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A man naps outside the Hong Kong Museum of Art in Tsim Sha Tsui on September 6. Photo: Dickson Lee
OpinionLetters

Letters | Reopen Hong Kong museums to ease pandemic burden on the people

  • Museums are one of the safest spaces during this time of social distancing, as artworks and artefacts can be enjoyed with limited interaction among visitors while guidelines and limited capacity are in place
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Covid-19 has forced countries around the world to take drastic action, from implementing stringent social distancing measures to nationwide lockdowns, as they battle one of the worst pandemics in human history. I applaud the Hong Kong government’s handling of the Covid-19 pandemic, its taking rapid action towards implementing wide-ranging measures to curb the spread of the virus.

I have hosted more than 20 episodes of our Covid-19 webcast series at the Asia Society Hong Kong Centre since February, engaging in conversations with local and global public health experts. I recognise and appreciate the extraordinary efforts of Hong Kong public health officials, medical experts and the government in fighting the disease in the city.

I understand the government’s concerns in stemming the spread of Covid-19 that led it to implement various restrictive measures, which has resulted in single-digit new cases last week. This achievement comes at a price, however, and that is in the area of our mental health.
I applaud the government’s decision last week to reopen gyms for the sake of our physical health, and I strongly urge the government to follow up with the reopening of museums and galleries around the city. With art institutions in other global cities such London and New York reopening with social distancing measures in place, I appeal to the government to do the same in Hong Kong.

With children starting their online classes at home, being able to go to museums serves as more than an educational outing for many residents of the city. It is also a treat for both youngsters and their parents that they can enjoy outside the confines of their home.

Visitors wearing protective masks stand in a gallery during the public reopening of the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York on September 3. Photo: Bloomberg

I implore the government to consider reopening public and private museums, including the Asia Society Hong Kong Centre’s Chantal Miller Gallery, for the Hong Kong community to regain much-needed access to indispensable educational outlets.

Museums are one of the safest spaces during this time of social distancing as artworks and artefacts can be enjoyed with limited interaction among visitors while guidelines and limited capacity are in place. The Hong Kong community deserves to explore the city’s wonderful cultural heritage. I say open up the museums.

S. Alice Mong, executive director, Asia Society Hong Kong Centre

 

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