Opinion | Lifting of hotel quarantine should mark the beginning of the end for all Covid-19 measures in Hong Kong

Even without this dreaded requirement, there are still endless reminders – mask-wearing, temperature checks, code scanning – that things are not OK

The effect on public morale is obvious, but among young people it is particularly alarming, with a rise in depression and social anxiety

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People wear face masks while outdoors in Hong Kong on March 29. The anti-Covid-19 measures have touched so many areas of our lives. Photo: EPA-EFE

Published: 12:30pm, 25 Sep 2022

We live in a world where the media swamps us daily with bad news from all around the globe. Wars, natural disasters, famines, diseases; a veritable tidal wave of reasons to be miserable, so much so that we learn to mentally switch off.

So I surprised myself recently when one story in the Post stopped me in my tracks: “Hong Kong suicide rate for children under 15 hit historical high last year with 11 victims” ran the headline. The article went on to quote Paul Yip Siu-fai, founding director of the Centre for Suicide Research and Prevention at the University of Hong Kong.

A related article put forward strong arguments why our schools should remain open, despite occasional surges in the number of Covid-19 cases. Because of repeated school closures, the education and social lives of our young people have been massively disrupted over the past 30 months.

Their mental health and social development have been badly affected. School-based activities help students develop social bonds that provide mutual emotional support in times of stress.

The various social distancing measures introduced to fight the pandemic, accompanied by a periodic lack of schooling, have resulted in many young people avoiding in-person social activities and spending more time hunched over their tablets instead. Not surprisingly, the number suffering from depression has grown sharply and there has been a significant increase in the suicide rate.

Other countries have recognised these problems and tried to keep schools open wherever possible, whereas in Hong Kong closure has tended to be a countermeasure of first resort.

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