Hong Kong has been known for its self-discipline, which is evident in the long queues in front of bus stops on the narrow sidewalks of the city’s crisscross streets. Many of my friends living on the Chinese mainland have made that observation when they toured around the city’s clean streets. 

For sure, it doesn’t take a scientist to tell you the finding. People in Hong Kong hate it when someone jumps the queue or misbehaves in public.

But the current pandemic has put the widely known quality of self-discipline to the test. The resurgence of the pandemic is almost par for the course, because from day one when the pandemic struck in January, there have been cases where people who were supposed to be in home or hotel quarantine were running around in the community. There were also cases where, despite the social distancing measures in place, people were enjoying an eventful life across the city. There were hikers in the country parks, with no masks on. The supermarkets at most times were still packed with shoppers.

Despite the cases spiraling recently, it seemed that the burden of pandemic controls was left to the government; the residents wanted and played no part in it.

We all know what happens when a society is not working in the same direction, even in a scenario of no pandemics. Efforts are being mitigated internally. Society is not going anywhere in that case. It’s like pulling a bandwagon; if one is pulling against the majority, it will undermine the efforts of the majority. What’s worse is that the majority is not united under such desperate times.

There is a Chinese saying that it’s better to just get the pain over with, rather than prolong the agony. But the situation has come to a point that everything is being politicized. The successful experience on the mainland is being resisted in the city as efforts to adopt the mainland way of controlling the pandemic is being twisted and skewed as trying to make Hong Kong more like an ordinary mainland city. 

But it doesn’t make sense. Hong Kong would be far more valuable to the country if Hong Kong stays and remains as unique as it is now under “one country, two systems”. The mainland doesn’t need one more city; it needs the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.

It’s as simple as that. The political manipulation is out there to be challenged. Yet, it seems that some people in the city fell for it. That’s why they have not pulled their efforts together with the SAR government to fight the pandemic as they should. That’s also probably why they, against their undisputed quality of self-discipline, opt for personal comforts. 

When the pandemic struck in January, I spent more than a month in our jammed flat with four other members of my family in Shenzhen. I was tempted to go out and drive to my hometown in Fujian to be with my parents. I still remember that we took turns to go out to do the grocery shopping once a week, and for the one who got picked that week it would be like winning a lottery. The streets were so clean and deserted that it seemed surreal that this was the downtown of Shenzhen, even though it was the Lunar New Year, when every Chinese would normally be celebrating with their loved ones.

I am glad that I made it through the prolonged stay-at-home period just like everyone else in the country. We know that it wouldn’t be possible for the country to bounce back from the pandemic so quickly were it not for the discipline of the people. 

With the Chinese New Year drawing closer and the risks of pandemic resurging during the winter, some mainland cities are requiring those entering from outside the Chinese mainland to be quarantined for 28 days in total, twice the normal 14 days, before they are allowed to enter the community.

When I was in Macao for a business trip in mid-November, I was asked to show my health code every time I entered a hotel. The health code is only valid for six hours. Macao remains vigilant even after it has successfully quelled the pandemic. 

The mainland and Macao have treaded cautiously to avoid the resurgence despite the success. Hong Kong, sadly, may endure another year of an unsettling Chinese New Year. 

The author is a Hong Kong-based journalist.

The views do not necessarily reflect those of China Daily.