An Appeal to help Hong Kong in its COVID crisis

Benjamin Chan

February 22, 2022

Hong Kong is suffering from the fifth wave of COVID impact since late January 2022, and this time by COVID Subvariant BA.2 which is 1.5 times more transmissible than the original Omicron strain. COVID cases in the city are doubled every three days. Hospitals are overstretched and running out of beds. At a critical point, dozens of elderly patients were out in the cold and wet weather, waiting for hospital beds in makeshift triage areas. The Hong Kong Government has started drastic measures to cope with the situation, including testing 7.5 million residents, and requiring vaccination record to enter public areas. (Update can be found in the Government website: https://www.coronavirus.gov.hk/eng/index.html). Among the most affected are the senior, the homeless, the ethnic minority and grassroots families. While the Hong Kong Government and society are mobilizing their resources to provide COVID testing, medical services and special allowance, we are working with partner churches and NGOs in Hong Kong to provide meal coupons, US$5 per meal, to help the most vulnerable people to live through this crisis. We hope to raise US$25,000 to provide 5,000 meals. I invite your help and you may write a check payable to “International Ministries”, and mark on the check “HK COVID Relief”, and mail the check to International Ministries, Re: HK COVID Relief, 1003 W. 9th Ave., Ste. A., King of Prussia, PA 19406-1210, USA. Thank you very much for your support. If you have any question about this appeal, you may contact me at  ben.chan@internationalministries.org.

First two pictures: The American Baptist Mission Hong Kong Swatow Baptist Church Community Service Association providing food and relief packages to struggling families.