel A at first had just mattresses on the floor (like the Dr Jesus Centre) but eventually we moved in 6 double bunks and 2 fold up beds, providing accommodation for 14 women. And see Covid-hit helpers must not be left on streets
Monday Feb 21, as described in my blog of Feb 22:
Yesterday was Day 4 of the project to provide emergency accommodation for the people in this new SCMP vdideo report. It was another long day for me which began two nights ago when I had just got into bed at midnight (after some late arrivals at our centres) ... and the phone went .... a woman about to leave from HK airport had tested positive ... and was not allowed to leave ... and had nowhere to go. Her consulate phone the NGO HELP for Domestic Workers who phoned me .... and I welcomed the poor distressed woman when she arrived in Jordan about 1.15am. Through the day yesterday more women came to our centres .... we now have 11 at the Dr Jesus Centre and 6 at the nearby new centre and 2 at other places .... with 6 more due today! Much shopping, much arranging transport, much meeting people ... all with umbrella on a wet and cold day. Last night our local parish priest Fr Patrick Sun kindly joined me for a couple of hours work taking items and meals to the centres. During the day many kind people and groups came with items for the centres.
Tues Feb 22, as described in my blog of Feb 23: Yesterday was Day 5 of MercyHK's project to provide emergency accommodation for people like those in this HKFP report. Early last night there were 26 women in our care: 6 at the Dr Jesus Centre, 12 at the nearby Hostel A, 6 at a nearby hotel, and two in nearby separate rooms ... with 3 more due late last night. Three of those who came around 7pm last night had been sleeping at the airport for 3 nights. One who came at midnight the night before had been required by her employer to stay in a small car for 30 hours (not allowed even for toilet) in an open car park, with one blanket ... in freezing weather.
Up to now I had hesitated to ask anyone to help me .... because of the danger of infection. (Also, Simon our social worker had become positive ... just before the domestic helpers began arriving ... and was working from home, for about 2-3 weeks). But Lucia Leung, manager of MercyHK's centres on Cheung Chau Island, insisted on helping me, even though I at first declined her kind offer. She began work on Feb 22 and immediately took over the whole operation! (A great relief for me). We continued to share the job of meeting new cases at Jordan MTR station or from the airport, but more and more of the work of providing meals/ medicine etc was done by Lucia .
Wed Feb 23, as described in my blog of Feb 24: Last night MercyHK was providing emergency accommodation for 24 Covid domestic helpers, after 5 from the previous night's 29 were moved to another location since they tested negative. Caritas HK is now supporting our work
Thurs Feb 24, as described in my blog of Feb 25: Some of the women in this Guardian report are now being looked after by MercyHK: Covid Domestic workers fired and homeless *** Mother & baby spend night outside hospital
Frid Feb 25, as described in my blog of Feb 26: Last night 10 Covid-negative domestic helpers were moved from MercyHK's care in Jordan to govt facilities at Penny's Bay on Lantau Island. One other woman returned to her employer's home. That leaves us with 13, of whom 9 are due to move today to Penny's Bay. But if the HK figures in this article are correct, we can expect to have more people in our care in the coming months when govt facilities will be totally overwhelmed.
Sat Feb 26, as described in my blog of Feb 27: 24 of the Covid domestic helpers who were being cared for by MercyHK over the past week have gone to the govt facility at Penny's Bay on Lantau Island. But the place has a very bad reputation. Which is why HELP and other friends will offer monitoring and counselling services on line to our group. There are still 4 women in our care in Jordan. One other of the 29 has returned to her place of employment
Sun Feb 27, as described in my (edited) blog of Feb 28: Since Feb 18, MercyHK has provided emergency accommodation for 38 homeless Covid positive domestic workers. New arrivals yesterday included a big group of former positive cases who became negative at govt centres and have come back to us since they still have nowhere to stay. Last night we were caring for 28 women (9 positive, 19 negative) .... one of the positive cases who arrived last night had been sleeping in a park in Wan Chai for a week. Several of the cases arrived between 11pm and midnight.
Mon Feb 28, as described in my blog of March 1: Last night MercyHK was providing emergency accommodation (+ meals, Covid tests, temperature checks, medicine etc) for 35 Covid domestic helpers from the Philippines, Indonesia, India and Thailand. Yesterday's first case was a Filipina who called me at 7.30am, saying she had spent two nights sleeping at a park in Tokwawan. Eleven of the women have tested positive. The rest were positive and are now negative and required to stay in isolation ... but they have nowhere to go and the government cannot look after them.
Tues March 1, as described in my blog of March 2: Last night MercyHK in Jordan was providing emergency accommodation for 49 homeless Covid domestic helpers, of whom 20 are positive. Because our Dr Jesus Centre (9 positive cases) and MercyHK Hostel (A) (11 positive cases) are almost full, we have now rented another unit (in nearby Shanghai Street) to be known as MercyHK Hostel (B) to take 10 more positive cases.
Wed March 2, as per my blog of March 3: Last night MercyHK in Jordan was providing emergency accommodation for 55 homeless Covid domestic helpers, of whom 23 are positive. Last night four negative cases moved into a new centre we have started - MercyHK Hostel (B), and yesterday we also started renting a further new centre - MercyHK Hostel (C). B & C are in Shanghai Street.
To provide space for the storage of luggage of our guests (many became homeless at the airport) and for the storage of items for the centres, we have temporarily changed our MercyHK second hand shop at 191 Temple Street into a multi-purpose area for storage and also office space for our social workers (especially Lucia Leung who is doing an amazing job co-ordinating the project of looking after so many places and people).
Not forgetting the many kind people who have made donations over the past two weeks to support our work. Eddie Chan our Director says he has written around 300 receipts in the past week. To be honest, our problem now is not finance but accommodation .... ordinary HK people have fully booked out all hotels and guest houses in order to avoid Covid homes.
SCMP video report - how the NGO HELP Domestic Helpers is helping women homeless because of Covid. Nearly all of MercyHK's 55 guests have been referred to us by HELP
Thur March 3, as per blog of March 4: Last night MercyHK in Jordan was providing emergency accommodation for about 60 homeless Covid domestic helpers, of whom 23 are positive. And last night yet another new centre was put into operation: MercyHK Hostel D, joining MercyHK Hostel A, MercyHK Hostel B and MercyHK Hostel C!
Frid March 4, as per blog of March 5: Yesterday afternoon the govt arranged for 23 homeless Covid domestic workers (21 of them positive) to be shifted from our MercyHK centres in Jordan to govt quarantine facilities. But if the same thing happens this time as happened a week ago when a previous group went to the govt facilities, they will be released when negative and told "you can go home now" ....but they don't have homes, they are homeless ... which means they will be back in Jordan in a few days! And yesterday one new negative and 4 new positive women came, two of them very late last night .... usual sad stories (...arbitrarily terminated when showing signs of Covid ....unable to get flight when tested positive at airport etc). 60 (previous) night - 23 + 5 = 42 in our care last night.
Sat March 5, as per blog of March 6: Sunday Examiner report on homeless Covid domestic workers being helped by MercyHK *** Last night MercyHK was providing emergency accommodation for 44 homeless Covid domestic helpers, of whom 7 are positive cases. Many kind people are helping us, including a team from the NGO Christian Action. CA is also co-ordinating a new program whereby MercyHK will sponsor a free rice meal each day for needy asylum seekers whose govt food vouchers are now almost useless because of empty supermarket shelves. Last week was something very special: MercyHK opened 3 new centres in a matter of days in response to the urgent situation of homelessness. When the present crisis is over, maybe the new centres can be used by poor people or as hostels for domestic workers. *** "Firing Covid domestic helpers is not tolerated by HK govt" (???)
Sun March 6, as per blog of March 7: Last night MercyHK was providing emergency accommodation for 51 homeless Covid domestic helpers, of whom 9 are positive cases
Mon March 7, as per blog of March 8: MercyHK in Jordan is providing emergency accommodation for about 50 Covid domestic helpers. Yesterday 7 positive cases were transferred to the new govt quarantine centre at Ching Yi ... and 7 new positive cases came to our centres. Using Zoom, Fr Jun O.M.I. and HELP are working with the govt to co-ordinate the transfers. Jun and HELP have also been providing counselling to all cases since this work began on February 18.
Tues March 8, as per blog of March 9: Last night MercyHK was providing emergency accommodation for 57 homeless Covid domestic helpers, of whom 15 are positive cases. Some recent cases have been arriving around midnight. Yesterday we rented yet another large unit (at a cost of HK$20,000 per month) ... to house another 16 women ... to be known as "MercyHK Hostel E". God bless the many kind people supporting this work spiritually, materially and financially. With deep gratitude I report that over the past two weeks we have received donations totalling more than HK$1.5 million!
Wed March 9, as per blog of March 10: Last night MercyHK was providing emergency accommodation for 65 homeless Covid domestic helpers, of whom 16 are positive cases. Last night 13 of the 60 moved into our latest centre - "MercyHK Hostel E" for which a contract was signed on March 8 and into which 8 double decker bunks and other furnishings were installed yesterday afternoon. *** Late last night Fr Jun O.M.I. and I took part in a FB live session arranged by HK's Filipino newspaper The Sun. The program is here
Thurs
March 10, as per blog of March 11: One
min video of our new centre in Jordan: The
MercyHK Hostel E (can accommodate 16 people)
Fri March 11, as per blog of March 12: Last night MercyHK was providing emergency accommodation for 57 homeless Covid domestic helpers, of whom 15 are positive cases. Yesterday 10 cases (9 positive and 1 negative) shifted to govt quarantine centres ... but new cases also arrived during the day and early evening.
MercyHK's second hand shop in Temple Street, which has been closed for two months because of the pandemic .... and which is likely to remain closed for some time until the pandemic eases .. . has been transformed into a social centre .... for Lucia and team to store and distribute masks, rapid tests, medicine & meals for Covid cases .... with an area set aside for social workers Simon, Patrick and Raymond to continue their service of other needy people (especially homeless people and drug addicts). The next door Dr Jesus Centre is now fully utilised as temporary accommodation for Covid cases.
Sat March 12, as per blog of March 13: Last night MercyHK was providing emergency accommodation for 57 homeless Covid domestic helpers, of whom 18 are positive cases
Sun March 13, as per blog of March 14: Last night MercyHK was providing emergency accommodation for more than 60 homeless Covid domestic helpers, of whom 21 are positive cases *** Last night Daisy, the editor of The Sun HK Filipino newspaper, with her husband Leo, visited all our centres and greatly encouraged our guests
Mon
March 14, as per blog of March 15: Yesterday
afternoon 14 Covid positive cases for whom MercyHK has been providing emergency
accommodation in Jordan were transferred to the government quarantine centre at
Ching Yi. Last night we were still providing accommodation for 49 cases, of whom
10 are positive.
Also yesterday afternoon 3 very kind Catholic doctors visited our 191 Temple
Street social centre with supplies for the centre and for a sharing with some of
our negative cases .... and a plan to set up an on line consultation for our
cases. Our social centre is being set up to deal with the deteriorating Covid
situation ....we expect many more people - local people as well as domestic
workers - to need help in the coming weeks
Tues March 15, as per blog of March 16: Yesterday afternoon a team from TVB's "Scoop" program interviewed a number of homeless Covid domestic workers for whom MercyHK in Jordan has been providing emergency accommodation. While they were being interviewed at one end of the Dr Jesus Centre, my computer and I were at the other end .... and for the first time I heard some moving details about the women's stories (... when they first arrived, I had kept things very simple ... they had just gone through trauma ... not a time for big discussions). One women described what it was like sleeping in a park for 2 nights .... another said how her employer summarily dismissed her because she was Covid positive, so she went to ask help at Queen Mary Hospital but they would not accept her, so she walked, with her luggage, all the way to Central where she eventually made contact with the NGO "HELP for Domestic Workers", who appealed to chairman of Voice for Prisoners, John Budge, who contacted me. That woman was in fact our very first guest on Feb 17.
Wed March 16, per blog of March 17: Last night MercyHK was providing emergency accommodation for more almost 50 homeless Covid domestic helpers, of whom about 15 are positive cases. Yesterday I spent much time on buying, moving and setting up 7 double bunks in MercyHK Hostel B .. no more sleeping on mattresses on the floor! And yesterday I had mixed feelings as 4 women left our centres to finally return to the Philippines (after having been stranded at HK airport). Two of the 4 were in the very first group of 2 guests on Feb 17 ... since which time more than 80 others have come
Thurs March 17, per blog of March 18: Last night MercyHK was providing emergency accommodation for 41 homeless Covid domestic helpers, of whom 10 are positive cases. Before coming to us, one of our guests spent a week outside the back door of her employer's house ... because she was positive.
Fri
March 18, per blog of March 19: One min
video of MercyH's new Hostel A. Our previous Hostel A has water leakage and
other problems, so yesterday afternoon a team of kind people shifted beds and
others items to a much nicer location. Like Hostels B, C, D & E, this one
will be used first of all by homeless Covid domestic helpers. Last night MercyHK
was providing accommodation for about 36 Covid domestic helpers .... after 7
positive cases were transferred yesterday to a govt shelter (hope they don't
have to wait
20 days for a shower!) and several new cases arrived in Jordan.
Sat
March 19, per blog of March 20: One
minute video of MercyHK's Hostel D which
was upgraded yesterday afternoon with the arrival of 5 double bunks .... no more
sleeping on the floor! God bless yesterday's team of helpers for an excellent
job! Last night MercyHK was providing emergency accommodation for nearly 40
homeless domestic helpers, of whom about 6 are Covid positive.
Sun
March 20, per blog of March 21: Care
for migrant workers amid Omicron surge - Fr
Jun's appeal to employers (Sunday Examiner) *** Last
night MercyHK was providing accommodation for about 35 homeless Covid domestic
helpers, including 4 positive cases. Thank
you message from Nita, an Indonesian homeless Covid
domestic helper for whom MercyHK provided emergency accommodation. God bless you
Nita!
Mon March 21, per blog of March 22: BBC - "My boss kicked me out because I caught Covid *** Last week, after so much had happened on Monday & Tuesday, I said how on Tues night I had a "Friday night, end of week" feeling. Well, so much happened yesterday, that last night, Monday night!, I had the same end of week feeling. One activity among many others yesterday was the placement in one of our hostels of a woman from South America who has just finished her 8 year & 9 months sentence for drug trafficking, after being tricked by Drug Lords in her own country to bring drugs to HK. I actually visited her home in in South America in January 2018 and met her family. Her return home has been delayed because of Covid and other circumstances and CSD welfare staff asked us to help with temporary shelter. And God bless the kind Filipinas in the hostel for taking this lady under their wing. It's great that all Filipinos understand a fair bit of Spanish since most of them studied some Spanish at school! Last night MercyHK was providing emergency accommodation for 38 homeless Covid domestic helpers, including 5 who are positive.
Tues
March 22, per blog of March 23: 
The
rescuer on Temple Street (SunHK) *** Last
night in Jordan, MercyHK
was providing emergency accommodation for 36 homeless Covid domestic helpers, of
whom 6 were Covid positive
Wed March 23, per blog of March 24: Last night MercyHK was providing emergency accommodation for 31 Covid homeless domestic helpers, of whom 6 are Covid positive. We now have a basic plan for our 5 hostels: Hostel A (can take 14 people) and Hostel E (16) are for negative Filipinas. Hostel B (10 people) is for negative Indonesians. Hostel D (10) is for positive Filipinas. Hostel C (8) for positive Indonesians. The Dr Jesus Centre (12) is in reserve for whatever situation develops.
Thurs March 24, per blog of March 25: God bless the many kind volunteers who, over the past few weeks, have been helping Lucia at MercyHK's social centre at 191 Temple Street ... like yesterday's group from Wah Yan Primary School. The centre is now a busy place with our social worker Simon based at a desk at the front of the centre.... where he is kept busy the whole day helping needy people. Lucia is mainly looking after homeless Covid domestic helpers and Simon is mainly looking after other cases. Last night MercyHK was providing emergency accommodation for about 30 Covid homeless domestic helpers, of whom 6 are Covid positive.
Fri March 25, per blog of March 26: Kung Kao Po report on MercyHK's help for needy people - website, FB. Last night MercyHK was providing emergency accommodation for 32 Covid homeless domestic helpers, of whom 9 are Covid positive.
Sat
March 26, per blog of March 27: More
than 400 Indonesians in HK helped in one month (Sunday
Examiner); TVB report
on situation of Covid homeless domestic helpers; Last
night MercyHK was providing emergency accommodation for 31 Covid homeless
domestic helpers, of whom 9 are Covid positive. Yesterday Lucia ordered a
bulk supply of refrigerators .... so each of our 5 centres will soon have a
fridge ... good timing since the weather is warming up
Sun March 27, per blog of March 28: Yesterday two local HK doctors visited the Dr Jesus Centre in Temple Street, Jordan. They came separately, at different times. They do not know each other. They came to encourage the work of MercyHK. During conversations, both said the same thing: HK is going the wrong way in dealing with Covid .... we should be doing what other places are doing .... treating Covid with respect, but not with paranoia .... with a thorough vaccination program, carefully opening up etc. Unvaccinated elderly people, sadly, are at high risk, but the vast majority of people who have been fully vaccinated can expect only minor symptoms if infected, and can get on with life and don't need to be living in fear. Last night MercyHK was providing emergency accommodation for 31 Covid homeless domestic helpers, of whom 5 are Covid positive.
Mon March 28, per blog of March 29: Yesterday morning began with an encouraging phone call from Cardinal John Tong, assuring his prayers for all in the MercyHK family ... followed by a visit by two of Mother Teresa's sisters, giving hope and joy to our guests at Hostel E .... followed by a visit by Brenda and Bernard from Caritas HK (which most kindly donates a large quantity of fruit each Mon-Wed-Frid to our social centre in Temple Street for distribution to needy people, starting with homeless Covid domestic helpers). Last night MercyHK was providing emergency accommodation for 32 Covid homeless domestic helpers, of whom 7 are Covid positive.
Tues March 29, per blog of March 30: Last night MercyHK was providing emergency accommodation for 27 Covid homeless domestic helpers, of whom 4 are Covid positive. Three positive cases were transferred yesterday afternoon to govt quarantine centres, one negative case returned to her employer and another negative case returned to the Philippines
Wed March 30, per blog of March 31: Last night MercyHK was providing emergency accommodation for 27 Covid homeless domestic helpers, of whom 4 are Covid positive.
Thurs March 31, per blog of April 1: Last night MercyHK was providing accommodation for 24 Covid homeless domestic helpers, of whom 4 are Covid positive.
Fri April 1, per blog of April 2: In the afternoon I accompanied a journalist on a visit to some of our hostels for homeless Covid domestic workers. Last night MercyHK was providing accommodation for about 20 women, including 4 positive cases.
Sat April 2, per blog of April 3: Last night MercyHK was providing accommodation for about 22 Covid domestic helpers, including 3 positive cases
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Since
April 2, the number of domestic helpers for whom MercyHK is providing
accommodation has remained around the 20 mark.
My daily blog - www.v2catholic.com -
usually has the latest number
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