Third jab essential by May 31

Wallis Wang

People will need to have had a third dose of the Covid-19 vaccine by May 31 to enter premises including supermarkets, malls and restaurants, with entry restricted to people who hold a vaccine pass.

That was revealed yesterday as the SAR administration advanced the final phase of the scheme by a month, and the three-dose requirement will kick in on May 31 instead of June 30.

The interval between the second and third doses of vaccine was also reduced - to six months from nine.

So after May 31 anyone aged 12 or above who has had a second shot of the vaccine for six months must receive a third dose to keep their vaccine pass effective.

Under the "no jab, no entry" vaccine pass implemented since February 24 only inoculated people can enter regulated premises including restaurants, supermarkets, malls and entertainment venues.

In the first phase, people have to get at least one jab before entering premises. The second phase will start on April 30, with people needing two jabs to be allowed entry.

Announcing the final phase on the need for a third jab was being advanced to May 31, an official statement explained the decision was reached after taking into account "the enthusiasm shown by members of the public in getting vaccinated since the start of the year and that the government has sufficient vaccine doses and vaccination capacity to get all eligible citizens of Hong Kong vaccinated with three doses before the deadline."

For people who have received a second dose within six months of May 31, their vaccine pass is still valid and they can enter public premises by showing their vaccination record, which states the date of their second injection.

"But they must receive the third dose within six months after receiving the second dose instead of the original nine months in order to continue using the vaccine pass," the announcement added.

So far, over 6.1 million Hongkongers have received at least one dose of the vaccine, taking the SAR's first jab coverage to 91.5 percent.

More than 5.5 million people, or 82 percent of citizens eligible for the vaccine, have received two doses, while more than 2.4 million have had three.

Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor said yesterday that she does not plan to make Covid-19 vaccination mandatory for the elderly, acknowledging that it was a huge challenge to have senior citizens inoculated.

As things stand, around 70 percent of people aged 70 or more have been vaccinated, meaning about 280,000 elderly people have yet to receive a first shot.

But Lam went on to say that the high death rate in the current fifth wave of the pandemic has shown the serious consequences of elderly people who refuse to get vaccinated.

While authorities will not bring in legislation to force elderly citizens to get jabbed, Lam added, there will be an all-out effort to administer doses to all elderly people through administrative means, including allowing doctors to undertake vaccinations for the eligible seniors.

Lam said getting the elderly vaccinated is the biggest challenge in the anti-pandemic work at the present time, and the take-up rate among the elderly will affect social distancing measures in the future.

Also in the effort to raise the number of vaccinated elderly people, outreach teams will be sent to care homes for the elderly to administer a first jab to those who have recovered from Covid.

On another front of the anti-pandemic effort, police officers from Western district and staff from the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department inspected over 100 bars, restaurants and other scheduled premises on Saturday and issued five HK$5,000 penalty tickets to four people who had not scanned the LeaveHomeSafe QR code upon entry and to person who had violated the vaccine pass regulation.

Officers also issued HK$5,000 penalty tickets to 14 people who did not wear masks and seven who violated the two-person gathering limit.

wallis.wang@singtaonewscorp.com