Bogus vaccine waivers to expire as HK updates Covid app scanners

More than 20,000 vaccine waiver certificates issued by seven doctors - six who were arrested and one who fled the city -will be invalid from October 12 as authorities will introduce an update to its Covid app scanner to nullify them.

This came after the doctors were arrested for allegedly issuing the certificates without proper medical diagnosis.

A government spokesman said on Tuesday that the vaccination exemption certificates issued by the seven doctors will expire from October 12, while those patients should consult other medical practitioners to determine whether they were suitable to get jabs or should continue to enjoy the exemptions.

Speaking on a radio program on Wednesday, Assistant Government Chief Information Officer Daniel Cheung Yee-wai said authorities will update its Covid app scanners according to the list provided by the Department of Health in order to nullify the certificates in question.

After the update, holders of relevant certificates will no longer be able to enter designated premises under the vaccine pass arrangement.

Meanwhile, Cheung noted that the LeaveHomeSafe contact tracing app has been updated yesterday, allowing users to add up to eight vaccine passes of their "companions" - who must be 65 or older or children under 15.

He said after users scanned the venue’s QR code to record their visit, the main user’s vaccine pass will then pop up, while the companions’ vaccine pass can be displayed by scrolling the passes sideways.

Separately, he said authorities understood that the elderly and children may be taken care of by different carers, and that users will not be required to prove their kinship with the companions before adding their vaccine pass onto their app.