Mrgoodkat is quite right that - on the whole - the reaction to this virus is over the top and most of the damage is being caused by this reaction and not the virus itself. Others are right to point out that individual people are not statistics and that anyone getting it and dying from it (or having a relative die from it) don't see it that way. But Governments need to operate on the basis of probabilities and "the greater good". Its not clear to me that this is actually occuring. The WHO says "don't close borders" yet much of the world already has. Economic harm does not just result is loss of money, it also kills people - through starvation if they cannot buy food for themselves or their children; or pay for medicine when they need it etc etc. Economic loss is not just on paper, it also affects people and the economic loss is affecting more people than the virus (by some order of magnitude).
Should Wuhan have been shut down? Absolutely. But the rest of it? That's more dubious. Much of this is clearly the fault of the CCP and it's secretive nature and perhaps that's the more reasonable thing to fear, rather than the virus. On balance, I think some prudent measures related to hand-washing, making masks and sanitizer available and beefing up the health response capabilities at clinics and hospitals may have been all we really should be doing (outside of China).
Lower the fees a bit and locals will flood the international schools, they can survive. I really do feel for tuition centers and such because apparently they are required to shut down by the government- other businesses are hurting, very true, but are not required to shut down. So I do feel worse for them. Also, seriously, there are not crowds of kids there, kids are now crazy bored, let the centers open!
I know that. I think the government should give everyone with a HKID a cash handout, not pick and choose. I think I've said in a previous post that it is the whole spectrum affected, not just by #coronavirus but also by the protests... for example, I know a used car salesman who has gone out of business, another who sells 2nd hand furniture is doing it hard, another who sells insurance, and the list goes on.
I welcome the formation of the tutorial centre union but it shouldn't be necessary... that said, as far as I know, they are the only business that has been explicitly ordered to close during this period... I would argue that if there are going to be 'favoured' beneficiaries of the 'war chest' that it ought to be those who are most affected by the government policies and, arguably, those that provide the most valued service.
Do you mean Hubei, where Wuhan is?Original Post Deleted
Hebei is a difference province.