Letters | Coronavirus: how Hong Kong people saved city from the worst of the pandemic

In the global fight to contain Covid-19, Hong Kong is in an enviable position. When I explained to my locked-down friends abroad how it was possible to have four fatalities and just above 1,000 cases in one of the most densely populated cities in the world, they replied that people here are disciplined, unlike in their strongly individualistic societies. There may be some truth in that, but I believe that the reason can be found in the recent history of the city.

First, Hong Kong’s experience fighting the Sars (severe acute respiratory syndrome) outbreak was of great value. We swung into action when faced with the new coronavirus: the quick response involved masks, social distancing and some basic controls, like temperature checks in public spaces and at the borders. Europe and America did not have a similar experience to fall back on.

Secondly, the pro-democracy protests of 2019 improved the community’s ability to act fast. When the government response was slow, contradictory and even inconsistent, the people – taught by the protests to question the leadership capabilities of their government – took matters into their own hands. Despite huge confusion about the nature of the virus, the use of masks, or quarantine measures, the community was always one step ahead of the pandemic.

I believe the highest point for community action came when the government hesitated to close mainland border crossings. Some medical workers went so far as to strike , standing up to the virus, the government and the police at the same time. It was an amazing show of strength at a time that demanded strength.

Later, the government did impose tighter border controls. I remember the Chinese ambassador to France strongly criticising the medical workers’ strike: I wonder how many lives they saved with their humanitarian protest.