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 and Safety Office
Dear Sir/Madam,
Updated information on Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) and vaccines
1. Arrangements for children aged 5 to 11 to receive COVID-19 vaccines
The Government announced that children aged 5 to 11 can receive the Sinovac vaccine from January 21 with reservation service starting from 8am, while the reservation for BioNTech vaccination will start on February 9 and the vaccination service will commence on February 16.
For details, refer to: https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202201/20/P2022012000714.htm
2. Government announces medical exemption arrangement under "vaccine pass"
The Government announced the arrangement for obtaining the COVID-19 Vaccination Medical Exemption Certificate by members of the public under the arrangement of the "vaccine pass".
Under the current arrangement of the "vaccine bubble", staff members of certain premises are required to receive COVID-19 vaccination, or undergo regular tests if they have been assessed by a doctor as being medically unsuitable for vaccination. The Chief Executive announced that in view of the expansion of the "vaccine bubble" to cover the majority of premises used by the public, the measure will be renamed as the "vaccine pass" to indicate that only those vaccinated may access the premises. The "vaccine pass" under planning requires those entering certain premises to have received COVID-19 vaccination. Only under the following two circumstances can one be exempted from the vaccination requirement: (1) an individual is ineligible for vaccination due to age; or (2) an individual is unsuitable for vaccination due to health reasons with relevant proof from a doctor.
For details, refer to: https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202201/27/P2022012700615.htm
3. New functions added to "LeaveHomeSafe" for easy display of vaccination QR codes
The Office of the Government Chief Information Officer (OGCIO) announced that the "LeaveHomeSafe" mobile app version 3.0.2 is now available for update. To prepare for the future expansion of the "vaccine pass", the process of displaying the QR codes for COVID-19 vaccination records (electronic vaccination records) has been streamlined. The new version also supports the saving of the QR codes for COVID-19 Vaccination Medical Exemption Certificates. Upon successful scanning of the "LeaveHomeSafe" venue QR codes, the app will automatically show users' QR codes of electronic vaccination records or Exemption Certificates stored in their mobile phones to assist venue operators in checking whether users have complied with relevant vaccination requirements.
For details, refer to: https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202201/27/P2022012700198.htm
4. Government adjusts boarding, quarantine and testing arrangements for inbound travellers and extends arrangement of place-specific flight suspension mechanism
The Government announces that from February 5, the compulsory quarantine period for inbound travellers from overseas places will be adjusted to 14 days in designated quarantine hotels (DQHs), to be followed by a seven-day self-monitoring period. Meanwhile, the place-specific flight suspension mechanism for Australia, Canada, France, India, Pakistan, the Philippines, the United Kingdom and the United States of America will be extended for 14 days to February 18.
For details, refer to: https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202201/27/P2022012700853.htm
5. Government tightens boarding and quarantine requirements for places with Omicron cases detected
In view of the latest global developments of the COVID-19 pandemic situation, the places listed below will be specified as Group A specified places to tighten the boarding and quarantine requirements for relevant inbound travellers.
· Turks and Caicos Islands from 0.00am on January 25
For details, refer to: https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202201/22/P2022012200413.htm
6. Additional designated quarantine facilities for quarantine of foreign domestic helpers
The Labour Department (LD) announced that O'Hotel and iclub Ma Tau Wai Hotel will, starting from February 6 and March 1 respectively, be added as designated quarantine facilities (DQFs) providing an additional 491 rooms in total for quarantine of foreign domestic helpers (FDHs) coming to work in Hong Kong. The total number of rooms of DQFs will be increased to 2 779. As for the Courtyard by Marriott Hong Kong Sha Tin, which currently provides 500 rooms for quarantine of FDHs, the number of rooms provided will remain unchanged but the fee will be adjusted starting from March 8.
For details, refer to: https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202201/27/P2022012700203.htm
7. Government implements enhanced measures for vaccination of residents of RCHEs and RCHDs
With the rampant COVID-19 epidemic situation still raging and the faster and more extensive spread of the virus as a result of the mutant strains, and the fact that so far only about 26 per cent of the residents at the residential care homes for the elderly (RCHEs) and the residential care homes for persons with disabilities (RCHDs) having received vaccination despite various government vaccination programmes for these residents thus far, the Government announced that enhanced measures will be implemented.
For details, refer to: https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202201/27/P2022012700744.htm
8. 47th round of compulsory testing for staff members of RCHEs, RCHDs and nursing homes to commence shortly
The Government announced that the 47th round of compulsory testing for staff members of residential care homes for the elderly (RCHEs), residential care homes for persons with disabilities (RCHDs) and nursing homes will commence shortly.
For details, refer to: https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202201/21/P2022012000575.htm
More information on COVID-19 vaccines:
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. 五至十一歲兒童接種新冠疫苗安排
政府宣布，五至十一歲兒童可由一月二十一日開始接種科興克爾來福疫苗，預約服務由上午八時開始；接種復必泰疫苗則由二月九日開始預約，二月十六日開始接種。
詳情可參閱 : https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202201/20/P2022012000242.htm
2. 政府公布「疫苗通行證」下的醫學豁免安排
政府公布在「疫苗通行證」安排下，市民獲取「新冠疫苗接種醫學豁免證明書」（「豁免證明書」）的安排。 在現行「疫苗氣泡」安排下，個別處所員工必須接種新冠疫苗，如獲醫生證明因健康原因而不適合接種疫苗，則必須接受定期檢測。行政長官公布，鑑於「疫苗氣泡」將會擴大至涵蓋大部分公眾使用的處所，該措施會正名為「疫苗通行證」，代表只有已接種疫苗才可以通行。計劃中的「疫苗通行證」要求進入個別處所的人士必須接種新冠疫苗，並只在以下兩種例外情況下容許相關人士無須符合疫苗接種要求：（一）因年齡關係而未符合接種疫苗資格；或（二）獲醫生證明因健康原因而不適合接種疫苗。
詳情可參閱 : https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202201/27/P2022012700608.htm
3. 「安心出行」應用程式新增功能便利展示疫苗接種紀錄二維碼
政府資訊科技總監辦公室（資科辦）推出「安心出行」流動應用程式3.0.2版本，簡化展示電子疫苗接種紀錄（電子針卡）二維碼流程，同時支援儲存「新冠疫苗接種醫學豁免證明書」（「豁免證明書」），為日後落實擴展「疫苗通行證」做好準備。用戶在成功掃描場地二維碼後，程式會自動顯示儲存在手機內的電子針卡或「豁免證明書」二維碼，方便處所負責人檢視用戶是否符合相關疫苗接種要求。
詳情可參閱 : https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202201/27/P2022012700200.htm
4. 政府調整抵港人士的登機、檢疫及檢測安排和延長地區性航班「熔斷機制」安排
政府公布，由二月五日起將從海外地區抵港人士的強制檢疫期調整為在指定檢疫酒店強制檢疫14天，並於其後七天自行監察。此外，政府將延長就澳洲、加拿大、法國、印度、巴基斯坦、菲律賓、英國和美國實施的地區性航班「熔斷機制」14天至二月十八日。
詳情可參閱 : https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202201/27/P2022012700852.htm
5. 政府收緊發現Omicron個案地區的登機及檢疫要求
政府公布，按全球最新2019冠狀病毒病疫情發展 , 於以下日子指明相關地區為A組指明地區，收緊相關抵港人士的登機及檢疫要求
· 於一月二十五日凌晨零時起：特克斯和凱科斯群島 詳情可參閱 : https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202201/22/P2022012200412.htm
6. 新增指定檢疫設施供外籍家庭傭工作檢疫用途
勞工處宣布，由二月六日及三月一日起，分別增設奧斯酒店及富薈馬頭圍酒店為指定檢疫設施，提供額外合共491個房間，供來港工作的外籍家庭傭工（外傭）作檢疫用途。指定檢疫設施的房間總數將增至2 779間。至於現時提供500個房間作外傭檢疫用途的香港沙田萬怡酒店，仍將提供同樣房間數目，但收費將於三月八日起作出調整。
詳情可參閱 : https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202201/27/P2022012700199.htm
7. 政府就安老院／殘疾人士院舍院友接種計劃採取加強措施
政府公布，由於2019冠狀病毒病仍然肆虐並因變異株令傳播更加快速及廣泛，但安老院／殘疾人士院舍院友在政府多項疫苗接種計劃下至今仍只有約26%院友已經接種，決定採取加強措施。
詳情可參閱 : https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202201/27/P2022012700623.htm
8. 第四十七輪安老院、殘疾人士院舍及護養院員工強制檢測即將展開
政府宣布，第四十七輪安老院、殘疾人士院舍及護養院員工強制檢測即將展開。
詳情可參閱 : https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202201/21/P2022012000574.htm
更多新冠疫苗資訊：
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
