Hong Kong fourth wave: mass Covid-19 vaccination programme to begin around Lunar New Year at four types of locations

City will roll out first stage of vaccinations for target groups – including the elderly, and hospital and home care staff – in mid-February, doctors say

Hong Kong reports a slight jump in daily Covid-19 cases to 45 infections, while mainland China also wrestles with a worsening outbreak

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Brazilian authorities have revealed testing resulted in a 78 per cent effectiveness rate for Sinovac Biotech’s vaccine. Photo: Kevin Frayer/Getty Images

Victor Ting,Elizabeth CheungandRachel Yeo

Published: 2:59pm, 8 Jan 2021Updated: 3:30am, 9 Jan 2021

Hong Kong will launch its mass vaccination programme around Lunar New Year at four types of locations, authorities revealed late on Friday, as the city reported a slight jump in daily Covid-19 cases to 45 infections while mainland China wrestled with a worsening outbreak.

Speaking after a meeting with the government, private doctors’ groups quoted officials as saying the city would roll out its first stage of Covid-19 vaccinations for target groups – including the elderly, and hospital and home care staff – around Lunar New Year in mid-February.

Dr Gabriel Choi Kin, chairman of the Hong Kong Medical Association, said officials revealed inoculations would be conducted at four types of locations, including government and private clinics and homes for the elderly where the Sinovac Biotech vaccine would be given.

Community centres across the city’s 18 districts would be used for administering the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, which requires ultra cold storage of minus 70 degrees Celsius.