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. At a press conference on December 20, Under Secretary for Health Libby Lee Ha-yun said the mask mandate would remain in place as it is effective against Covid-19 and other respiratory diseases. With second-dose and third-dose vaccination rates of 93 per cent and 83 per cent respectively, the city’s population is well protected against Covid. For most people in Hong Kong, all the mask mandate does is create more waste on our endangered planet. For those, like me, who have travelled abroad recently, being able to wander the streets without a mask felt fresh and exciting, but it also served as a reminder of how far our beloved city is from returning to normal. Upon landing in Hong Kong, travellers are requested to keep their masks on. Anti-epidemic measures, which included PCR tests until yesterday, have made coming to Asia’s world city feel like entering the apocalypse – an alternative travel experience indeed. It is understandable that some people still fear the virus, especially the unvaccinated elderly and chronically ill. But they account for just a tiny proportion of our population. It is also true that masks are useful for preventing the spread of the virus. However, given our high vaccination rates and the objective of normalising life in Hong Kong, Covid-19 should not be considered a threat to our public health system. Mask-wearing should be a personal choice and should no longer be made mandatory by the government. With our experience of Sars and the pandemic, Hong Kong people are well aware of how to protect ourselves against the viruses. At the start of the pandemic, we were among the first in the world to mask up and install hand sanitiser everywhere. I strongly believe that we are capable of taking measures, including mask-wearing, to protect ourselves and our public health system when necessary. For the sake of our reputation, economy and the good old days when we saw each other’s smiles, the city must move on with masks off! Christopher Ip, North Point The vaccine pass and other habits Many people had questioned whether the vaccine pass was still useful. However, it seemed to have become a habit for government officials, who insisted on keeping it until recently, perhaps because they didn’t want to risk having to adapt to another situation without it. We seem to have got into other habits in Hong Kong, namely periodic public utility fee increases, infrastructure project delays and cost overruns. Has the government introduced any important new habit lately? On November 28, the chief executive said he had submitted a report to the central government, requesting the National People’s Congress Standing Committee to interpret the national security law. He later said there was “ample legal ground” to ask the committee for clarification. While the vaccine pass was a fine habit, some habits are less so. S.W. Shu, Ma On Shan
