HONG KONG,NEW ZEALAND, BANGLADESH: Hong Kong will launch a vaccine pass scheme this week, officials said Monday, as hospitals struggle under an Omicron-fueled outbreak and the finance hub sees record-high departures.
The densely populated metropolis is currently in the throes of its worst-ever coronavirus outbreak, registering thousands of confirmed cases every day as hospitals and isolation units run out of space.
Starting Thursday, all residents aged 12 and above entering restaurants and clubhouses will be required to provide proof of having at least one COVID vaccine shot or a doctor’s exemption.
“Everyone should carry along their vaccine record or exemptions like their ID cards,” said Kevin Choi, deputy secretary of food and health, at a press conference on Monday.
Other public spaces — including wet markets, supermarkets, hospitals and government premises — will not require a show of proof, but will be subjected to spot checks by authorities and fines.
City leader Carrie Lam had said last month she hopes the scheme could push the vaccine-hesitant to get the jab. “If you choose not to get vaccinated… you must bear some of the consequences,” she said.
Hong Kong, which follows China’s “zero-COVID” policy, enjoyed months of no local infections last year.
Meanwhile, New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern says the nation’s vaccine pass and mandate system will begin to lift once New Zealand is through its Omicron peak in March.
Ardern said vaccine passes had always been “temporary” and the “least bad option” to make sure people who had done the right thing had more freedoms.
The Prime Minister spoke as protesters against the mandates and the wider COVID-19 response entered their third week occupying the ground outside Parliament.
Meanwhile, the Bangladesh Government will not extend its COVID-19 restrictions once they expire on Tuesday but mask mandates will remain as usual, Cabinet Secretary Khandker Anwarul Islam said.
“There will be no further restrictions in effect beyond February 22,” he told journalists in Dhaka.According to the Cabinet Secretary, masks will remain mandatory for attending any indoor or outdoor events. – JAPAN TODAY, INDIA TODAY, IANS