Coronavirus: full-day classes allowed at Hong Kong secondary schools only if 90 per cent of pupils have had third Covid jab
- Education Bureau sends out circular to schools announcing move to tighten existing two-jab requirement
- Annual Miss Hong Kong beauty pageant suspended until an undetermined date
The same three-jab rule would also apply to secondary and primary school students from October if they hoped to take part in mask-off extracurricular activities, the Education Bureau said in a circular on Tuesday.
The latest requirements were revealed as health officials reported 8,848 new Covid-19 infections on Tuesday, with more major events affected by the recent rise in cases. Broadcaster TVB’s annual Miss Hong Kong beauty pageant was suspended until an undetermined date and a traditional fire dragon dance in Pok Fu Lam scheduled at the Mid-Autumn Festival was cancelled.
As part of the bureau’s latest multipronged approach aimed at “further strengthening the protective shield”, schools will be required to report vaccination rates monthly from September with those attaining 70 per cent or higher recognised on its website.
“We encourage staff and students to get vaccinated as fast as possible,” it said. “[We] also demand schools actively reach out to those who have yet to fulfil the government’s vaccination requirement to understand their concerns, and urge them to get the jabs.”
Health officials called the stepped-up measures “prudent”, including a new requirement for teachers and students to take a Covid-19 rapid antigen test for two days before the school year starts on Thursday.
