How to "pop the hatch?"

Good point, come to think of it, the last one I had that opened from the driver's seat was a 2001 Mk3 Ford Mondeo saloon.
There are, I believe, some SUVs that can be opened with a wave of the foot near the rear bumper, the UK Ford Kuga is one, but I'm not sure if the key has to be in proximity as it's a feature for opening the hatch when you come to your vehicle with you hands full of shopping.
ISTR some cars have a button on the remote to open the hatch as well.

 

You can of course 'social distance' by getting out opening the hatch and either get back in the car or stand 6 feet or more from the car.
That is not an issue at all, I do it now all the time if I pick something up in these mad times we live in.

 

I couldn't pop the hatch while I was sitting in the drivers seat with either the Prius or now, the Honda Fit.
I always assumed it had to do with carbon monoxide risk, and basically car manufacturers don't want you opening the hatch while the vehicle is running because the back end is where the exhaust is-even with a Prius.

 

Or accidentally popping the hatch while driving.

I keep thinking of astronauts.

 

I couldn't find a picture of our car with the hatch open, and it is currently parked 1500 miles away, but the brochure shows that the hatch does not include the lights, and the opening is fairly far from the ground and the exhaust pipe. As long as it is, it must be quite heavy, though. It doesn't require a lot of effort to raise, but the struts that hold it up are a common part that needs to be replaced. The hood struts are similar. I now have to use a broom stick to support the hood, whenever I want to check the oil or whatever.