Coronavirus: up to 50,000 unvaccinated children in Hong Kong could be banned from restaurants and other premises as vaccine pass scheme extended
- About 88 per cent of children aged five to 11 have had at least one dose of vaccine, which meets the new standard
- But 12 per cent, or 50,000 children, had still to get a jab by Tuesday; Health Bureau appeals to parents to get them vaccinated
About 50,000 unvaccinated youngsters in Hong Kong could be banned from entering premises such as restaurants, libraries and sports venues from Friday, when the vaccine pass scheme will be extended to children as young as five.
The revelation came three days ahead of the new policy coming into force, as city leader John Lee Ka-chiu urged residents and local businesses to be patient over any further reopening to the world in terms of quarantine policies.
“If we can put the [possible] rebound under control, we hope to allow more space for activities [to be resumed] gradually according to the actual circumstances,” he told a Tuesday press conference before the Executive Council meeting, a day after the city moved to a “0+3” quarantine-free regime where overseas arrivals only need to observe three days of medical surveillance.
Lee added that increasing vaccination coverage in the elderly and children was key to reopening the city’s borders with the world.
According to official data obtained by the Post, it was estimated that about 88 per cent of children aged five to 11 had been given at least one jab by Friday, meeting the latest vaccine pass extension rules.
The figures mean about 12 per cent, around 50,000 children in the age group, had still to get a jab.
“They could become eligible for the vaccine pass when they come forward and receive one Covid-19 vaccine dose,” a Health Bureau spokesman said. “We appeal to parents to bring their children to vaccinate as soon as possible.”
When the vaccine pass arrangement was introduced for residents aged 12 and above on February 24, about 20 per cent of the eligible population did not meet the requirements.
Starting from Friday, the age requirements for the vaccine pass will be lowered from 12 to five years old. Children aged between five and 11 will need to have been inoculated with at least one jab to enter premises with mandatory vaccine pass checks.
Those who received their first shot more than three months ago will need a second jab to be eligible. The second stage of the extension will begin on November 30, requiring all children from the age group to be double-jabbed.
Hong Kong children 5 and up need 1 Covid jab for vaccine pass by month’s end
The Sinovac vaccine is now available for children as young as six months. Authorities are examining an application to allow the use of a BioNTech jab suitable for children aged six months to three years. At the moment only those aged five years and above can receive it.
Billy Wong Wai-yuk, the executive secretary of the Hong Kong Committee on Children’s Rights, which raised concerns earlier about unvaccinated children being denied learning and social opportunities, said 50,000 was a “sizeable number”.
“This shows the limitation in using a coercive approach,” Wong said. “Some 50,000 children may be forced to withdraw from their social circles with their peers, which will be harmful to their growth.”
Respiratory medicine specialist Dr Leung Chi-chiu said if parents were worried that the vaccine pass would affect their children, they should vaccinate them as soon as possible to protect them from severe symptoms or even death.
But he said, even with the vaccine pass scheme, a large number of elderly people aged over 80 remained unvaccinated, and the scheme did not cover children younger than five.
“The government still has a lot of work to do. The vaccine pass scheme cannot solve the problem we are actually facing,” he said, urging the authorities to arrange vaccination through community organisations and facilities.
Karmen Yuen, 34, who works as an accountant, said her family of four, including two daughters aged three and eight, were unvaccinated and remained determined to not inoculate her children as she had doubts over the vaccine’s safety and effectiveness.
“Going to outdoor places is also an approach for them to discover about the environment,” she said, adding that instead of going to the library and cinema, her children would read digital books and watch movies at home.
A 38 year-old homemaker named Angel Wong said, although she had no plans to vaccinate her daughters, who were aged six and eight, the movement restrictions could affect their physical and mental health as they could not attend swimming lessons any more.
Carmen Sze, a mother in her 40s, said her six year-old son had received the third dose of the vaccine two weeks ago.
But the public relation officer said she decided to vaccinate her son mainly because three shots of vaccine would be required for taking part in extracurricular activities from October, instead of the vaccine pass.
The “Leave Home Safe” risk-exposure app was also updated on Tuesday to allow parents and companions to upload their children’s Covid-19 vaccine pass into smartphones in preparation for the extension.
With the latest updates available for both Android and IOS phone users, up to eight additional vaccine passes can be saved in the app, and there will be no information stored regarding their visits.
Mobile phone users can add the vaccination records of companions who are exempt from using the app, including the elderly aged 65 or older, children from 15 years or younger, individuals with disabilities, as well as people who are authorised by the government.
Currently, residents and visitors who are 12 years old or over have to scan a QR code with their “Leave Home Safe” app before entering venues with compulsory vaccine pass checks, such as restaurants, pubs, cinemas, libraries and sports premises.
A blue code will be displayed on their vaccine pass if they meet the vaccination requirements, while users with other coloured codes, including red for infected patients and amber for those undergoing home medical surveillance, will be barred from entry.
Other than using the mobile app, the public can also show premises operators the QR code on their printed vaccination record or a photo of it on their phone.
BioNTech vaccine for children may be available in Hong Kong as early as October
The city continued to see declining coronavirus infections on Tuesday, with 3,667 new cases, and six more related deaths. Imported infections rose slightly from 188 a day ago to Tuesday’s 193. The city’s coronavirus tally now stands at 1,753,201, with 10,134 fatalities.
When asked whether Shenzhen’s latest emphasis on “preventing imported infections” at a high-level meeting last Sunday will derail the city’s efforts to reconnect with the mainland, Chief Executive John Lee said discussions had been “progressing” on achieving a “reverse quarantine” scheme that would see increased daily cross-border quotas for those who had completed required isolation in the city first.
Separately, more than 20,000 Covid-19 vaccination exemption certificates issued by seven doctors, allegedly without proper medical examinations, will be invalid from next month, the government has announced.
The number of certificates issued by the seven general practitioners – six of whom were arrested this month, including one on Tuesday – accounted for more than half of the exemptions in force at present, the government said.
