Covid-19 - What's happening around the world (some) and at home

Paris bans nightime food and drink delivery to tackle worsening COVID-19 crisis

Greece ordered a nationwide lockdown on Thursday for three weeks to help contain a resurgence of Covid-19 cases, its second this year after a sharp increase in infections this week. “I’ve chosen to take drastic measures sooner rather than later,” Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said.

In Hong Kong, social-distancing restrictions ease..

100,000 cases in a single day push the U.S. into new terrain.

Italy will lock down six regions and prevent many people from crossing between them.

The Italian government announced Wednesday night that it would lock down a significant portion of the country, including the northern regions that are its economic engine, in an effort to stop a resurgent wave of coronavirus infections.

At home here in Malaysia, we are in the third phase, that's right, and sadly more and more clusters of infections are showing up every day and worse, for the past few days we've had deaths every day. 

Of all the states, Sabah on the island of Borneo is hardest hit immediately after state elections were held on September 26. Then infections increased here in the peninsula as people came back after the election campaigning and such. No quarantine was required when they touched down back at the peninsula. Horrors! Right. No one saw the impending danger. Now we are getting the brunt of that action or inaction, rather. Below is current status:

Here's some advice found online..

What food should you avoid during COVID-19?

• When cooking and preparing food, limit the amount of salt and high-sodium condiments (e.g. soy sauce and fish sauce).

• Limit your daily salt intake to less than 5 g (approximately 1 teaspoon), and use iodized salt.

• Avoid foods (e.g. snacks) that are high in salt and sugar.

• Limit your intake of soft drinks or sodas and other drinks that are high in sugar (e.g. fruit juices, fruit juice concentrates and syrups, flavoured milks and yogurt drinks).

• Choose fresh fruits instead of sweet snacks such as cookies, cakes and chocolate.

Are smokers at higher risk of contracting the coronavirus disease?

Smoking any kind of tobacco reduces lung capacity and increases the risk of many respiratory infections and can increase the severity of respiratory diseases.

COVID-19 is an infectious disease that primarily attacks the lungs. Smoking impairs lung function making it harder for the body to fight off coronaviruses and other respiratory diseases. Available research suggests that smokers are at higher risk of developing severe COVID-19 outcomes and death.

How to eat healthy in quarantine during the COVID-19 pandemic?

Consume enough fibre because it contributes to a healthy digestive system and offers a prolonged feeling of fullness, which helps prevent overeating.

To ensure an adequate fibre intake, aim to include vegetables, fruit, pulses and wholegrain foods in all meals. Whole grain foods include oats, brown pasta and rice, quinoa and whole-wheat bread and wraps, rather than refined grain foods such as white pasta and rice, and white bread.

Good hydration is crucial for optimal health. Whenever available and safe for consumption, tap water is the healthiest and cheapest drink. It is also the most sustainable, as it produces no waste, compared to bottled water.

Can I drink alcohol during the coronavirus disease pandemic?

In particular, alcohol compromises the body's immune system and increases the risk of adverse health outcomes. Therefore, people should minimize their alcohol consumption at any time, and particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Alcohol is a psychoactive substance that is associated with mental disorders; people at risk or who have an alcohol-use disorder, are particularly vulnerable, especially when in self-isolation.

How long should I exercise for in self-quarantine?

WHO recommends 150 minutes of moderate-intensity or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity physical activity per week for adults, or a combination of both. The guidance is intended for people in self-quarantine without any symptoms or diagnosis of acute respiratory illness.

Just an idea of the Covid-19 spread worldwide. Details on individual countries can be obtained on Tracking the spread of Covid-19..

Stay safe, everyone..

People in protest-hit Hong Kong eye Malaysia's second-home program

Malaysia's “Malaysia My Second Home” (MM2H) Programme, a home-ownership programme designed to attract wealthy foreigners to live in Malaysia is seeing an increase of applications from Hong Kong residents. 251 applications have been received this year compared to 193 approved last year.

Kuala Lumpur city skyline. (REUTERS/Lai Seng Sin)

Real estate agents expect Malaysia and Thailand to benefit the most from some Hong Kong residents’ frustration over the second bout of lengthy demonstrations in five years in the former British colony, which returned to Chinese rule in 1997.

“The push factor from Hong Kong will definitely make Malaysia one of the best alternatives for a new location to reside,” said Sharifah Ikhlas Aljaffree, the director of the program run by Malaysia’s tourism ministry.

“Our strength lies not only in our nation’s friendliness, affordable cost of living and high quality of life (healthcare included) but also the stability of our economy and politics plus our developed infrastructure,” she told Reuters.

Read more... People in protest-hit Hong Kong eye Malaysia's second-home program

Edison Chen interview with CNN

Remember Edison Chen? The Hong Kong actor/singer who made headlines several years ago about the leaked photographs he took of a number of popular celebrities in the entertainment business?

I came across an interview he did with CNN. He said he wanted to wait till after the trial before he came out in the open to speak about it.

If you are interested to hear his part of the story, quite a revelation actually, here are the videos. The interview is in three parts but less than half an hour in total.






A lot of viewers are on his side. A few sample comments below..

He had sex and everyone found out, now he's a bad guy? Since when sex became a crime? I'm not even chinese and give respect to this guy since I became a fan of him. This is like one of those Michael Jackson trial thing, except this one was misdemeanor that was put to exaggeration. This what I hate about some medias and haters.
..
i dont see anything wrong about what edision did, in the first place, it takes two to tanggo.
..
I really think that this whole scandal has done a lot to his reputation and career. He was not the one that released the photos. Although I like most of the girls who were in the scandal, I have to say that the only reason for them to cry and blame Edison for everything that has happened was because they did not want to get blamed on. If these girls have been drugged before these pictures were taken, then how come nothing was done before the scandal broke out? I feel sorry for Edison.
..
I like this guy. He didn't put blame on the others, like the distributors of those photos, and he did admit to his mistakes. What more can people ask from him?

Hell, this incident doesn't even compare to the celebrity sex tapes that goes on in Hollywood.

All the haters should just get over it. However way you look at it, he does not deserve all of the negative treatments that he's been getting and certainly not deserving of getting death threats.
..
And one said:
edison never learned the lesson and kept taking pictures of his girlfriends while having sex after this scandal. sad.

This comment is sound advice and not just for celebrities, I think:

Moral of the story....Just burn your laptop when it's cocked up if you're a celebrity.

But then again, won't that make everyone of us paranoid in a way?

Hong Kong celebrity Sam Lee weds Pae Leung

Malaysians are able to catch a lot of international movies through our one and only direct satellite tv network, Astro.

For the Chinese community, we get to watch movies from Hong Kong and Taiwan though there are more of the former. These are normally in the Cantonese dialect.

Latest Hong Kong celebrity wedding has got to be Sam Lee's. Anyone who watches Hong Kong TVB shows would know who Sam is. He married his fashion designer girlfriend, Pae Leung on Nov 17.

Sam Lee Chan-Sam is an actor from Hong Kong. He started his film career when he was first spotted by director Fruit Chan who cast him in Made in Hong Kong. Recently, he is best remembered for his role as the rich-kid-turned-passionate social worker in Ghetto Justice.

Outside of his film career, Sam is a seasonal member of a Hong Kong hip hop band Lazy Mutha Fucka (LMF) where he is the rapper. Sam Lee is also known as DJ Becareful. (Wikipedia)

Here's a peek at his wedding banquet celebrity friends arrivals..including Daniel Wu and his wife Lisa S., Eddie Cheung Siu-fai and his wife, Timmy Hung, JJ Jia, Dayo Wong Chi-wah, Edmond Leung, Eddie Kwan Lai Kit), Wilfred Lau (Joey Yung's current beau), Edison Chen, Jazz Lam and Eric Tsang.


More on Jaynestars..Celebrity Weddings: Sam Lee and Pae Leung

Hong Kong ferry and boat collision

Oh gosh, this is not good..

What started out as a happy holiday trip to enjoy a national day fireworks display yesterday at Victoria Harbour turned out to be a tragic event as the pleasure boat collided with a passenger ferry and sank off Hong Kong near Lamma Island. A frantic overnight search and rescue operation ensued.

More than 120 passengers and crew were onboard the Hong Kong Electric company's vessel.

Passengers were thrown into the choppy water and the company vessel sank within minutes, leaving only its bow protruding from the waves.

36 have been reported dead and more than 100 hospitalized in five hospitals.

"Rescue action will continue as Fire Service Department (FSD) cannot rule out that there are still people inside the vessel or missing."

Rescue teams in boats and helicopters spent the night scouring the sea around the site of the accident for signs of survivors, while dive teams entered the sunken boat.

"The low visibility and many obstacles on board... made it difficult for rescue," the FSD said.


More: The Star..36 dead in Hong Kong ferry collision: official



Related article:
Hong Kong mourns victims of boat tragedy

Andy Lau proud father of baby girl

The Star reported that

HONG Kong superstar Andy Lau is the proud father of a baby girl who weighs about 2.7kg (about 6 lbs), China Press reported.

It was reported that Lau's wife, Malaysian Carol Chu, 46, gave birth at the Hong Kong Sanatorium and Hospital in Happy Valley on Tuesday.

The report also said that both mother and daughter were doing fine. However, Lau, 50, has yet to make any official statement about the birth.

Andy Lau's “Little Dragon Girl” was born on May 9.

Congratulations Andy Lau and Carol Chu!


Image source

Andy Lau applying for PR status in Malaysia?

If you are an Andy Lau fan, how would you like living next-door to one of Hong Kong's Cantopop Heavenly Kings, or even in the same neighbourhood?

That can become a reality as there is talk that Andy Lau may apply for a Permanent Resident (PR) status in view of their (he and his wife, Carol Chu) wanting to have their baby girl being brought up in Malaysia to be away from media attention in Hong Kong.

According to The Star, a Chinese language daily reported that Lau might place his daughter with Chu's family to avoid the Hong Kong paparazzi.

Andy Lau's wife Carol Chu, 45, is seven months pregnant and is expected to deliver in May in Hong Kong. Carol Chu is a former beauty queen and a Malaysian.

Recently, it has been reported that they have bought a house (of two units) along Jalan Ampang which he has denied.


Image source: The Star

View Malaysia from the air with the Royal Geographical Society (with IBG)’s Hidden Journeys

Tioman Island, Malaysia © Jonathan Nock - The twin peaks towering above Mukut on Tioman Island, said to be the horns of a dragon whose body forms the rest of the island.

The Hidden Journeys Project aims to enliven the flying experience and transform it into a fascinating exploration of the people, places and environments thousands of metres below by providing inspiring information to air travellers about the parts of the world they fly over (www.hiddenjourneys.co.uk).

The latest guide to be released explores the varied landscapes that lie between Hong Kong and Singapore, including some of the most idyllic beaches and diverse marine life in Southeast Asia, from the tourist resorts of Nha Trang in Vietnam and Seri Buat in Malaysia, to the almost untouched paradise islands of Con Dao off Vietnam, and the Paracel and Spratly Islands that pepper the South China Sea.

The South China Sea has long been a conduit for human movement in Southeast Asia. For centuries, human migration and colonialism have brought change to each of the nations along this flight path, while today continuous economic growth draws ever more people to the region’s cities. As a vital trade route as well as an essential fishing ground and potential source of oil and gas, the sea is at the centre of the region’s economy. However, the value of the sea has made it hugely desirable for its bordering nations, who now claim sovereignty over it.

The flight path is bookended by two of the most important business and financial centres in Asia: Hong Kong and Singapore. Yet in spite of being more than 2,200km apart, these cities share many similarities: from their long colonial histories to their areas of reclaimed land and clusters of skyscrapers that accommodate the rapid urban growth.

Hong Kong © Mark Hooper - A view of Hong Kong harbour from Victoria Peak, with the Star Ferry, HSBC building and two-pronged Bank of China buildings clearly visible.

Hong Kong Harbour © Roger Wagner - Hong Kong's iconic harbour, with the Bank of China and Two International Finance Centre with Victoria Peak behind.

Queen's Road Central, Hong Kong 1897 © RGS-IBG image by R. C. Hurley - Now part of the main business district of Hong Kong, decorated in traditional style for Chinese New Year.

Nha Trang Bay courtesy of ntt - Nha Trang Bay was named as one of the top 30 most beautiful beaches in the world for its spectacular sands and clear sea.

Nha Trang courtesy of ntt - Nha Trang sea front has quickly developed to cater for more tourists visiting the beautiful coast each year.

Con Son Island, Vietnam © Michelle Carrupt - With a population of no more than 5,000 people, empty beaches are easy to find on the Con Dao Islands.

Singapore - courtesy of NASA - A satellite image of Singapore: notice the green areas, mostly reservoirs, and the geometric reclaimed coast to the bottom left.

Singapore at night © Andy Leo - The financial district silhouetted against the setting sun on Singapore Island.


Image source: Hidden Journeys

Hong Kong TVB Actress Toby Leung and Aaron Wong Wed

Everyone loves a love story - especially when it leads to a wedding. A little Hong Kong celebrity trivia here.

Toby, the daughter of famous TVB producer, Tommy Leung, married her boyfriend, Aaron Wong, a businessman, last month. The newlyweds are set to hold their wedding banquet at InterContinental Hong Kong on Tuesday night, tonight, I suppose.

Toby Leung cries at hubby's love declaration. The 28-year-old recalled: "I'm very touched when he told me that, 'it's gotta be you'! At that moment I feel like I'm the happiest person in the world!"

Toby Leung officially married her boyfriend, Aaron Wong, on Nov 24.

The couple had earlier flown to Shanghai and Taiwan to take their wedding photographs. Below are three among the Wedding photos of Toby Leung released.

Toby, 28, first entered the music industry in 2004, and was a member of the disbanded Girls' Only Dormitory group. She later joined TVB and was given supporting roles in TV series.

Toby now owns a wedding planner company in Hong Kong and has plans to open a branch in Taiwan next year, and is working with a company to explore the market in China.

Aaron is a businessman specialising in luxury home investments. At only 32, he has earned the nickname of "The Property Investment King" and has assets estimated at HK$200mil (RM79.6mil).

Toby Leung's star-studded wedding

The bridesmaids included Charmaine Sheh, Janet Chow, Angela Tong, Natalie Tong, Florence Kwok, Margaret Chung and more.

Guests at the 53-table wedding banquet at InterContinental Hong Kong Hotel included TVB Chairwoman Mona Fong, new boss Chan Kwok Keung, Norman Leung, Stephen Chan and other executives. Toby’s wedding was surely a star-studded banquet as many artistes attended including: Alan Tam, Nick Cheung, Louis Koo, Anita Yuen, Christine Ng, Michael Miu, Jamie Chik, Felix Wong, Nat Chan, Roger Kwok, Cindy Au, Michael Tse, Fala Chen, Raymond Lam, Charmaine Sheh, Tavia Yeung, Kate Tsui, Edwin Siu, Ron Ng, Kevin Cheng, Niki Chow, Amigo Chiu, Natalie Tong, Sharon Chan, Joyce Tang, Derek Kwok, Timmy Hung and many more. It was much more star-studded than the TVB Anniversary!

Image source of the four images above: Asiancrunch

View all images of Celebrity Guests

An earlier related article:
Toby and Aaron rumoured to wed next year. Aaron was said to have given Toby a two-karat engagement ring - worth some six figures.

Image source: The Daily Chilli

Congratulations to the bride and groom!


Sources:
- The Daily Chilli
- AsianCrunch


Related topic:
Hong Kong celebrity Sam Lee weds Pae Leung

Lifestyle of The Rich and Famous.. Michelle Reis

According to The Star..

Chinese dailies reported that actress Michelle Reis received RM39mil in ang pow from her in-laws after she gave birth to a boy, who has been named Jayden Max.

Her in-laws had given her RM210mil in ang pow after she became pregnant.

Reis also gave out RM370 in ang pow to each newsman covering her delivery at a Hong Kong hospital on Tuesday. She has also released a photograph of the newborn with her husband Julian Hui.

They, however, have yet to give the baby a Chinese name.

Image source

Andy Lau and Carol Chu have left Kuala Lumpur..

The Andy Lau saga is winding down. Image below shows Andy Lau (inset) clutching the hand of long-time girlfriend, Carol Chu. at the departure lounge yesterday, Tue, Aug 25. They were heading home to Hong Kong.

Andy was also snapped at the grave of Carol's late father. From news and reports, Andy was not at the funeral. All that umbrella-shielding was a decoy. He was the whole time at Carol's family's home in Bukit Jalil.




Meanwhile, Andy Lau posted an online message on his fan club's message board Sunday morning, mourning the loss of girlfriend Carol Chu’s father.

Referring to Chu’s father as his “ancestor”, Lau wrote on the Andy World Club site: “Family members must be very worried. I am okay. My biggest wish is for the ancestor to go on his final journey peacefully. Amitabha!”

Although Lau’s online revelation shows his close relations with the Chu family, Lau has not openly admitted his relationship with Chu, 43. This has prompted many netizens to criticise Lau for being unfair and not acknowledging her.
More here on...Andy Lau acknowledges girlfriend's late father online

A couple of photos..


Andy Lau in concert


Carol and Andy in younger days



Sources:
hkmdb.com
news.sina.com.tw
asiaone.com
6park.com
gloriajoyvictor.blogspot.com