Civil servants, teachers and healthcare workers in Hong Kong must get vaccinated against the coronavirus or they will have to pay for regular testing, stated the city′s leader, as the administration adopted compulsory vaccinations.

After a span of six months, only 36% of the city′s population is fully vaccinated while 48% have received one vaccine dose. Chief executive Carrie Lam announced a new step to increase the city′s vaccination rate by making it compulsory for four sectors, including civil servants, healthcare workers, care home staff and school teachers. Vaccination rates range from 70% among civil servants to a mere 47% among teachers. Lam said that there is scope for improvement.

Those who do not get vaccinated will have to undergo testing twice a week and pay for the cost of testing out of their own pockets, unless there is a valid medical reason for them not to be vaccinated… (NDTV – AFP, August 2, 2021)