Letters | Is fear of Covid-19 holding back Hong Kong’s economic recovery?
Readers discuss the city’s economy, television broadcasts on the MTR, and curbing the spread of chikungunya
Although significant efforts have been made, recovery measures such as promoting nightlife and steps to boost tourism to Hong Kong have not yielded impressive results. The path to normality remains challenging.
Could mask-wearing be holding back Hong Kong’s economic recovery? It is not uncommon to see seemingly healthy individuals wearing masks, in stark contrast to other major cities around the world. Even with the knowledge that Covid-19 has become much less lethal, the fear of it has lingered.
There are still consumers in Hong Kong who remain hesitant to return to pre-pandemic levels of spending on goods and services outside their homes. Consumer sentiment is crucial to guiding economic activity; prolonged uncertainty can be detrimental to businesses.
When anxiety becomes habitual, intervention is needed to bring it under control. A vital starting point is raising awareness to reduce the public’s fear of infection.