Two Dogs Doing What Many People Do at a Popular Pier in Hong Kong

Previously I shared a photo of a "girl playing it safe" taken at the Western District Public Cargo Working Area in Shek Tong Tsui, Hong Kong. So for now, here is a photo I took at the same place today that shows a small part of why the working area is more popularly known as "Instagram Pier":

The scene caught my eye not because of any face mask wearing practices as others recently have, but because the two pet dogs were rather accommodating for the informal photo shoot.

I shared the earlier photo over a month ago, and I see that way too few posts have occurred since then. I could write several posts just on the topic of why things turned out that way — definitely have some stories to tell.

I don't know if I will ever tell those stories here, but I do know that I have more than plenty of ideas and material for other posts. And if all goes as planned, they will be happening more frequently now.

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.

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.

Masked Up at a Busy Crossing in Hong Kong

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

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.

An Anti-Epidemic Sale 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.

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.

Spotted THIS in Hong Kong

I've seen a number of cars with personalized license plates in Hong Kong. This is the latest:

A Mercedes-AMG CLA 45 4MATIC

Tonight at The Dog House in Hong Kong

For a contrast to a man wearing a mask at a bar street in Hong Kong, here's The Dog House bar tonight:

No so many people were wearing face masks while there.

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".

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

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.

At the Sitting-out Area under Flyover in Hill Road in Shek Tong Tsui, Hong Kong

No bike helmets needed.

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

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.

A Girl Playing It Safe in Hong Kong

Bike helmet? Check.

Face mask? Check.

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 . . .

A Setting Sun Behind a Gate in Hong Kong

In Kennedy Town, Hong Kong, looking towards Green Island

Protests, Coronavirus Fears, and Valentine's Day Converge at a Hong Kong Prison

On Friday in front of the Lai Chi Kok Reception Centre - a maximum security institution — hundreds of people gathered to show solidarity with detained protestors. What one of the participants held and wore particularly captured the unique convergence of events in Hong Kong that night: a face covering used by some anti-government protestors to hide their identity, 3M safety goggles to protect against the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, and a rose fitting the theme of the rally: "Valentine's Day With You".

The gathering differed from several other rallies held at the same location during recent months in that the organizers did not apply for a letter of no objection from the police. Although the police were clearly keeping an eye on things, they didn't interfere with the rally until it had nearly reached the two hour mark, which is about how long some of the previous rallies lasted. At that that time, police came into the protest area while holding up blue warning flags with the text: "This meeting or procession is in breach of the law. Disperse or we may use force."

Disperse they did. And Valentine's Day came to an end at the Lai Chi Kok Reception Centre.