In entry-gate row, rationalists set to lose

Should we tightly shut all the points of entry used by people from mainland China?

No, say the scientist-doctors at the World Health Organization.

Yes, say the fear-mongering populists in Hong Kong and elsewhere.

Sadly, populists usually defeat rationalists these days.

But I spoke yesterday to a Hong Kong couple who are due to return to their jobs in Guangzhou this morning. They were rare beasts: calm, rational folk.

They were fine with returning to Guangzhou because they can do math. Out of Guangdong's 100 million residents, fewer than 600 people have the corona virus, and there's a 97 percent recovery rate, anyway.

"The virus isn't the problem," the wife said. "Hongkongers' irrational fears are the problem. Once we're over there, they probably won't let us back."

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"Representatives of the catering sector on Friday added their voices to growing calls for Hong Kong to shut its border with the mainland," RTHK reported.

Reader Bill Lam said: "Representatives of the catering industry? The people they're quoting is a tiny new group with 40 members. Doesn't Hong Kong have 15,000 restaurants?"

The real story: pan-dem members are setting up new federations within various industries, and the media is presenting them as "representatives" of the sector. Sneaky.

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A grocer in Tin Hau has started selling "Mysterious Fish Ball Sauce", as shown. Not sure this follows the spirit of the Trade Descriptions Ordinance, but whatever.

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From today, postal workers will only collect and deliver letters every other day. Since Valentine's Day is coming up next week, the new system could provide useful excuses for lazy boyfriends. "I didn't forgot to send you a card, darling - today's a non-delivery day."

* * *

I was surprised to get "limited service" report from the Fire Services Department. "FSD's fire protection units provide basic and limited public services starting from next week," said the Saturday announcement.

That does not bode well.

"My building is on fire!"

"Thanks for calling, sir, but we're only putting out house fires on Tuesdays and Thursdays at the moment."

* * *

Lai Chi Kok residents are complaining about plans to use the Jao Tsung-I Academy in their neighborhood as a quarantine center. It's not suitable, they say.

What short memories we have. Before it became the academy, it was a hospital, a prison - and a quarantine center. In the 1930s, Hong Kong had smallpox, malaria and leprosy. Coronavirus? Luxury! We DREAMED of having a coronavirus.

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Protesters laid down funeral wreaths and "dead people" banknotes for non-existent "people murdered by the police" at Prince Edward MTR station on Friday.

It's tragic. These deluded mourners have caused months of trouble over dead people who never existed.

Yet they totally ignored the genuinely tragic deaths-in-action of three customs officers last week, one of whom was a mother of three.

One broadcaster tried to make the protesters sound less irrational by reporting that they laid down the memorial flowers and banknotes for "injured people". Which makes no sense.

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Reader Matthew Phan said he got a message from his mother in Singapore who had been reading about the evolution of the Wuhan virus. "They should have read the Bible," she said. "It says you should never eat a bat."

That's true, but the Bible also says you should regularly sacrifice goats and who's got time for that?

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