(To watch the full media session with sign language interpretation, click here.)

Chief Executive Carrie Lam announced the Government will expand the vaccine bubble to include more venues on February 24 in order to boost the city’s vaccination rate.

Mrs Lam made the announcement ahead of the Executive Council meeting this morning, noting that boosting the vaccination rate is necessary in view of the Omicron COVID-19 variant that is spreading into the community.

“The spread of the Omicron COVID-19 variant into Hong Kong’s community is worrying because of the high transmissibility of this variant. That is why we have taken all the measures that we have put in place as a result of two years of experience in fighting COVID-19.”

Mrs Lam said the spread of Omicron would affect discussions with Mainland authorities on travel resumption.

“But inevitably, with a local infection of Omicron, although the several cases now confirmed could all be traced back to an imported case according to the variant analysis, that would certainly have an impact on the ongoing discussions with the Mainland authorities on resuming some normal travel.

“I will not deny that that has an impact, which means that we will have to wait awhile before we can put in place this very sought-after resumption of normal travel between Hong Kong and the Mainland.”