Ordinary Gweilo

Earlier in the year we had the spectacle of people being placed in quarantine for 7 days if they had been on the same plane as someone who had H1N1.  Then all primary schools were closed for the summer break several weeks early.

Where I live we had a solemn announcement that there was a case in another tower of the estate, and the management were stepping up the clean and disinfecting of every known surface.  For a while, the security guards were all forced to wear masks, and (quite splendidly) they even insisted on the lifeguards in the outdoor pool wearing them.  Because you never can be too careful.

Similar nonsense applied to the building where I work, with periodic emails coming around about cases in other offices.  Then we got a case in our actual office.  Can you imagine the panic this caused?  Visitors were warned not to come here, and if they were brave enough to ignore this advice they were instructed to wear masks.  HR have issued stern warnings that we must report any flu-like symptoms, and minions are despatched to clean everything that can be cleaned.

Schools encourage students not to attend if they have those "flu-like symptoms", and then when enough of them heed this advice they close the place down for 7 days.  Since "flu-like symptoms" includes coughs and sore throats and other everyday ailments, this is over-reaction on a grand scale.

And, yes, the government is still wasting its resources collecting health declaration forms at airports (and even at Lo Wu, apparently).  What do they hope to achieve?