- Title: Hong Kong tells civil servants to get vaccinated or pay for COVID-19 tests
- Date: 2nd August 2021
- Summary: HONG KONG, CHINA (AUGUST 2, 2021) (REUTERS) CARRIE LAM AND SENIOR GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS ARRIVING AT NEWS CONFERENCE MEDIA GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS SEATED NEWS CONFERENCE ONGOING (SOUNDBITE) (Cantonese) HONG KONG CHIEF EXECUTIVE, CARRIE LAM, SAYING: "I now declare with regards to those that need to get vaccinated, or otherwise will carry the cost of their own regular testing. They now extend to the following categories, including all civil servants and public workers. The measure takes effect today. At the moment, vaccination rates for civil servants have already reached 70%. It is not bad, but from today they are required to get a vaccination or otherwise get tested once every two weeks. From September they will have to pay for their own tests." NEWS CONFERENCE ONGOING MEDIA (SOUNDBITE) (English) HONG KONG CHIEF EXECUTIVE, CARRIE LAM, SAYING: "There is simply no room for complacency, despite the fact that we have achieved zero local cases for 56 days. Because Hong Kong is a very well-connected international city. So the world around us is facing this challenge of another major rebound. As you can see from the seven-day moving average that I have shown you. So with that in mind, if we start to relax or open our borders without subjecting passengers arriving Hong Kong to any quarantine, then we are putting the whole community at risk." NEWS CONFERENCE ONGOING MEDIA
- Embargoed: 16th August 2021 12:02
- Keywords: Carrie Lam Covid Hong Kong Vaccine civil servant quarantine teacher
- Location: HONG KONG, CHINA
- City: HONG KONG, CHINA
- Country: Hong Kong
- Topics: Asia / Pacific,Health/Medicine
- Reuters ID: LVA001EOL5BUV
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Unvaccinated Hong Kong government employees, as well as education and health workers, will soon have to pay for regular COVID-19 tests, city leader Carrie Lam said on Monday (August 2), announcing measures to persuade more people to get vaccinated.
Hong Kong has registered 56 days without any local coronavirus cases and life has largely returned to normal in the global financial hub, except heavy travel restrictions remain in place, with hotel quarantine required for all arrivals.
Authorities were unsatisfied with a slow initial take-up of vaccines, although the numbers have improved in recent months after various businesses announced a range of perks for those who take vaccines, including a lottery prize of an apartment worth about $1 million.
The government is also mulling extending the availability of free vaccination centres by one month until the end of October, Lam said. About a third of the population has received the recommended two doses and less than half have had at least one dose.
(Production: Aleksander Solum) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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