A total of 13 Hospital COVID-19 Vaccination Stations (HCVSs) will extend their service to six days a week and open on Saturdays to provide the BioNTech vaccination service without prior booking starting February 26.

Secretary for the Civil Service Patrick Nip said the HCVSs have gradually become an important channel for vaccination since their launch in phases in late September last year.

Given the current epidemic situation is of grave concern, to enable more people to get vaccinated within a short period of time and increase the vaccination capacity, the opening hours of the HCVSs will be extended from Monday to Friday to Monday to Saturday, Mr Nip explained.

The HCVSs are located at Pamela Youde Nethersole Eastern Hospital, Tseung Kwan O Hospital, Caritas Medical Centre, Prince of Wales Hospital, Queen Mary Hospital, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Tuen Mun Hospital, Pok Oi Hospital, North District Hospital, Princess Margaret Hospital, Ruttonjee Hospital, Alice Ho Miu Ling Nethersole Hospital and Yan Chai Hospital.

As regards the new opening hours, the Princess Margaret Hospital COVID-19 Vaccination Station now operates, except for public holidays, from 9am to 6pm Monday to Saturday. The last vaccination is at 5.30pm.

For other HCVSs, the opening hours are from 10am to 7pm Monday to Saturday, except for public holidays and the last vaccination is at 6.30pm. All HCVSs will remain open during lunch time as well.

In addition, the HKU Children Community Vaccination Centre at Gleneagles Hospital Hong Kong will commence operation tomorrow to provide the BioNTech vaccination service for children aged 5 to 11.

It will open from 10am to 6pm Monday to Friday, and 8am to 8pm on Saturdays and Sundays. Starting from March 1, the opening hours will be extended from 10am to 8pm Monday to Friday, and 8am to 8pm on Saturdays and Sundays.

Meanwhile, three vaccination centres have started to provide service to the public today. The centres at Loke Yew Hall at the University of Hong Kong and at Tsuen Wan Sports Centre now provide the BioNTech vaccination service, while the community vaccination centre at the Hong Kong Central Library provides the Sinovac vaccination service for children, teenagers and the elderly.

Mr Nip stressed that the Government will closely monitor the demand for the vaccines and increase the number of vaccination venues later to facilitate the vaccination of children and teenagers in an effort to boost the vaccination rate as quickly as possible.