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Letters

While it is too early to be claiming success in containing the spread of the novel coronavirus, South Korea is providing other societies with an example of how to respond in a smart and targeted way, while shunning travel bans, with limited exceptions, and avoiding widespread lockdowns whose social costs might outweigh the health benefits (“South Korea’s infection rate falls without citywide lockdowns like China, Italy”, March 10).
At a briefing earlier this week, South Korean officials termed their strategy – a mix of innovative technology-enabled tracking, transparency with the public, and extensive free testing – a “dynamic response system for open democratic societies”.
No nation’s response has been perfectly effective, but the high degree of transparency and competency of South Korean health officials provides helpful lessons about containment efforts for other countries, and about the nature of this pandemic for the international scientific community.
Thomas Byrne, president, The Korea Society, New York City


A little bit of trust goes a long way in an emergency
I refer to the Consumer Council calling on Hong Kong shoppers to stop the panic buying of toilet paper, assuring them of adequate supplies while warning that hoarded rolls could get mouldy.
Early reports on the coronavirus outbreak in the city sparked a run on daily commodities, with supermarket shelves and even online stores cleaned out. Amid the panic and fear, prices of items in short supply, such as face masks, soared to unimaginable levels, but that did not stop people from queuing for hours to purchase them.
At the supermarket, when I saw people hurrying to load up their trolleys with whatever they could grab from the shelves, it became clear to me that people just did not believe in the authorities. They would rather trust questionable online reports and follow the herd.


This kind of panic would not have ensued if the Hong Kong government had shown they put the people first, and been responsible, reliable and considerate of public needs, instead of ineffective and irresolute.
Even Macau put Hong Kong to shame, with its targeted and prompt policymaking, and guaranteed supply of essentials such as face masks.
Brian Tong, Tseung Kwan O


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Coronavirus pandemic

Keeping coronavirus in check: South Korea showing the way with transparency and skill

A commuter wearing a mask walks past mirrors at a subway station in Seoul on March 12. Photo: AFP

First Sars, now Covid-19: how many disease outbreaks will it take for Hong Kong to improve building design?

Food and Environmental Hygiene Department staff arrive to clean a public housing block in Tsing Yi on February 12, amid concerns that the coronavirus might have spread through the drainage system. Photo: Xiaomei Chen

Coronavirus in Hong Kong: the real reason for public anger over face mask shortage

Chief Executive Carrie Lam joins top officials in meeting the media at the government headquarters in Admiralty on January 31, amid a coronavirus outbreak. Lam’s popularity rating recently hit a new low. Photo: Winson Wong

.css-sioo19{color:#c79a00;}Letters | Keeping coronavirus in check: South Korea showing the way with transparency and skill

Letters | Keeping coronavirus in check: South Korea showing the way with transparency and skill