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The arrangement is applicable to all inbound travellers, including HKRs and non-HKRs as well as travellers from the Mainland, Macao, Taiwan, and overseas places.
The HKSAR government has announced revisions to the Provisional Vaccine Pass applicable to all inbound travellers, aligning the vaccination requirements for inbound travellers to be issued the Provisional Vaccine Pass.
From 17 September 2022 (Saturday), all inbound travellers, including HK residents (HKRs) and non-HKRs as well as travellers from the Mainland, Macao, Taiwan and overseas places, are required to have received at least two doses to be issued the Provisional Vaccine Pass.
Specific requirements are as follows:
- Persons aged 12 or above are required to be fully vaccinated. Being fully vaccinated means the required dosage has been administered in accordance with the List of COVID-19 Vaccines Recognised for Specified Purposes, referring to two doses in general.
- For recovered persons who have been infected with COVID-19, they are required to have received one dose in order to be classified as fully vaccinated.
- Persons who are unfit for vaccination due to health reasons bearing relevant proof issued by a medical practitioner, or persons who have received one dose of recognised COVID-19 vaccine and hold a vaccination record but unfit to receive the second dose of COVID-19 vaccine because of health reasons, bearing relevant proof issued by a medical practitioner, will also be considered as eligible to be issued the Provisional Vaccine Pass. The relevant medical certificate must indicate in Chinese or English the health reasons for the relevant person being unfit for vaccination.
- Considering that in places outside Hong Kong, vaccination for children aged 11 or below has started later than that for adults, children aged 11 or below will be issued the Provisional Vaccine Pass without having been vaccinated at this stage.
A government spokesperson called on eligible inbound travellers, who intend to stay in Hong Kong for a longer period of time, to receive the required dosage of vaccine at venues providing COVID-19 vaccination in Hong Kong to comply with the Vaccine Pass requirements, such that they can continue to enter premises subject to the Vaccine Pass after the expiry of the Provisional Vaccine Pass.
Further strengthening the local Vaccine Pass requirements
In addition, Hong Kong has also lowered the applicable age of the Vaccine Pass, and adjusted vaccination requirements applicable to persons aged 12 or above
Extension of the applicable age of Vaccine Pass to cover children aged 5 to 11
Starting from 30 September 2022, children aged 5 to 11 are required to have received at least the first dose within three months to comply with the vaccination requirements under the Vaccine Pass for entering specified premises. If they received their first dose three months ago or earlier, they are required to receive the second dose.
Starting from 30 November 2022, the vaccination requirement for all children aged 5 to 11 under the Vaccine Pass will be to have received the second dose.
Children who have not received any COVID-19 vaccine before infection are required to receive the first dose six months after recovery. For children who have been recovered for more than six months and at the same time had received their first dose six months ago or earlier, they are required to receive the second dose. However, the second dose requirement is not applicable to recovered persons aged 5 to 17 who have received one dose of Comirnaty (BioNTech) vaccine.
As for children who have received the second dose before infection, or are within six months after recovery, there is no additional vaccination requirement for them under the Vaccine Pass.
Considering that children may not possess a smart mobile phone for displaying their Vaccine Pass QR code, children or their family members may bring along and present a paper record printed with the QR code or present a photo of the QR code saved in a mobile phone for the purpose of fulfilling the Vaccine Pass requirement.
Parents may also add their children as "My Family Member" in the eHealth mobile application so that they can retrieve and present their own Vaccine Pass as well as that of their children at the same time. A new function will also be added to the LeaveHomeSafe mobile application later to allow parents to save their own Vaccine Pass and that of their children concurrently, in order to facilitate entry by parents and their children to specified premises under the Vaccine Pass.
Adjusting the vaccination requirements applicable to persons aged 12 or above under the Vaccine Pass
Starting from 30 September 2022, the grace period for persons aged 12 or above to receive the third dose after the second dose will be shortened from the original six months to five months. They must receive the third dose within five months after receiving the second dose in order to continue using the Vaccine Pass.
Starting from 30 November 2022, persons aged 12 or above are required to have received the third dose so as to meet the vaccination requirements under the Vaccine Pass.
The current vaccination requirements applicable to recovered persons aged 12 or above under the Vaccine Pass will remain unchanged.
Image / Shutterstock
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