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Showing posts with label Coronavirus. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Coronavirus. Show all posts

Wednesday, May 27, 2020

Back to School in Late May in Hong Kong



I'm not used to seeing "Back to School" sales this time of the year. But with only two confirmed cases of locally-transmitted COVID-19 during the past month in all of Hong Kong, phase 1 of schools reopening here began today, May 27. The illustration on the sign in the above photo seems a bit off though. Based on what you see in most of Hong Kong, adults and children will still be wearing face masks.

Thursday, May 14, 2020

Cat, Coffee, and Face Masks in Hong Kong

The Chiu Chow Dispensary Limited in Mong Kok, Hong Kong, has all some people really want right now . . .

cat sleeping on top of bags of coffee next to boxes of face masks

Friday, April 24, 2020

Getting Rid of Germs Outside a Hong Kong Hospital

Inside Hong Kong's Queen Elizabeth Hospital hand sanitizer is widely available and of course there are restrooms with hand soap as well. There is also an option for removing germs from your hands at an outdoor location many people pass when arriving or leaving the hospital.

people washing their hands at an outdoor hand washing station
Outdoor hand-washing station at Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Kowloon, Hong Kong


There is something inspiring about watching people wash their hands with soap these days, whether they are inside or outside.

Tuesday, April 21, 2020

A Day of No New Cases in Hong Kong

When everybody knows what cases they're talking about . . .

"City Records No New Cases" front page headline in South China Morning Post


Today's encouraging front page headline in the South China Morning Post applied to yesterday. Four new cases of COVID-19 in Hong Kong were reported today, though all are currently believed to be imported and not a result of local transmission. The struggle against the disease spreading isn't over in Hong Kong, but some good news was most welcomed.

Tuesday, April 14, 2020

A Masked Happy Easter Greeting at a Closed Bar in Hong Kong

The Bar Pacific in Hong Kong's Kowloon City was closed this past weekend, but they still made sure to wish people a "Happy Easter", face masks included.

"Happy Easter" along with numerous animals wearing face masks painted on a window


The bar presumably would have preferred to be open, but as a sign explain they had no choice.

sign explaining bar is closed due to a Hong Kong government mandate

Dear Valued Guests,

The Hong Kong government has mandated that all Bar Establishments to be closed for 14 days starting from April 3rd 2020 at 6:00pm. We will resume operations after the Government Mandate is over. Please stay safe!

Bar Pacific

The reason the government earlier this month required bars to close was a signifiant increase of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Hong Kong. It isn't yet known when bars will be able to reopen, but a very recent decrease in daily confirmed cases may give them hope.

If bars do reopen in the near future, the COVID-19 disease will still be a threat to some degree. So as an earlier-placed sign suggests at this Bar Pacific, people will likely have difficulty sitting down for a drink there if they have a fever.

Notification of temperature check requirement


They may also be expected to wear a face mask when not imbibing, just like the critters on the window.

Bar Pacific in Kowloon City, Hong Kong

Monday, April 6, 2020

The K11 Musea Shopping Mall Playing It Safe in Hong Kong

Due to COVID-19, not all of the usual entrances to the upscale K11 Musea shopping mall are now open. And at those which are still open, a test awaits visitors.

infrared body temperature measurement station at K11 Musea


As long as the infrared body temperature check doesn't detect a fever, people are free to enter. Temperature-checking technology that scans from a distance doesn't require each person to be individually approached with a hand held device — an advantage over those devices in both terms of efficiency and social distancing.

Friday, April 3, 2020

Masked Up at a Busy Crossing in Hong Kong

In many areas of Hong Kong at times it is difficult to find social distancing.

people wearing face masks crossing a road
Crowded crosswalk at the junction of Hennessy Road and Yee Wo Street in Causeway Bay


But it is not at all difficult to find people wearing face masks. Since COVID-19 has spread much more slowly here in comparison to some other cities around the globe, it is becoming increasingly easy to believe they have helped to prevent a worse situation.

Sunday, March 29, 2020

An Anti-Epidemic Sale in Hong Kong

Atelier de Courcelles shop at Harbour City in Hong Kong


Atelier de Courcelles, a multi-brand store for children's fashion, has a shop in Hong Kong's Harbour City shopping mall. Like a number of other shops in the mall, it has been having a sale.

Unlike a number of other stores in the mall, though, their sale directly mentions the reason the mall has seen far fewer customers than usual during the past couple of months — the COVID-19 outbreak.

"Anti-Epidemic Sale" sign


The Anti-Epidemic Sale has been ongoing for at least several weeks. One can only hope there will soon be good reason for it to end.

Thursday, March 19, 2020

Tuesday, March 17, 2020

A Blue Man Playing It Safe in Hong Kong

Tonight I asked a Hongkonger friend "What sort of pic of Hong Kong would you like people to see?"

She quickly replied "Face mask".

man wearing face mask while using his mobile phone


The above photo was taken Saturday night at Knutsford Terrace, a popular pedestrian bar street in Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong.

Friday, March 6, 2020

Some Men Playing It Safe in Hong Kong

Like bike rides, outdoor games of xiangqi now occur in Hong Kong with the common addition of masks.

Men playing and watching xiangqi while wearing surgical masks
At the Sitting-out Area under Flyover in Hill Road in Shek Tong Tsui, Hong Kong


No bike helmets needed.

Thursday, March 5, 2020

King County and Hong Kong Now Have a Roughly Equal Percentage of COVID-19 Cases

a view looking up at some trees
Looking up at trees in Hong Kong today


For some perspective, I thought it would be interesting to compare COVID-19 numbers in King County, Washington, U.S., where there has been an outbreak, with Hong Kong. I suspected they wouldn't be extremely different in one particular aspect. Yet admittedly, I was surprised to find that the percentage of the population who've been diagnosed with COVID-19 in the two places would be so similar right now. In fact, they are practically the same.

King County: 32 confirmed cases / 2,233,163 people (2018 census estimate) = 0.00143%*

Hong Kong: 105 confirmed cases / 7,482,500 people (2019 census estimate) = 0.00140%

These numbers will likely soon change, and there are other factors to consider. Just something to ponder . . .




*Note: Both percentages were rounded at the point where they began to differ.

Wednesday, March 4, 2020

A Girl Playing It Safe in Hong Kong

Bike helmet? Check.

Face mask? Check.

girl riding a bicycle while wearing a surgical mask and bike helmet
Saturday at the Western District Public Cargo Working Area ("Instagram Pier") in Shek Tong Tsui, Hong Kong


People in Hong Kong remain concerned about the new coronavirus that originated in China and now spreading elsewhere in the world. But during the past few weeks there are signs of a growing number of people trying to go about their lives a bit more normally and enjoying a sunny day when they can.

More on this topic later . . .