Coronavirus: Hong Kong vaccine pass ‘expected to apply to children aged 5 to 11, require 2 jabs’
- Source says government will provide ‘sufficient transition period for children to get vaccinated’
- Chief Executive John Lee set to propose new internal quarantine arrangements for travellers crossing border with mainland China
Children aged between five and 11 in Hong Kong will need to have two coronavirus jabs to enter restaurants and other public premises under an expected move by authorities to extend the vaccine pass to younger residents, the Post has learned.
Instead of three shots required for adult residents, sources said children would only be required to take two doses of either the German-made BioNTech or Chinese-made Sinovac vaccine to qualify for the scheme.
“The government will make sure there is a sufficient transition period for children to get vaccinated,” a source said when asked about a timeline for the scheme. “Both vaccination records in smartphones and paper format will be acceptable. They are not required to use the ‘Leave Home Safe’ app.”
“We hope to protect children from Covid-19 infections, which may result in severe symptoms and hospitalisation,” another source explained.
A third source told the Post the idea was discussed on Tuesday in a meeting between government pandemic experts in which they suggested the appropriate cut-off age was five years, as the BioNTech vaccine was currently not available for younger children.
“The experts believe it is important for parents and children to have a choice of vaccines to comply with the pass arrangement,” the insider said.
The government previously lowered the age threshold for the Sinovac jab to six months, but said it was still negotiating with BioNTech to procure a vaccine formula developed for younger children.
Under the vaccine pass scheme adjusted on May 31, those aged 12 and above must use the “Leave Home Safe” app to show proof they are fully inoculated against the virus before entering government venues and 23 other types of premises, including restaurants, shopping centres, wet markets and supermarkets.
Hong Kong leader to pursue reopening of border with mainland China on trip
According to government data, about 66.2 per cent of children aged between three and 11 had received two doses of a Covid-19 vaccine so far.
Ida Leung Po-lam, chairman of the Federation of Parent Teacher Associations of Hong Kong Eastern District, said she supported the plan but hoped parents would be allowed to carry their children’s vaccine pass on their mobile phones.
A father, who only gave his name as Li, said his six-year-old daughter was about to get a third vaccine dose, adding that the extension was a win-win situation for both parents and children.
“Tighten up the rules suitably, it is good to have more people vaccinated,” he said.
Separately, Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu will push for a widely floated proposal that could allow more Hongkongers to travel across the border after completing a quarantine period in the city.
The idea will be discussed during an online meeting with mainland Chinese authorities, after the city leader’s first official visit to Guangzhou and Shenzhen was scrapped.
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The reverse quarantine proposal would use local makeshift coronavirus treatment facilities built during Hong Kong’s fifth wave as designated quarantine centres for travellers heading over the border.
A government source told the Post that the plan remained an option despite the potential obstacles in implementing it.
“We know there are a lot of difficulties, including how to do closed-loop management, and we are trying to overcome them,” the insider said, but added it was difficult to provide a timeline for its potential launch.
But another government source said the bid was doomed to fail, because the mainland required closed-loop arrangements for staff at quarantine facilities, which would make local recruitment very difficult.
John Lee must press for border reopening
“Setting 300 out of 1,000 places aside, for example, for these closed-loop workers at a time when the epidemic is rising sharply on both sides will also not achieve much for cross-border travel,” the source added.
Under the current rules, travellers to the mainland are required to undergo a seven-day hotel quarantine upon arrival, followed by three days of self-surveillance.
Lee on Wednesday morning said he had cancelled his visit to the mainland in favour of holding remote talks amid the worsening Covid-19 situation on both sides of the border.
“Both the mainland and Hong Kong sides have coronavirus outbreaks to deal with … As far as anti-epidemic measures are concerned, I believe that this is the most convenient way for me to meet them and also join two opening ceremonies virtually in Nansha tomorrow,” he told reporters.
Hong Kong has battled a steady rise in Covid-19 cases since mid-June, with health officials logging 9,495 new infections on Wednesday, 228 of which were imported, and nine more deaths. At least eight top officials have also been infected with the virus in the past month.
Without elaborating further on border reopening, Lee said both sides would come up with different proposals, but it was inappropriate to disclose details at this time. The government would make further announcements when both sides had reached a consensus, he added.
“My main principle is to protect the young and old, and ensure the capability of our healthcare system in dealing with coronavirus outbreaks, as well as the daily needs of our residents,” he said.
“Under such foundations, Hong Kong needs to be reconnected with the world and the mainland. We will do our best on this issue.”
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He said a discussion on Greater Bay Area developments was also on the meeting agenda. The bay area plan is aimed at integrating Hong Kong, Macau and nine mainland cities in the region into an economic and innovation powerhouse rivalling Silicon Valley.
Lee was initially set to head to Guangzhou on Wednesday afternoon. His two-day itinerary also included officiating the opening ceremonies of the new campuses of the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology in Nansha and the Minxin Hong Kong School, founded by former city leader Leung Chun-ying, with Shenzhen as the next stop.
Additional reporting by Nadia Lam and Danny Mok
