Hypothesis: Concerns regarding the spread of coronavirus through feces have led to improvement in Hong Kong public toilets’ hygiene conditions.
Synopsis: Theme and subject matter
Hong Kong attracts thousands of tourists daily and with citizens travelling all around the city for work, hundreds of people rely on public toilets around the city. Due to the pandemic, the views on public toilets divide many people. Some people expect them to be cleaner and more hygienic due to the context of Covid-19, while some people prefer to avoid them as they are a hotbed for the virus.
Due to the virus, the Hong Kong government has come up with various of measures and restrictions for the public to avoid the spread of the virus. This raises the question of “How much effort is the government putting in combating the virus in terms of provision of resources and taking care of public facilities?” as the government has put up a lot of notices both online and through out the city.
In my video, I first showed the expectation of the public on public toilets-mainly positive in terms of cleanliness as lack of hygiene in public toilets can be very dangerous, especially in the context of the pandemic. Followed by a visit to multiple public toilets on Hong Kong Island to show the reality of public toilets. Sadly, what I saw was very disappointing and disgusting. Not only are they a hotbed for the virus, but some of them also lacked sanitisers and tissues. Despite the multiple policies in the past 2 years in improving the condition of public toilets in Hong Kong, such as planning to allocate $500 million for the upgrading of 200 public toilets and The Food and Environmental Hygiene Department planning to enhance the facilities and services of more than 800 public toilets by improving the overall hygiene condition through education, the situation in public toilets is unsafe for the public not only during the pandemic but also without it.
Method of research
Not only did I go through several news articles regarding the condition of public toilets in Hong Kong, but also physically went to many public toilets on Hong Kong Island.
Objective
The objective of this video was to show the viewers the actual situation of public toilets in Hong Kong and to let them know the serious attention and support our public toilets need in terms of provision of resources and cleanliness standards.
Video Production
Only an iPhone and iMovie were used without any special equipment and skills.
Reflection
This research showed some very disturbing sides of Hong Kong’s public toilets. Unlike the public toilets in malls and and some private properties, such as those in HKU, the public toilets around the city need more resources and attention from the Hygiene groups. The situation is not only disappointing but also very dangerous for daily public toilet users and the workers in public toilets. I personally wouldn’t want to go to any of these public toilets again and honestly, Hong Kong being one of the most developed cities and having and the government enjoying budget surplus for the past few years, it is very sad that the quality of our public toilets is no different than those in developing countries.
Work Cited
FEHD strives to improve hygiene condition of public toilets. (n.d.). https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202011/18/P2020111800794.htm
Hong Kong Government to allocate HK$500 million for upgrades of 200 public toilets. https://www.dimsumdaily.hk/hong-kong-government-to-allocate-hk500-million-for-upgrades-of-200-public-toilets/
Government releases Smart City Blueprint for Hong Kong 2.0.https://www.ogcio.gov.hk/en/news/press_releases/2020/12/pr_20201210.html
Gul Bilal 3035805851
With the advent of the COVID-19, sanitation has been more important than ever as it may help prevent the spread of COVID-19. With your video, I was able to know more about the current states of the public toilets in Hong Kong and it is sad to see that despite government proposals, not much has been done and still lack maintenance. I like that you have been to public toilets in different areas showing that this is an issue which is not only in 1 public toilet but in most public toilets of Hong Kong. Voice recording could be louder but overall good video.
Your rigorous research and scenography of various public toilets are appreciated. It is quite smart to visit both toilets in malls and public toilets to draw strong comparisons. The video is well-structured. You have a clear argument and purpose with regard to your topic – Clean City. Although there is a 2-minute limit for the video, you might want to elaborate on why the public toilets are still unhygienic during the pandemic. What are the reasons behind that lead to bigger problems? Why are toilets in malls much cleaner than those on the street? Overall, it is a well-presented project that allows the audience to learn about public toilet situations nowadays.