On February 27, our Club met despite the current Coronavirus outbreak. Members wore masks throughout the meeting except when eating or speaking. Some members and spouses arrived early to mingle and share stories about how to pass time in the past few weeks when most social events, including Rotary events, have been postponed or cancelled. Some members continued to share stories about how they managed to donate/distribute extra supplies to those in need around them. Master Au came to our Club as speaker to talk about the Year of the Rat in 2020. He gave his insights on various current events, including the current Coronavirus outbreak. The topic could not be more appropriate considering that it is the number one thing on everybody’s mind during this difficult outbreak period. Master Au also gave some insights on the stock market, Hong Kong real estate, China trade, and general business climate. Finally, he also made a swift prediction about the 2020 US Presidential election, the outcome of which most certainly has generational consequences not just in the US but around the world.
The Coronavirus outbreak has affected everyone in Hong Kong, but especially street cleaners and sanitation workers who are usually paid petty wages and can ill afford to use a fresh mask every few days, never mind a fresh one each day. Responding in part to society’s cry for help as well as to our District Governor’s “Giving Masks, Rotary’s Tasks” campaign, Club members and their spouses donated and distributed boxes of masks and hand sanitizers to street cleaners and sanitation workers in Causeway Bay. Donning masks and gloves, Club members and spouses packaged masks inside a sealable bag together with simple instructions on how to properly wear a mask, and then sealed the bag to minimize chances of contamination during transportation and distribution. The bags were then brought to various refuse collection points and wet markets near our meeting venue in Causeway Bay and promptly given away. Service targets were street cleaners and sanitation workers, most of whom earn low wages and can ill afford fresh masks even though they work in conditions very likely to be laden with germs, bacteria and viruses. Alcohol-based hand sanitizers were also passed to those in need. The service project benefited approximately 40 street…