Opinion | End Hong Kong’s global embarrassment by dropping mask mandate once and for all
- It doesn’t matter how many announcements our top officials make that Hong Kong is back when the whole world can see things here are not normal
- If ending the mask mandate in one fell swoop is too great a step for the public to accept, then the government could adopt a rapid phased approach
When I boarded the aircraft in Hong Kong, there was an announcement that wearing a mask on board was compulsory except when eating or drinking. This was followed by distribution of a welcome drink, requiring immediate removal of the mask.
There is a complete change of cabin air every two to three minutes. Incoming air is thoroughly filtered, and the flow of air is not between passengers but rather from ceiling to floor. In other words, this is some of the cleanest air on the planet but you are not supposed to breathe it directly.
If the situation in the aircraft was confused enough, the image presented on the ground was far worse. As hundreds of passengers from all over the world queued for immigration, one group of them really stood out. Many of those from Hong Kong were still wearing their masks while nobody else in the terminal was.