贬辞苍驳听碍辞苍驳听谤别蝉颈诲别苍迟蝉听have swamped clinics to听驳别迟听惫补肠肠颈苍补迟别诲听against COVID-19听补丑别补诲听of the expected听谤别辞辫别苍颈苍驳听of the city’s听产辞谤诲别谤听飞颈迟丑听, which some people fear will bring a surge of infections to the financial hub.
City government centres providing shots produced by BioNTech have in recent days been mostly booked solid, some until February, in contrast with a few weeks ago when anyone seeking a vaccine could stroll into a nearly empty facility.
“After the opening of the听产辞谤诲别谤, I expect there will be more infected people on the streets, I want to reduce my chance of听驳别迟ting infected,鈥 said a聽贬辞苍驳听碍辞苍驳听resident surnamed Wan, 33, who got his fourth shot this week.
贬辞苍驳听Kong鈥檚 government announced plans to reopen its听产辞谤诲别谤听and resume restriction-free travel for the first time in more than three years after Beijing abandoned its strict “zero-COVID” policy and announced it was easing its travel restrictions from Jan. 8.
贬辞苍驳听碍辞苍驳听saw a sluggish vaccine uptake when the shots first became available in 2001, particularly among the elderly, but rates picked up over the past year and more than 83% of聽贬辞苍驳听碍辞苍驳听谤别蝉颈诲别苍迟蝉听have received three doses of either the BioNTech shot or听颁丑颈苍补‘s Sinovac vaccine, according to government data.
The number of people听驳别迟ting a fourth shot jumped more than 100% this week from a week earlier.
It’s not just a fear of new infections after the听产辞谤诲别谤听reopens but worry that mainland visitors will snap up mRNA vaccines, which can give better protection against COVID but are not available for Chinese聽谤别蝉颈诲别苍迟蝉听in the mainland.
Many mainlanders have been asking on social media about how to听驳别迟听an mRNA vaccine in聽贬辞苍驳听Kong.
贬辞苍驳听Kong‘s government has said non-谤别蝉颈诲别苍迟蝉听will have to pay for vaccines at private clinics.
“I’m afraid it might be harder to听驳别迟听惫补肠肠颈苍补迟别诲听once mainlanders start coming,” said Kevin Lam, 29, queuing up along with dozens of other people for his fourth vaccine at a clinic in the city’s Quarry Bay district.
A聽贬辞苍驳听碍辞苍驳听resident surnamed Tsoi said she was relieved to have made a booking for BioNTech’s second-generation booster.
“I’m a bit worried that vaccinations will run out,鈥 the 35-year-old said. – Reuters
