Coronavirus: Hong Kong developers dangle another free flat as vaccination incentive, with just one dose required this time
- But the lucky draw for the HK$12 million Kwun Tong flat will only move forward if 5 million residents have been vaccinated by September 30
- It marks the second high-end flat given away by Sino Group’s philanthropic arm and Chinese Estates Holdings
Sino Group’s philanthropic arm – the Ng Teng Fong Charitable Foundation – and developer Chinese Estates Holdings on Friday launched the second phase of their lottery by offering a 468 sq ft one-bedroom flat at Grand Central in Kwun Tong.
It is the second flat of the same size and location the alliance has offered as an incentive to boost the city’s vaccination rate.
The HK$186 million worth of perks and prizes on offer for vaccinated Hongkongers
The previous flat, valued at HK$10.8 million, drew about 455,000 participants in the first 12 hours of its lucky draw going live on June 15 and has recorded 1.83 million registrations since then.
But while that draw required two jabs for eligibility, the latest iteration demands just one, although it will only go forward if 5 million residents have received their first dose by September 30.
Vaccine bookings saw an immediate surge after the announcement of the first lucky draw in May.
The latest offer adds to a growing list of vaccination perks valued at more than HK$186 million, including a diamond-studded Rolex, a Tesla and 300 taels of pure gold offered by a collection of developers, billionaires, funds and other philanthropists.
As of Thursday, more than 3.16 million people, or 42 per cent of the city’s 7.5 million residents, had received at least one dose of vaccine, while 31.5 per cent had received both.
In a bid to boost uptake among the city’s elderly, the government also introduced a walk-in scheme for residents aged 70 or above this week, with 4,600 slots made available daily at 24 community vaccination centres.
More than 1,500 tickets were handed out on Thursday morning, contributing to the 62,947 doses dispensed that day.
Hong Kong permanent residents aged 18 or above who have had at least one dose of vaccine on or before September 30 will be eligible for the new Kwun Tong flat draw.
Those already registered for the first round of the lucky draw will be automatically admitted to the second round with no additional registration needed if they do not win.
Daryl Ng Win-kong, director of the Ng Teng Fong Charitable Foundation, said it was “encouraging to see the steady progress of vaccination in Hong Kong under the tremendous efforts of the government”.
“Vaccination is the key driver and most effective way of steering us out of the pandemic and back to normality, and it is important for the Hong Kong community to unite in our fight against the virus,” he said, appealing for vaccinated residents to urge their loved ones to get jabbed.
