FADE IN.
Act 1
INT. SITTING ROOM - DAY
Phone in hand, PETER is pondering.
PETER (V.O.): It's a sunny day. I haven't swum since the Chinese New Year. Is it safe for me to go to the beach?
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Unlike indoor swimming pools, beaches are outdoor and spacious. Droplets and aerosols carrying on the infectious coronavirus can't travel far.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): But people go swimming may not wear face masks. I wear goggles.
KAJI, the family pet, comes close to Peter.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Let me update my knowledge about the pandemic and beach- going later.
Peter and Kaji go to the dining room.
Act 2
EXT. ROADS - DAY
Driving a cyber-green New Beetle in Hong Kong's CBD, Peter observes the urban scenary.
PETER (V.O.): It's a beautiful and warm day. But for the pandemic, I won't hesitate to go to the beach.
EXT. PARK - DAY
After running slowly along a jogging track, Peter stops at an open space and practises some dance footwork.
Peter (V.O.): Through elimination, I know now the cause of my back pain. It has a lot to do with my dancing the Viennese Waltz. I've strained my hips, legs and feet too much.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): I've never had any pain problem with swimming.
Looking up the blue sky, Peter sees Bauhinia flowers in the air and takes a photo.
INT. STUDY - DAY
Peter is glued to his phone screen.
PETER (V.O.): Yes, social distancing applies in beaches too. Yes, I mustn't forget the risk of touching contaminated surfaces in public utilities such as those in changing rooms...
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Can the CONVID-19 virus remain viable in salt water?
Wondering.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Living things originate from the sea. And some survive in extreme conditions...
Reflecting.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): No, the coronavirus isn't a living organism but a protein molecule. It isn't killed but decays on its own.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): The coronavirus is fragile too. The only thing that protects it is a thin outer layer of fat. Disinfectant foam cuts the fat and that's why we have to rub hands for 20 seconds.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Can salt make coronavirus unviable?
Peter surfs the web again.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Ha! I've found something. The molecular structure of salt is crystalline. Its hard, sharp corners can pierce viruses, rendering them unviable.
Peter continues to read the small prints on the phone screen.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Viruses travel through air, from the spreader's droplets while coughing, sneezing, speaking or breathing. When droplets encounter salt, they begin to absorb the salt and the liquid evaporates. The crystalized salt can therefore slice through the virus, neutralizing it in half an hour.
Thinking.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Oh, salt water isn't cystallized salt! Can salt water cut the fat that protects the coronavirus?
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): There hasn't any scientific study on that.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): But it's common sense that the beach water may be mixed with under-treated sewage water. And CONVID-19 infected patients have lots of coronavirus in their feces.
Reflecting.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Well...
Act 3
INT. SITTING ROOM - CONTINUOUS
Peter looks out of the window.
PETER (V.O.): Beach-going isn't safer.
Thinking.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): But the risk isn't dissimilar than going to a park which is my routine.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Hong Kong's wider environment makes a difference. Hong Kong does well in contact-tracing. There wasn't any outbreak from parks or beaches. In fact, there hasn't been any new confirmed cases in the past three days.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): If really wanted to, Hong Kong has a better claim than New Zealand to say that the coronavirus has effectively been eliminated, all factors considered.
Thinking.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Should I go to the beach at all?
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Instead of wearing swimming goggles, I should have a swimming full-face mask. It should be fun to source that and to contribute to the economy.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): When I pass by any beach, I'll see if social distancing is possible before deciding whether to swim or not.
Reflecting.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Or is it safter to swim in the estate's open swimming pool? The pool water can be disinfected. When will it re-open?
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): It's the sunny day that triggers all my investigations and considerations - a day well spent without going to a beach.
FADE OUT.
THE END
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