Explainer | Recovered from Covid-19? How to get electronic proof and use it in Hong Kong’s vaccine pass scheme
- New QR code, valid for six months, will be seen as equal to one shot of a coronavirus vaccine for the pass scheme
- A ‘transition period’ until June 30 will allow recovered residents to still use other documents
Residents who have recovered from Covid-19 can download a new QR code that will be viewed as equal to one jab under the vaccine pass scheme to enter premises in Hong Kong such as restaurants, bars and gyms.
Here is what you need to know about the new system.
1. How do I get my recovery record QR code?
Residents must submit their Hong Kong identity card and the month of their Covid-19 infection or discharge from hospital to obtain the electronic proof. If they submit their birth certificate or passport, they will also need to provide their date of birth.
The document can also be downloaded from government apps such as “iAM Smart” or “eHealth” and incorporated into the “Leave Home Safe” risk-exposure app to show business owners or restaurant operators upon entry.
From Tuesday, isolation orders issued by the Department of Health will include the recovery record QR code.
Residents recovered from Covid-19 can use new QR code for Hong Kong vaccine pass
2. When must residents begin using the QR code?
A “transition period” will last until June 30, during which recovered residents will still be allowed to use other documents such as hospital discharge papers or positive polymerase chain reaction test result notifications for the vaccine pass. But a photo of a positive rapid test result will not be considered valid.
3. What should I do if I am unable to get the QR code?
Some people may not be able to download the QR code if they did not report their positive rapid antigen test results on the government’s online platform, have input data different from what they had reported or used the late submission mechanism to report a backlogged infection to authorities.
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4. What are the requirements for recovered Covid-19 patients under the vaccine pass scheme?
Under the vaccine pass scheme, residents aged 12 or above must receive their second jab by April 30, and their third one from May 31.
Recovered Covid-19 patients, however, do not need to take a booster shot. They can use their recovery record QR code, which serves as a substitute for one dose of a vaccine required under the pass scheme.
People who were not fully vaccinated before infection will be able to use the vaccine pass if they have recovered within the last six months.
Those who were previously infected and had already received one dose of a Covid-19 vaccine will be required to get their second dose from April 30, if it has been more than six months since their recovery.
For those who are unvaccinated, they will be required to take their first dose of a vaccine, followed by a second shot six months later to use the vaccine pass.
