發揮獅子山精神   同心攜手戰疫情     

周蘿茜

新冠病毒肆虐全球。本港自 2021 年 12 月爆發首宗 Omicron 個案以來，確診數目已累計超過一百萬，死亡人數已過九 千，尤以長者佔大多數。全港市民每天面對這些令人心酸的 報道，誰能展歡顏！被困愁城的市民，皆未能在新春感受到希望！

香港是個富裕、自由的城市。這兩年多以來，我們經歷了物 資短缺，社交活動及出入境限制等，生活嚴重受到影響。

上課變成「上網」，小小年紀已每天眼瞪瞪望著電腦螢幕數小時；往日聚腳的辦公室 茶水間、空無一人；「歡樂時光」不再，人們都各自在家工作；地鐵車廂內即使有座 位，乘客寧可選擇站立；市民為保護自己，露出於口罩外的眼睛滿是惶恐。

日子真的是很難過，但我們不能如此渡日！我們要小心防範，守護健康 ，但我們不 應呆呆地等下去、無奈地接受，而是以「愛」積極地生活！ 首先，我們得愛自己，接種疫苗，做好各項防疫措施，更要守住健康、吃好、睡好、 多做運動！

接著便是愛人如己！雖然，我們未能見面聚會，但仍可利用現代科技通訊的便利，以 各種社交平台與親朋好友，特別是獨居的，多用視像通訊，互相問候、打氣。大家有 錢出錢，有力出力，一起守護香港這個家，因為家中，仍有不少無助的成員！

最後，每當香港身陷困境時，我們都能獲得國家各方面的支援，讓我們重新站穩腳 步！大家只要同心同行，攜手抗疫，明天定必更好！加油！

Together we can fight the pandemic!

Pauline CHOW

In recent months, the Omicron pandemic has been running rampant in Hong Kong with over a million infected cases. Life has become fragile. The elderly and most unfortunately centenarians make up most of the fatalities. With such reports every day, all smiles are gone!

Spring should have ushered in hope. But instead, right now in Hong Kong, people just cannot find the energy to have fun. News reports of rising infected and death cases can only aggravate misery and heighten the sense of insecurity to our already restricted life.

Hong Kong people have always enjoyed all kinds of materialistic abundance and freedom. But in the past two years especially in recent months, we have experienced short supplies, social-distancing restrictions and travel bans. Our life has been inadvertently affected. While previously we limited children’s use of the mobile phone and computer, now we are telling them to get focused on the screen for at least 5 hours a day if not more. Office pantries are now deserted. After-work happy hours are gone. We work from home. Even when we do meet people, we see only half of their faces! MTR passengers no longer scramble for seats as there are plenty. They are more prone to standing and distancing themselves from others.

Such cannot be the way of life. Yes, we have to be vigilant to be safe but we need not be cold and stop loving. We should love even more. First, we have to love ourselves to get fully vaccinated, wear mask, eat right, sleep well and keep good routines such as exercising to stay both safe and healthy. Of course, we should not gather but we can still call or send gifts of not flowers or candies but anti-epidemic products such as Covid-19 test kits or masks to our loved ones, our neighbours or donate them to those socially and financially deprived people around us. At such times, Hong Kong as always is braving all challenges with compassion. Already many are volunteering with their time and expertise and donating money, merchandise and even land. As individuals, we might think our help is insignificant but every bit counts and together, we can make a great difference and bring sunshine to people’s gloomy life.

And whenever we are in distress, we can always fall back on our motherland reaching out to relieve us of our worries in every possible way. Let’s join hands and fight the pandemic! Tomorrow is going to be better!