20,000 Hongkongers receiving Covid jabs each day, with experts citing public concerns over possible case rise following border reopening
- Rise in daily vaccine uptake marks sharp increase from 2,000 recorded early last month, with jump beginning when Hong Kong announced Covid policy rollback
- Experts say they believe rise is due to public concerns over resumption of quarantine-free travel with mainland China, along with increase in virus-related deaths
About 20,000 Hongkongers are receiving a Covid-19 vaccine jab each day, a three-month high which health experts have attributed to public concerns over a possible increase in cases after the city resumes quarantine-free travel with mainland China.
The number has risen sharply over the 2,000 jabs a day recorded early last month, and reached the 20,000 level on December 28, when Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu announced a widespread rollback of social-distancing curbs and the much-dreaded vaccine pass.
Experts on Wednesday said the increase could be due to plans by central and local authorities to begin easing cross-border travel restrictions on January 8, as well as a wider increase in the number of Covid-19 cases and related deaths.
“Some people will be considering travelling or they anticipate there will be an increase in population movement, both entering and exiting via the border,” said Professor Martin Wong Chi-sang of Chinese University’s school of public health.
“When the public sees there will be more tourists coming to Hong Kong … they also hope that the epidemic can be under better control and want to have their vaccinations up to date.”
Describing the increase in daily vaccinations as a “good phenomenon”, government pandemic adviser Professor David Hui Shu-cheong said he believed a few factors were involved, including the surge in infection numbers and deaths.
“We have observed an increase in the number of deaths who have already received three jabs of Covid-19 vaccines,” he said. “The protection against severe disease will deteriorate six months after the third jab was received, so that’s why people should get their fourth dose, especially when a more effective bivalent vaccine is available.”
