Street sweepers reach out for free face masks distributed by members of the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment of Hong Kong in Tai Po on Feb 14, 2020. (PARKER ZHENG / CHINA DAILY)

2020 has truly put everything to the test. This year we have seen COVID-19 forcing everyone to adopt a new habit of wearing a mask, and the price skyrocketed as the most sought-after item early in the year. Those who couldn’t get their hands on one had to become creative.

We were also pressured to change our daily routine with working from home arrangements continually changing, scrapping plans to travel outside the city, dine in a restaurant or drink in a bar. 

Now we have to add one item — a mask, among the must-have things, like a key, mobile phone, identity card and money, before heading out. 

The butterfly effect didn’t stop there. It soon threw almost all industries into dismay as with little flow of people, the planes have been grounded; shops and schools have been closed. Millions of people have been tested for the coronavirus, voluntarily or mandatorily.

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Opposition lawmakers holding placards protest during the pandemonium in the House on May 8, 2020. (CALVIN NG / CHINA DAILY)

Everything began to shift online. Classes have been taught online. Conferences and expos are being held online. Shows and concerts are being broadcast online live. E-commerce seems to have taken off in Hong Kong when physical distancing is in place. 

Despite the pandemic, chaotic scenes remained a constant in the Legislative Council when the opposition camp tried numerous stunts to fight for control of the House Committee, a key organ of the Council. 

Yet among the chaos, we were able to regain order and peace on the streets with the National Security Law for Hong Kong enacted on June 30. The legislation, which outlaws four types of national security-endangering acts, has led to some separatist political groups disbanding and activists fleeing the city. 

A man carries food to deliver to officegoers during lunch time on July 21, 2020. Such scenes were a regular occurrence after the government imposed dinning restrictions during July and August. (CALVIN NG / CHINA DAILY)

As this year nears the end, China Daily presents you some of the memorable snapshots of the city we live in. Some have found 2020 an eventful year. Some found it unbearable. I doubt any one will have a hard time bidding farewell to 2020. 

Now, just one more question: Did you get your expected grade in this test by being able to adapt?

A passenger wearing medical gloves rides on the MTR on April 2, 2020. (CALVIN NG / CHINA DAILY)

Birthday celebrations balloons are seen on windows of a hotel in Tsim Sha Tsui on Sept 13, 2020. (CALVIN NG / CHINA DAILY)

A couple share a quick kiss after taking off their masks at a park on Feb 14, 2020. (CALVIN NG / CHINA DAILY)

Panic-stricken residents go on a buying spree at a Tseung Kwan O supermarket on Feb 5, 2020, to stock up on essentials during the initial days of the coronavirus outbreak. (CALVIN NG / CHINA DAILY)

Security guards carry a lawmaker out of the chamber during the chaos on May 8, 2020. (PARKER ZHENG / CHINA DAILY)

A woman wears a handmade face shield made from a plastic bottle to protect herself at a supermarket in Stanley on March 14, 2020. (EDMOND TANG / CHINA DAILY)

A child with protective gear holds a book at a book shop in Tsim Sha Tsui on March 31, 2020. Hong Kong saw double-digit growth in confirmed cases in late March. (EDMOND TANG / CHINA DAILY)

Metro City Plaza, a shopping mall in Tseung Kwan O, remains empty on March 25, 2020. (CALVIN NG / CHINA DAILY)

Passengers wearing face masks flow into Central MTR Station during rush hour on the morning on March 2, 2020, when the city reached a total of 99 coronavirus cases till then. (EDMOND TANG / CHINA DAILY)

Airplanes of Cathy Pacific Airways, Hong Kong Airlines and Hong Kong Express Airways remain grounded at Hong Kong International Airport on March 10, 2020. In October, Cathay Pacific slashed 8,500 positions and closed its regional Cathay Dragon brand due to the impact of the pandemic. (EDMOND TANG / CHINA DAILY)

Hundreds of beds are set up at AsiaWorld-Expo, a new space designated for stable COVID-19 patients by local health authorities starting from Aug 1, 2020. (CALVIN NG / CHINA DAILY)

A security guard is knocked on the ground during clashes in the Legislative Council chamber on May 8, 2020. Tensions got heated in the legislature after then-opposition lawmaker Dennis Kwok Wing-hang blocked the House Committee from electing a chairman for over six months. (PARKER ZHENG / CHINA DAILY)

A flag-raising ceremony is held at Golden Bauhinia Square to celebrate the 23rd anniversary of Hong Kong’s return to China on July 1, 2020. (PARKER ZHENG / CHINA DAILY)

A resident eats his take-away lunch standing on a sidewalk in Tseung Kwan O on July 29, 2020, after the government banned dine-in services in restaurants. (CALVIN NG / CHINA DAILY)

Residents wait in line for COVID-19 tests next to Richland Gardens in Choi Hung on Dec 10, 2020. (PARKER ZHENG / CHINA DAILY)

A passenger wearing anti-infection gear pushes a trolley at Hong Kong International Airport on March 18, 2020. (PARKER ZHENG / CHINA DAILY)