I am writing to respond to the article “Hong Kong children ‘turned away by some popular British schools’ as enrolments hit record high” ( December 5 ). Amid uncertainty in Hong Kong, many better-off families have sent their children abroad to university, or even emigrated. Vacancies are rising in primary and secondary schools here – dozens of schools face closure . There are so many reasons people could feel unsettled: the protests, the national security law and most recently, the requirement that schools infuse civic and moral values into all subjects. When people think that the environment is not suitable for their children to grow up in, they leave. In the short term, more teachers could become unemployed. In the long term, a Hong Kong with fewer young people faces a brain drain and this will hurt the city’s economic prospects. The competition for university places in the upcoming year may be easier but there is no reason to cheer the loss of young talent. Michelle Pang, Tuen Mun Let’s not cheat in contact tracing I am responding to the case of the fake “Leave Home Safe” app . The contact-tracing app remains an essential part of our Covid-19 strategy and everyone in the community should cooperate by using it. The “Leave Home Safe” app launched last year was made mandatory last month , for entry to public buildings such as government offices, wet markets and leisure facilities. This month, it also became compulsory at local restaurants as the government tightened contact-tracing efforts. Some Hongkongers are understandably concerned about their private data being collected. Yet, these same people presumably use Facebook, which is estimated to make billions of dollars from user data. In comparison, “Leave Home Safe” is at least a beneficial app that helps to keep our community safe and protect us and our loved ones. It can help us stay alert and be aware of surrounding Covid-19 cases; without it, it will be impossible for us to track cases and locate risks. “Leave Home Safe” is critical in protecting us against Covid-19, which has killed millions of people around the world. To keep Hong Kong safe, we all need to follow government guidelines and ensure better cooperation. No more cheating! Barbara Ng, Tuen Mun Help those in need as life gets harder I’m responding to your article “‘Life was hard, it’s now harder’: profiles of struggle in Hong Kong as inflation bites” ( December 4 ). I totally agree that HK$100 (US$12.80) can’t buy much these days. It is barely enough to get through a day unless you eat only bread for breakfast, lunch and dinner. In many restaurants, a breakfast set costs at least HK$40, a lunch set HK$50 and a dinner set HK$60. I can’t believe I have to pay more than HK$5 for a cold drink. If Hong Kong’s inflation problem was serious before, it’s more so now. Inflation is affecting not just low-income families but also the middle class and businessmen who have to spend more money on raw materials as everything is becoming more expensive. Also, we must not overlook our elderly, especially those who can only collect cardboard to scrape by. How are they to survive when even the prices of necessities are rising? If Hong Kong is so rich, why are our children selling scrap cardboard? We should concern ourselves with lower-income households and the elderly in our society. Try our best to support them in the difficult economy. Life is hard for many, true, but we should change that. Coey Chan, Kwai Chung Delivery-only kitchens are the future Digitalisation has made consumer behaviour more measurable and predictable. Numerous industries have been hit hard by the pandemic, and especially small businesses. But it also heralded a change in consumer behaviour. Confined to the four walls, diners took to food delivery apps, leading to explosive growth across the online delivery sector. The rising interest in online restaurant services predates the pandemic but has been turbocharged by Covid-19. Online delivery numbers have witnessed 10 years’ worth of growth in merely eight weeks, according to McKinsey & Company. As part of this, we have seen the growing global popularity of “cloud kitchens”, also known as “ ghost kitchens ” – essentially delivery-only kitchens that operate simultaneously in a jointly rented space. According to Euromonitor , the global delivery-only market is estimated to reach US$1 trillion by 2030. The market in Asia-Pacific, home to 60 per cent of the world’s population, is expected to grow by over 14 per cent on average every year to 2027. But what is it that makes virtual kitchens such a hit with fledgling businesses, mid-size restaurants and big chains alike? Virtual kitchens have become an attractive option for restaurant partners looking to retain customers and outlast this difficult period, presenting a low-risk proposition for restaurants to try out new cuisines and menu concepts with their customers. The financial model is appealing. Restaurants do not have to pay high rents or make any upfront payments or long-term lease commitments, thus saving on capital expenditure and operational expenses. Companies are now able to advise their restaurant partners on aspects that include area-specific consumer preferences and demographics, generated using data analytics. These insights enable restaurants to better plan expansion and optimise their menus, improving efficiencies and profits. Time will tell how technology will transform the food and drinks industry. But if today is anything to go by, delivery-only kitchens are poised to be the future of the food delivery industry. Tim Tsiang, head, Editions, Deliveroo Hong Kong