A trip out - Hong Kong style...
Today I went to a yoga class in Central. Gyms and exercise places have been closed for weeks, they reopened last Friday. For those not familiar with Hong Kong, Central is the busy central district (Obv!). Many people are out shopping, working or attending various appointments at the hundreds of offices in the area. Everyone is wearing a mask.
After listening to Boris Johnson glibly telling the population of the UK they could go back to work...well I think that's what he said...but not state clearly the precautions the public would need to take in order to remain safe...I want to describe how normal it has become in Hong Kong to protect oneself while protecting others.
HONG KONG HITS 23 DAYS WITHOUT A LOCALLY TRANSMITTED COVID-19 CASE.(SCMP 12.5.20200)
The most prominent fashion accessory of every person I see is the surgical face mask. Everyone wears one. In some places, it is mandatory to wear one and quite common to see a sign saying you will only be allowed in the shop, bus, cafe, hairdressers if you are wearing a mask.
In my bag I carry a spare mask in its own case, anti-bac wipes and a bottle of hand sanitizer.
I board the bus and hold the handrails in order to prevent myself from falling over while the driver pulls away and I haven't quite sat down. I think the risk of touching a handrail, possibly with germs on, overrides the risk of falling over and cracking my head or breaking my leg. Life is all about risks, isn't it? I will not touch my face. I will wash my hands. I notice others not risking touching any handle. Those people take out paper tissue and use it as a layer between their hand and the rail. I also notice people using a scrunched up tissue to press lift buttons or next stop buttons.
My yoga class is on the second floor of a large building. Upon entry to the foyer, the doorman jumps up and approaches me with an automatic digital thermometer. Obviously he is wearing a mask. I am used to the routine now so I stand still and lift my fringe to give him full access to my forehead. The device beeps - normal. I am allowed further into the lift lobby where the floor surface, lift call button and floor numbers have a plastic covering and a sign promising me they are regularly disinfected.
I take the risk and press the button with my finger.
Upon exit of the lift and into the reception area of the yoga studio I am once again required to have my temperature checked. Again I oblige by lifting my fringe - still normal. There are bottles of hand sanitizer provided at this point so that I can wipe my hands of anything I may have picked up on my journey so far.
I complete the Health and Travel Declaration Form which I get access to by scanning a QR Code. I confirm that I have not travelled outside of Hong Kong in the last 14 days. I confirm that I have not been in contact with any person who has Covid-19 and I confirm that I have no symptoms of Covid-19.
I can then scan a second QR Code on the studio app which confirms that I am a member and have previously booked a class.
The studio receptionist used to (back in the old days) hand out a plastic access card which I would then hand to the yoga instructor - thus proving I had booked and paid for the class. This system is disbanded now. No plastic card is used thus avoiding any unnecessary human to human contact. No skin has touched other skin by this point in the check-in process.
I head to the locker area and remove my outside clothes, shoes and face mask. I put my possessions in my locker and then WASH MY HANDS (Singing happy birthday twice) making sure that I use soap on every square millimeter of my hands and fingers - I've seen the demonstration video with the black paint about how to wash my hands.
I am good at washing my hands.
I notice that the seated area and vanity units are restricted so only alternative seats can be used. This is to main the designated 1.5m distance between people.
I enter the yoga studio and I am acutely aware of not touching anything with my hands until I get to my previously sanitized yoga mat which is placed at least 1.5m away from any other person in the room. I also have a previously sanitized yoga block that I place on the safety of my previously sanitized yoga mat.
The class takes place. You will understand that yoga is not a contact sport.
Once the class is finished I place my block in a designated area for sanitizing and a team of janitors enter the studio and begin cleaning the room of our potential germs and preparing it for the next class.
I shower and dress and replace my surgical face mask. I wash my hands again as an extra precaution.
There is a cafe within the studio complex where cash is no longer welcome. Payment is only accepted with a card and I notice they no longer use ceramic cups to serve coffee but instead a recyclable paper cup (that makes little sense to me - surely they can wash the cups?).
Upon returning home I remove my face mask and bin it. I wash my hands again before touching anything else. Once dry I find my handy pack of anti-bac wipes and wipe down my door handle, light switch, handles of my bag and my phone. At this point, I feel I have completed all necessary precautions and can get on with being relatively normal (I might wash my hands again just to be on the safe side) and get on with the socially isolating task of working from home.
This is month FOUR of taking precautions. Schools open again on 27th May 2020 with restrictions.
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HONG KONG CASES: 1047 - DEATHS: 4
UNITED KINGDOM: CASES: 224,436 DEATHS: 32,141
(John Hopkins University, WHO and Heath Authorities 12.5.2020)
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Boris! What are you thinking?
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