Dear Staff and Students,
We would like to share the following message from Department of Health about Updated information on Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) and vaccines.
Health, Safety and Environment Office
Dear Sir/Madam,
Updated information on Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)and vaccines
1. Government further adjusts boarding and quarantine arrangements for persons arriving at Hong Kong
To implement the more targeted risk-based approach on boarding, quarantine, and testing arrangements for persons arriving at Hong Kong under the new direction in fighting the pandemic, the Government announced on April 14 the adjusted grouping of boarding and compulsory quarantine arrangements: places outside China will be categorised under Cap. 599H into the extremely high-risk Group A1 specified places (equivalent to the existing Group A specified places), the newly added very high-risk Group A2 specified places, as well as the existing high-risk Group B specified places, the medium-risk Group C specified places, and the low-risk Group D specified places.
Considering that the epidemic situation is still unstable in the existing extremely high-risk places, i.e. India, Nepal, Pakistan, the Philippines, Brazil, and South Africa, the existing restrictions under Cap. 599H will continue.
On the other hand, having considered the stabilising local epidemic situation and the relatively satisfactory vaccination rate in Ireland and the UK, the Government has lifted the ban for persons who have stayed in Ireland and the United Kingdom (UK) on boarding for Hong Kong on May 7, to allow flights to resume from those places and for Hong Kong residents there to board for flights for Hong Kong, while these relevant persons would subject to the most stringent compulsory quarantine and testing arrangements upon arrival at Hong Kong.
Based on the "vaccine bubble" concept, the Government is planning to suitably shorten the compulsory quarantine period, based on risk levels, for persons arriving at Hong Kong who have not stayed in extremely high-risk and very high-risk places, and who have been fully vaccinated. The implementation date and details of the relevant measures will be announced separately.
For details, please refer to:
https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202105/04/P2021050400899.htm
https://www.coronavirus.gov.hk/eng/high-risk-places.html
2. Over 1 million people receive first dose of COVID-19 vaccine
The Government announced that the number of people who have received their first vaccine dose under the COVID-19 Vaccination Programme has exceeded 1 million. The figure accounts for around 15 per cent of the population aged 16 or above and eligible to get vaccinated through the Vaccination Programme, which has been running since February 26.
The Department of Health (DH) has put in place a pharmacovigilance system for COVID-19 immunisations, including receiving reports of Adverse Events Following Immunisation (AEFIs) related to the COVID-19 vaccines used in Hong Kong from healthcare professionals and pharmaceutical industries, and setting up the Expert Committee on Clinical Events Assessment Following COVID-19 Immunisation (Expert Committee) to provide independent assessments on the potential causal link between AEFIs and COVID-19 vaccinations.
As of May 2, 2021, a total of 11,785 persons were infected with COVID-19, and 210 died of the disease in Hong Kong. Separately, there were about 1,491,900 doses of COVID-19 vaccines administered and a total of 2,402 AEFI reports (0.16 per cent of all doses administered) were reported. A total of 16 death reports (0.001 per cent of all doses administered) with a vaccination history within 14 days were received in the same period. The Expert Committee already concluded that four cases had no causal relationship with COVID-19 vaccinations, and the rest were preliminarily considered not associated with COVID-19 vaccinations.
The Government called on those who have not yet been vaccinated to do so as early as possible. A high vaccination rate can lead Hong Kong to resume economic and livelihood activities as soon as possible. In view of the threat posed by mutant strains, it is imperative for us to get vaccinated to protect ourselves and others.
For details, please refer to:
https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202105/05/P2021050500854.htm
https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202105/06/P2021050600584.htm
More information on COVID-19 vaccines
https://www.covidvaccine.gov.hk/en/
We would like to solicit your support to disseminate the information to your colleagues, work associates and/or business partners so that they could adopt proper preventive measures. Thank you very much for your support.
Department of Health
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敬啟者：
2019冠狀病毒病及疫苗的最新資訊
1.政府進一步調整到港人士的登機及檢疫安排
為實施「抗疫新路向」下更精準以風險為本的到港人士登機、檢疫及檢測安排，政府調整登機及強制檢疫安排分組：中國以外地區將分為第599H章下極高風險A1組指明地區（等同現行A組指明地區）；新增的甚高風險A2組指明地區；以及原有的高風險B組指明地區、中風險C組指明地區和低風險D組指明地區。
考慮到現時極高風險地區，即印度、尼泊爾、巴基斯坦、菲律賓、巴西及南非的疫情仍然不穩，現行第599H章下的禁令將會繼續維持。
另一方面，考慮到愛爾蘭及英國的疫情已趨平穩及疫苗接種率比較理想，政府於五月七日起撤銷曾逗留愛爾蘭及英國的人士登機來港的禁令，讓當地來港航班可以恢復，並容許當地香港居民登機回港，而有關人士抵港後必須遵守最嚴格的強制檢疫及檢測安排。
按照「疫苗氣泡」概念，政府正計劃根據風險水平適度縮減並未逗留極高或甚高風險地區，並已完成接種疫苗的來港人士的強制檢疫期。相關措施的實施日期及細節將另行公布。
詳情可參閱：
https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202105/04/P2021050400797.htm
https://www.coronavirus.gov.hk/chi/high-risk-places.html
2.逾一百萬人已接種第一針新冠疫苗
政府公布，自2019冠狀病毒病疫苗接種計劃於二月二十六日正式展開，累計已接種第一針新冠疫苗的人口已超過一百萬人，約佔本港16歲或以上合資格接種人口百分之十五。
衞生署建立了新冠疫苗藥物安全監測系統，包括收集醫護人員及藥劑業界在香港使用的新冠疫苗接種異常事件報告，以及成立了新冠疫苗臨床事件評估專家委員會（專家委員會），對香港使用的新冠疫苗與疫苗接種異常事件的潛在關聯進行獨立評估。
截至二○二一年五月二日，本港有11 785人感染2019冠狀病毒病，其中210人因感染該病而離世。另外，本港共接種了約1 491 900劑新冠疫苗及接獲2 402宗異常事件報告（佔疫苗接種總劑量的0.16%）。衞生署同期共收到16宗（佔疫苗接種總劑量的0.001%）曾經於去世前14日內接種新冠疫苗的死亡報告，專家委員會已總結四宗個案與新冠疫苗接種沒有因果關係，而其他個案初步認為與新冠疫苗接種沒有關係。
政府呼籲尚未接種疫苗人士盡早接種疫苗。高疫苗接種率才可以令香港盡快恢復經濟和民生活動。同時，面對變種病毒株的威脅，為了保護自己和身邊的人，接種疫苗實刻不容緩。
詳情可參閱：
https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202105/05/P2021050500851.htm
https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202105/06/P2021050600585.htm
更多新冠疫苗資訊
www.covidvaccine.gov.hk
希望你可以將有關資訊與你的同事、合作者及／或業務伙伴分享，讓他們都能採取合適的預防措施。非常感謝你的支持。
衞生署
