Writing Question:
A recent article in the South China Morning Post has reported that different safety measures on social distancing will continue. Write to the editor of the South China Morning Post expressing your views on the following:

Why some people find it difficult to keep social distancing; and
Whether social distancing should still be kept in Hong Kong.

Dear Editor,

The feasibility of loosening certain social distancing measures has been discussed within society. True, many people are fatigued by the restrictions to stop the spread of Covid-19. But, is it time for us to get back to our usual lives and have a full return to normal? I am writing to share my views on why keeping social distancing could be difficult and whether this curb should be kept in Hong Kong.

The government has already warned the public that the novel coronavirus may not go away and we will have to adapt to the new normal. Yet, keeping enough social distance is not always an easy task for many. The most prominent reason is the hustle and bustle of modern life. There are people who cannot work from home and taking public transportation or dining-in for lunch is unavoidable. In fact, when sitting next to a stranger in a crowded bus or squeezing into the MTR during rush hour are still part of our daily routine, keeping a distance with our friends and relatives during our leisure time could seem irrational. Thus, some people have optimism bias, leading them to become impassive towards the spread of COVID-19.

As a human, I perfectly understand how keeping social distance from others can make people feel lonely. We are social animals who are used to chatting to each other face to face. But in my opinion, we still have to keep social distancing until an effective vaccine is developed. Even though the number of infections is minimal, we still have a long way to go until the virus will no longer be dangerous. It is not rare to hear from the news that people confirmed positive with this new virus are asymptomatic. We cannot protect ourselves merely by simple methods like wearing masks, washing hands and so on. It is our responsibility to reduce going out, having large group gatherings or any other unnecessary social activities.

It is clear that keeping social distancing has a lot of benefits not only for our health but the health of the whole community. I strongly recommend social distancing should still be kept in Hong Kong.

Yours faithfully,

Jessie Chan 6B(2)