London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Friday, Jun 20, 2025

Lam targets students and elderly to boost jabs rate

Lam targets students and elderly to boost jabs rate

The city's students and elderly should be urged to get jabbed as soon as possible to allow the vaccination rate to reach 70 percent by the end of the month, says Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor.
Hong Kong's vaccination rate stood at 60.6 percent yesterday, short of the 70 percent target set by the SAR before September.

Lam hopes the target can be reached by the end of September but she is not optimistic.

"To reach the target, it would require around 22,000 people to get their first jab per day," she said.

The government urged three groups of people to get vaccinated: workers, the elderly and students aged 12 to 19. The vaccination rate for people above 70 is 30 percent, while the vaccination rate of those in elderly homes is just 10 percent.

Lam said many schools have not seen 70 percent of their teachers and students vaccinated, failing to reach the requirement to resume full-day face-to-face classes before schools open today.

The government will not launch any further mandatory measures at the moment. There is no plan to ban non-vaccinated individuals from entering certain premises, but Lam does not rule this out if there is a new wave of infections. Hong Kong yesterday recorded two new imported cases. A 39-year-old man who arrived from Greece tested positive with the L452R mutant strain - likely to be found in the Delta variant. The other case was a two-year-old girl who arrived from Turkey.

The Food and Health Bureau has strengthened the testing arrangements for staffers of targeted groups who have yet to complete a vaccination course.

Unvaccinated hotel staff of quarantine hotels are required to get tested every three days, while staff who are vaccinated must get tested every seven days.

Separately, South African scientists have detected a new coronavirus variant, C.1.2, with multiple mutations but have yet to establish whether it is more contagious or able to overcome the immunity provided by vaccines or previous infection. The new variant was first detected in May and has now spread to most South African provinces and to seven other countries, including China and Britain, research shows.

While the majority of South Africa's coronavirus cases are currently caused by the Delta variant - first detected in India - C.1.2. caught scientists' attention because its mutation is almost twice as fast as observed in other global variants.

Respiratory specialist Leung Chi-chiu said there is a risk that the new variant could enter Hong Kong through arrivals that have sat on connecting flights.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
Senate hearing on who was 'really running' Biden White House kicks off
Iranian Military Officers Reportedly Seek Contact with Reza Pahlavi, Signal Intent to Defect
FBI and Senate Investigate Allegations of Chinese Plot to Influence the 2020 Election in Biden’s Favor Using Fake U.S. Driver’s Licenses
Vietnam Emerges as Luxury Yacht Destination for Ultra‑Rich
Plans to Sell Dutch Embassy in Bangkok Face Local Opposition
China's Iranian Oil Imports Face Disruption Amid Escalating Middle East Tensions
Trump's $5 Million 'Trump Card' Visa Program Draws Nearly 70,000 Applicants
DGCA Finds No Major Safety Concerns in Air India's Boeing 787 Fleet
Airlines Reroute Flights Amid Expanding Middle East Conflict Zones
Elon Musk's xAI Seeks $9.3 Billion in Funding Amid AI Expansion
Trump Demands Iran's Unconditional Surrender Amid Escalating Conflict
Israeli Airstrike Targets Iranian State TV in Central Tehran
President Trump is leaving the G7 summit early and has ordered the National Security Council to the Situation Room
Taiwan Imposes Export Ban on Chips to Huawei and SMIC
Israel has just announced plans to strike Tehran again, and in response, Trump has urged people to evacuate
Netanyahu Signals Potential Regime Change in Iran
Juncker Criticizes EU Inaction on Trump Tariffs
EU Proposes Ban on New Russian Gas Contracts
Analysts Warn Iran May Resort to Unconventional Warfare
Iranian Regime Faces Existential Threat Amid Conflict
Energy Infrastructure Becomes War Zone in Middle East
UK Home Secretary Apologizes Over Child Grooming Failures
Trump Organization Launches 5G Mobile Network and Golden Handset
Towcester Hosts 2025 English Greyhound Derby Amid Industry Scrutiny
Gary Oldman and David Beckham Knighted in King's Birthday Honours
Over 30,000 Lightning Strikes Recorded Across UK During Overnight Storms
Princess of Wales Returns to Public Duties at Trooping the Colour
Red Arrows Use Sustainable Fuel in Historic Trooping the Colour Flypast
Former Welsh First Minister Addresses Unionist Concerns Over Irish Language
Iran Signals Openness to Nuclear Negotiations Amid Ongoing Regional Tensions
France Bars Israeli Arms Companies from Paris Defense Expo
King Charles Leads Tribute to Air India Crash Victims at Trooping the Colour
Jack Pitchford Embarks on 200-Mile Walk to Support Stem Cell Charity
Surrey Hikers Take on Challenge of Climbing 11 Peaks in a Single Day
UK Deploys RAF Jets to Middle East Amid Israel-Iran Tensions
Two Skydivers Die in 'Tragic Accident' at Devon Airfield
Sainsbury's and Morrisons Accused of Displaying Prohibited Tobacco Ads
UK Launches National Inquiry into Grooming Gangs
Families Seek Closure After Air India Crash
Gold Emerges as Global Safe Haven Amid Uncertainty
Trump Reports $57 Million Earnings from Crypto Venture
Trump's Military Parade Sparks Concerns Over Authoritarianism
Nationwide 'No Kings' Protests Challenge Trump's Leadership
UK Deploys Jets to Middle East Amid Rising Tensions
Trump's Anti-War Stance Tested Amid Israel-Iran Conflict
Germany Holds First Veterans Celebration Since WWII
U.S. Health Secretary Dismisses CDC Vaccine Advisory Committee
Minnesota Lawmaker Melissa Hortman and Husband Killed in Targeted Attack; Senator John Hoffman and Wife Injured
Exiled Iranian Prince Reza Pahlavi Urges Overthrow of Khamenei Regime
×