Reopening of the RCHK canteen: is this really a good idea?

By Izen Kwan

The reopening of the canteen beckons rejoice, but there’s an elephant in the room: the pandemic isn’t over.

Before the closing of the canteen in early 2020, I used to buy lunch at school everyday until my disgruntled mother informed me that due to the pandemic, the school would be shutting down all food services. Because she was afraid that the rice she cooked would spoil halfway through the muggy, hot weather of Hong Kong, I decided to lift the burden off her shoulders by buying lunches for school the day before. Most days, an apple was all I had for lunch.

While it is a known fact that certain demographics, like the elderly, are at the highest risk for Covid-19, teenagers like me are not immune from catching it and spreading it to others. Starving students have been charging down staircases like bulls after flags, bursting through the entrances at 1:00 sharp to get their lunches without regard to social distancing or sanitising their hands, minds fixed only on satisfying the hunger within.

This raises the question: can pandemic safety and hungry kids co-exist?

According to the social distancing guide released by the government of Hong Kong, it is suggested that people keep one metre apart at all times, minimise meal gatherings, and avoid crowded places. The very existence of canteen lines goes against this, rendering the voices of teachers trying to spread out the students overpowered, unheard, and ignored.

When asked for an opinion on the reopening of the cafeteria, science teacher Melissa Booker said: “While I don’t buy lunch at the cafeteria, sometimes when I’m finished with teaching lessons and there isn’t enough time to go out to buy lunch, it's nice to have the option available at hand.”

It’s undeniable that having the option of buying lunch at school has made things a lot easier for students, teachers and the poor parents tired of cooking. And while the inevitable reopening of the canteen is something to be happy about, attention should be brought to the fact that the pandemic is far from over, and should be treated as such.

Currently, four people are permitted to sit at one cafeteria table at a time, with cross borders set between everyone as per government catering guidelines. However, when compared to the PAC’s seating arrangement, where everyone sits at their individual tables and chairs, the arrangement in the cafeteria feels a lot more packed.

Although the seating arrangements leave a lot to be desired, the canteen staff has thankfully been strict, rejecting physical cash and coins and only taking Octopus Cards as a form of payment, recognising that Covid 19 can potentially be spread through the exchange of coins. According to Health Desk , while experts claim that Covid-19 can survive on solid surfaces for up to four days, there has been no thorough research on whether Covid-19 can spread easily through coins and physical cash. Regardless, only accepting Octopus Card as payment is convenient, fair, and above all, sanitary.

The school has mandated digital payment to limit the spreading of germs, but from my observations, key safety precautions are still ignored. Hand sanitisers, for example, have become a common appearance in our daily lives, sitting proudly on lone chairs in hallways like kings on thrones. But it seems our kings have been all but overthrown when faced with the masses of students trying to get their meals as soon as possible. If we can pump to cleanse before entering our classrooms, why can’t we do the same when faced with a line for lunch?

The canteen won’t be closing again any time soon, and even if it does we certainly can’t keep it closed forever. But we should follow the example set by other restaurants in Hong Kong, and make it a requirement for students to clean their hands with hand sanitiser before lining up and taking their meals at the canteen, as well as directing students to eat at the PAC when the canteen is overcrowded. If we all do our part, the squirt will control the spike.