Letters | Hong Kong will not taste true freedom until mask mandate ends
- Readers discuss the heavy burden of Hong Kong’s mask mandate, the need for easing restrictions further and whether the rule changes will draw tourists
I recently returned from a 10-week trip to the United Kingdom for some important family events. For the first four weeks of my time in the UK, I wore a face mask whenever I went out and only removed it on occasions when I was in a street devoid of other pedestrians or in remote, open countryside places. Every time I took a bus or a train, my mask went back on.
I also diligently rubbed my hands with hand sanitiser or washed my hands after touching door handles or handrails. A fat lot of good this did. On Day 29 of my trip, I awoke at 3am in the morning soaked in sweat and with a slight headache and uncomfortable throat. The next morning I tested myself and the result was as expected, a faint red line where I didn’t want it to be.
The experience was over in 48 hours, and at no point did the fever get high. There were a few symptoms such as runny nose and loss of smell and taste that lingered for about a week, but it was all much ado about nothing.