Jabs capacity pumped up to 50,000 a day

The vaccination capacity from today will be raised 30 percent - to 50,000 jabs a day - but walk-ins at community centers will be exclusive to seniors, says Secretary for the Civil Service Patrick Nip Tak-kuen.

Two community centers - Education Bureau Kowloon Tong Education Services Center and Kowloon Bay Sports Centre - will reopen on Friday next week to offer BioNTech jabs.

The number of Hospital Authority general outpatient clinics offering Sinovac jabs will be boosted to 24, from two, on the same day.

With the increased capacity, the number of shots administered daily starting today will be 30 percent more than the New Year's Day's 40,000, Nip said.

He asked those who want to be inoculated to book online. But seniors aged 60 and above who may not know how to make online appointments can walk in, Nip said, adding they typically number several hundreds per center a day.

"We have sent outreach teams to care homes to inoculate elderly people, but only after they have been assessed by doctors," said Nip, who is in charge of the city's vaccination program.

He said officers found that the biggest stumbling blocks to raising the elderly vaccination rate are family members who do not want their older relatives to get the shots.

Seniors need to present their Hong Kong ID card to get a walk-in ticket or authorize their family members to get a ticket on their behalf as long as they present a copy of the senior's ID.

Walk-in tickets are distributed daily from 7.45am on a first-come, first-served basis.

Under the new arrangement, those accompanying seniors for walk-in jabs will not be arranged to receive the dose together with them.

The jabs are available in 10 community vaccination centers, three offering Sinovac jab and seven BioNTech.

There are also vaccination stations in 13 public hospitals and 26 private clinics that offer BioNTech, while the Sinovac shots are offered in more than 1,000 private clinics. Three elderly health centers in Lam Tin, Sai Ying Pun and Tseung Kwan O are also offering Sinovac walk-in jabs for seniors above 65 years old.

At the Sai Ying Pun center yesterday, some said they waited for hours and that they got the jab fearing they cannot dine out after the "no jab, no entry" vaccine bubble extends to restaurants.

The surge in inoculations came after it was announced that people must have at least one dose to enter eateries, regulated premises and leisure facilities from February 24.

On Sunday, 28,077 doses were administered, including 10,966 first doses.

So far, 5.01 million people, or 74.4 percent of the city's eligible population, have taken at least one dose.

Some 4.7 million, or 69.8 percent, have received two doses.

Meanwhile, sources said authorities could require all civil servants to get jabbed before February 16 or they will not be allowed to enter government offices.

And the Construction Industry Council has issued a notice to employees that they must show their vaccination records before entering offices from February 15.

jane.cheung@singtaonewscorp.com