Letters | Why Hong Kong should not go maskless with abandon

Readers discuss calls for the mask mandate to be dropped entirely, and the relationship between the virtual and the real

Hong Kong reopens: life after quarantine

Letters

Published: 11:30am, 21 Jan 2023

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The city has been cheered by the removal of mandatory quarantine for confirmed Covid-19 cases. Sources have even suggested that the mask mandate will be dropped in March or April at the earliest.

Indeed, a few may find wearing a mask uncomfortable. However, several studies have shown wearing a mask can reduce the spread of Covid-19. While our city’s caseload has significantly declined to just a few thousand in the past two weeks, the death toll has remained as high as 50-60 a day. This suggests that Covid-19 is still a lethal disease. Masks are still important.

At our universities, imagine a few dozen students crowded into a small classroom. There’s no fresh air coming in through windows, only air conditioning. These students have to sit shoulder to shoulder for a three-hour lecture. They often talk to each other at close range in class. Those in the first row may have to be especially careful as the teacher would be talking loudly near them for an extended period.

If there are no restrictions on those with Covid-19, they could go anywhere. It would be risky for students not to wear masks in a crowded environment. Leaving aside that no one can be sure whether these students will suffer from severe or even long Covid, their absence from class may hinder their learning.

The lifting of restrictions may be good news for most Hongkongers. However, we should remain rational and patient.

While the outdoor mask mandate could be dropped first, the government could still require masks indoors for some time to avoid any unforeseen consequences to public health. When the indoor mask requirement is finally removed, people with Covid-19 should still be reminded to wear a mask to prevent transmission.

This is not something new. Before the pandemic, people were obliged to wear a mask if they caught a cold. So, masks should still be a part of our post-pandemic life.

Alison Ng, assistant lecturer, Centre for Applied English Studies, University of Hong Kong

Virtual world needs the solid foundation of real life

There has been much discussion on all things virtual.

The truth is that the virtual and the real are intertwined. The virtual world takes the real world as its foundation, and improves day by day. While the beauty of the virtual world comes of longings and desires in real life, the idealised state of the virtual world gives the real world a goal to advance towards.

Furthermore, the creation of virtual characters cannot be separated from real life. Only with real life as the soil can virtual characters play unique roles in our cultural life.

With the development of technologies such as augmented reality and artificial intelligence, virtual characters continue to surprise. They not only go on stage to perform, but also communicate with people on social media.

Such characters can be moving and real. They are a test of creators’ ability to dive deep into life and reflect reality. Sartorially speaking, with more young people into traditional Chinese culture, virtual characters with traditional charm are becoming popular.

Successful virtual characters come from and feed back into life. Against the backdrop of reality, and empowered by technology, the future of virtual characters is worth looking forward to.

Helen Ding, Tseung Kwan O