(31 May 2021) Hong Kong authorities on Monday appealed to the private sector to offer incentives to help ease COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy, and warned that those who do not get vaccinated may face more stringent restrictions should the city face a new outbreak.
Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam said at a news conference Monday that she has written letters to over a hundred real estate developers and retail outlets, urging them to offer incentives that could boost the city's vaccination campaign.
The move comes as Hong Kong faces vaccine hesitancy in its population, with just 20% of its population vaccinated since the end of February despite widespread access to getting inoculated.
Vaccine registrations surged over the weekend, after a real estate developer put a $1.4 million apartment up as a grand prize in a lucky draw, together with other prizes, open to all Hong Kong permanent residents who have been vaccinated.
On Sunday, some 26,900 people made online bookings to receive the vaccinations, more than double the 12,600 on Friday, the day that the lucky draw was announced.
Authorities also said that while social distancing restrictions would be relaxed for vaccinated residents, those who do not receive the vaccine and are not exempt medically could face longer quarantine periods if they are designated as a close contact of someone infected with the coronavirus, and could face more frequent testing depending on their line of work.
Separately, Lam said that a number of countries have contacted Hong Kong offering to purchase its vaccines or asking if Hong Kong could donate any unused vaccines to them.
However, she said that the city was bound by advance purchase agreements signed with pharmaceutical companies that restrict the use and disposal of vaccines.

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