Michael Chugani 褚简宁 - endemic｜又中又英

The darkest hour is just before the dawn. This is a well-known English proverb which means things often seem at their worst just before they get better. The word “dawn” means the first light from the sun in the early morning just before sunrise. Many people feel things are often at their worst in the dark but they get fresh hope in the dawn when the sun comes up. The coronavirus pandemic has made many people depressed. This proverb can help them regain hope. In the US, where I am now, it was the darkest hour several months ago when Omicron infected many people. The dawn has now arrived. Infections are going down daily.

Most US states no longer require people to wear facemasks. Restaurants are bustling, which means they are noisy and full of people. Most Americans are fed up with coronavirus restrictions such as having to wear facemasks. They want to get back to normal by learning to live with the virus. Hong Kong has also gone past its darkest hour. The dawn has arrived. Infections are dropping daily. Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor has decided to open bars, gyms, and other places in stages. But she has refused to give up her dynamic zero policy. And she still requires returning Hong Kong residents to quarantine for a week.

This makes no sense to me even though I am not an expert. Omicron is already in Hong Kong. Some experts say several million Hong Kong people have already been infected. What sense does it make to fear returning residents bringing in the virus when it is already circulating widely in Hong Kong? Many countries have decided to treat the virus as endemic, which means it is present in society. University of Hong Kong medical dean Gabriel Leung believes treating the virus as endemic and living with it is an alternative to dynamic zero for Hong Kong. I think Hong Kong should consider this alternative so it can open up to the world again.
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The darkest hour is just before the dawn.这是一句很有名的英文谚语，说的是黎明之前的时刻最为黑暗，意指事情看来最为恶劣之际，往往是快要转好之时。Dawn是清晨日出前的破晓。许多人觉得事情在黑暗中往往最为恶劣，但当太阳升起，他们就会在黎明（dawn）之中找到新的希望。新冠肺炎疫情令许多人深感沮丧，这个谚语有助他们重燃希望。在我现时身处的美国，几个月前有许多人感染到Omicron病毒时，确实是最黑暗的时刻（darkest hour）。现在黎明（dawn）已来临，感染率每天下降。

大部份美国州份不再强制人们佩戴口罩；餐厅都是 bustling，意即都是熙来攘往、门庭如市的。美国人大多对抗疫措施例如戴口罩感到厌烦，他们想学懂与病毒共存，让生活重回正轨。香港最黑暗的时刻（darkest hour）亦已过去了，黎明（dawn）已经来到，感染率每天回落。特首林郑月娥已决定分阶段开放酒吧、健身室和其他场所。然而她却拒绝放弃动态清零政策，而且仍要求回港的香港市民必须隔离一周。

即使我并非专家，在我看来这是毫无意义的。Omicron病毒已经进入香港，一些专家说已有数百万香港市民受到感染。当病毒已在香港广泛传播，害怕香港居民带病毒回港，又有何道理可言？许多国家已经决定将病毒视为 endemic，意即地方性的风土病。香港大学医学院院长梁卓伟认为，将病毒视为风土病（endemic），与之共存，是香港推行动态清零的替代方案。我认为香港好应考虑此一选择，好使它能再次向世界开放。
中译:七刻
Michael Chugani 褚简宁