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

The Government plans to have more premises covered under the vaccine pass arrangement to be launched later this month as a means to encourage COVID-19 vaccination, Chief Executive Carrie Lam said today.

Meeting the media this afternoon, Mrs Lam said: “The vaccine pass is imposed in order to encourage and induce vaccination by those who should be vaccinated, especially the elderly because the current vaccination rate amongst the elderly is still very low. For example, for those aged 70 and above, I think half of them have yet to be vaccinated and the number is probably about half a million.

“So we really need to encourage, promote and induce more unvaccinated people to come forward to get the jab.”

The vaccine pass policy, which requires that citizens get at least the first jab before entering places like restaurants and gyms, will be discussed at the Executive Council meeting next Tuesday.

When asked whether unvaccinated children will be denied entry to the premises after the arrangement is officially rolled out, Mrs Lam explained: “If children are not eligible for vaccination for the time being, of course they would not be subject to the vaccine pass because in Hong Kong’s case, children start getting vaccinated very late. At the moment, we still have not been providing one of the vaccines - that is BioNTech - to young kids of age five and above.

“We will make the needed allowance. We would not put children under a very difficult situation.”

Separately, the Chief Executive stressed that the containment policy is still the best anti-COVID strategy for Hong Kong at the moment.

“It has proven to be effective in helping Hong Kong to suppress the previous waves of the COVID-19 epidemic and allow people to get back to their normal work.

“Achieving dynamic zero infection is still our best target until we have reached a more satisfactory vaccination rate.”

Meanwhile, the Social Welfare Department announced that from March 14, it will extend the vaccine pass arrangement to people newly joining residential care homes for the elderly and residential care homes for people with disabilities for long-term abode. These residents must have received at least the first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine in order to be admitted, unless they get a medical exemption certificate issued by doctors to prove that they are unsuitable to get the jab.

Furthermore, to remain eligible for staying in the residential care homes, those who have only received the first dose are required to complete the vaccination course within eight weeks, counting from the day when the first dose was given.