Feel strongly about these letters, or any other aspects of the news? Share your views by emailing us your Letter to the Editor at letters@scmp.com or filling in this Google form . Submissions should not exceed 400 words, and must include your full name and address, plus a phone number for verification. In March, there were 9,511 deaths registered in Hong Kong. This was twice the 4,580 expected deaths. There were 7,081 deaths of people who had tested positive for Covid-19; this is 74 per cent of all deaths in March. Each death is a tragedy, and our thoughts are with the families of those who died. Fortunately, Covid-19 deaths have fallen rapidly from the March high. In April, there were 1,483 deaths of people who had tested positive for Covid-19; this is 35 per cent of 4,190 deaths expected for the month, according to my estimate. Despite the legal requirement to notify the Deaths Registry of a death within 24 hours, the data on registered deaths in April will not be available until mid-June. It is reasonable to assume that excess deaths will be around 1,000 for April. The very good news in May was that the deaths of individuals who tested positive for Covid-19 numbered 70. This is just 2 per cent of the expected deaths of 4,170, by my estimate. In my opinion, Hong Kong has met the key conditions for the end of the pandemic. There are now no statistically significant excess deaths. Feedback from the medical profession is that the healthcare system is functioning. The final step would be no pandemic control measures. If there is the policy will, this could be achieved today. Adrian Mowat, Stanley Hong Kong must remain China’s open door to the world I have just returned from an extended trip overseas, now that quarantine for arrivals has been reduced to seven days, and have seen first-hand how other countries operate in these Covid-19 times. Whether it is the United Kingdom, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam or the Philippines, the doors are open and the economies are rebuilding. It is generally accepted that a zero-Covid policy is not possible. Covid-19 has to be lived with. Hong Kong is stuck, almost closed to China and the rest of the world. Hong Kong has a great future, as it has always had, as the door to China. While people cannot travel easily to China, if they could freely travel to Hong Kong, the city would prosper. Our chief executive has now ruled out opening the border with the mainland at any time in the near future. This, then, is the ideal time to open the border fully to the rest of the world. As part of the Greater Bay Area, Hong Kong can live up to its full potential as China’s premier financial centre. Without an open border to the rest of the world, Hong Kong will lose its tourism, its flagship airline and business to the open economies which are working hard to take a chunk of these away from us. Ian A. Skeggs, Tai Hang Smart ID could serve as vaccination passport Given the importance of Covid-19 vaccination both within the city and for travel, why not integrate vaccination status into the information stored on the new smart Hong Kong identity card? The Immigration Department could consider inviting the public to apply for this information to be included in the card. The electronic security of the card would make it a very reliable source of vaccination proof. K.M. Nasir, Mid-Levels Clear guidance needed to bolster rule of law In almost 40 years of my residency in Hong Kong, I have always been comforted and protected by the rule of law that has been the solid pillar of our city. Having seen the turmoil and destructive forces unleashed by the 2019-2020 social unrest, I was basically relieved by the national security law, which put an end to all the upheaval. I do not belong to either the blue or yellow political groups. But I am shocked to the core by police chief Raymond Siu Chak-yee warning Hongkongers against watching the film Revolution of Our Times if they are unsure about the potential risks posed by the national security law. The police should let us know in black and white about the film’s legal standing. This will also prevent arbitrary application of the law. Lam Kam Sing, Tai Po Plus-sized woman’s attitude should serve as inspiration I am writing to respond to the article, “Plus-size woman’s role as legendary concubine of ancient China starts body diversity discussion” ( May 10 ). The report highlights the case of a woman from Shanxi province, who plays the role of Imperial Concubine Yang of the Tang dynasty as part of the entertainment for visitors to a thematically decorated shopping centre. Her body weight attracted a great deal of criticism, which initially discouraged her, but she persisted in the role, saying she enjoyed wearing the traditional costume. I admire her very much and agree with her approach. Today, many people, especially young people, are not confident about their appearance and fear being criticised by others. With social media filled with images of seemingly perfect bodies and lives, people tend to have doubts about their own appearance and ability. This may lead to plastic surgery, eating disorders or even self-harm. We must work on accepting ourselves unconditionally. Moreover, we should avoid discussion of other people’s bodies and appearance. Not only are such comments disrespectful, they may have a severe effect on those who already have low self-esteem and exacerbate mental illness. Perhaps we should think before we speak about the impact of our comments on other people. The world would be a better place if we all changed. Zoe Lam, Kwai Chung