Maybe I've been out of the US too long (spent my first 32 years in the Midwest / East Coast, out here in Hong Kong for 9 years now), but I don't understand why the public service announcements aren't just promoting it as incredibly rude beyond the pale to not take basic precautions.
I can understand why some people's first reaction is to dig in their heels when they're confronted with the state's power of coercion. But, here in Hong Kong, not covering your nose and mouth is seen as spit-on-a-baby-rude. Yea, we have a mask ordinance and I'm sure there's a law against spitting on babies, but 98% of people were wearing masks before the ordinances were passed. Part of it is fear and self preservation, remembering SARS from 2004, but a lot of it is basic manners. If you see someone spit on a baby, your first reaction isn't "hey, the state will punish you for that".
Hong Kong is one of the most densely populated places on the planet, and we've had SARS-CoV2 here since January 2020, but the population of 7.5 million has fewer than 9,000 confirmed cases. It helps that at tropical temperatures, the virus survives only a few hours on stainless steel or non-porous plastic, but basic precautions, testing, and contact tracing really work.
Peer pressure really only works if it crosses a critical mass. Maybe early on in the pandemic government leaders could have pulled off the messaging that you recommend, but they waffled on the initial messaging. The result is that we're now polarized into separate camps, and everyone is capable of retreating into their own side to seek affirmation if the other side expresses disapproval.
I can understand why some people's first reaction is to dig in their heels when they're confronted with the state's power of coercion. But, here in Hong Kong, not covering your nose and mouth is seen as spit-on-a-baby-rude. Yea, we have a mask ordinance and I'm sure there's a law against spitting on babies, but 98% of people were wearing masks before the ordinances were passed. Part of it is fear and self preservation, remembering SARS from 2004, but a lot of it is basic manners. If you see someone spit on a baby, your first reaction isn't "hey, the state will punish you for that".
Hong Kong is one of the most densely populated places on the planet, and we've had SARS-CoV2 here since January 2020, but the population of 7.5 million has fewer than 9,000 confirmed cases. It helps that at tropical temperatures, the virus survives only a few hours on stainless steel or non-porous plastic, but basic precautions, testing, and contact tracing really work.