Media

Professor Yuen Kwok-yung made the following response in a media interview today (March 24). 

Question 1: The Loke Yew Hall vaccination centre has been in operation for about a month. Compared to the initial stage of operation, has there been any changes to the booking situation? Has booking decreased? If so, which age group has the biggest decrease?
Response: Our Loke Yew Hall vaccination centre has once achieved the highest number of inoculation at 1700, now it goes down to only 400. The good news is that Mr Patrick Nip (Secretary for Civil Service) is able to achieve "vaccine is waiting for people". The bad news is that many people are already infected and have to wait for 3 months before getting the second or the third dose of vaccination. All age groups are affected as over 1 million to 3 million of our population is already infected. Now most of those coming to our centre are the younger age group between 12 to 19 because they have to go back to school soon.  

Q2: Earlier on, the government has advanced the implementation of the third jab in the Vaccine Pass for one month. Has this stimulated the public in making a reservation? If not, why do you think this is so?
R: The effect of vaccine pass on vaccination rate will not be obvious now because many are infected. The effect may be seen 3 months later. 

Q3: What tactics did you use to increase the vaccination rate at the Loke Yew Hall vaccination centre? What made you think of using HKU postcards as a draw? How did people react to that?
R: We just hope that those coming for the vaccination would be left with a good memory about the vaccination centre with classical music and a beautiful environment, NOT fear, worry or pain. I see many young couples coming to have the vaccination together, taking selfies in this beautiful and romantic Loke Yew Hall.  This is also the place where Dr. Sun Yat Sen made a speech in 1923. This place became a hospital during the Second World War and has now been turned into a vaccination centre for Hong Kong people during this pandemic.

Q4: You have been advocating to expand the scope of the Vaccine Pass. It has been reported that the Government is considering extending it to patients in public hospitals. Do you agree? Why? Do you have any other suggestions?
R: I think we should not restrict people going to the Accident and Emergency Department in hospitals for treatment, but implementing the Vaccine Pass in public transports, schools, eateries and other listed premises are reasonable.

Q5: The Government has a roadmap of “resuming normal”, but some people think that the pandemic situation in Hong Kong is still serious, and people are going out more frequently. They are worried that once social distancing measures are gradually relaxed after a month, and with kindergartens and primary schools resuming face-to-face classes, there may be a huge backlash. Do you agree? Why?
R: The degree of relaxation of pandemic control measures depends on how many and how fast we can vaccinate. If we achieve a high vaccination rate in elderly people and children, we do not need to worry about relaxation. If not, we really need to worry.

1. We must work VERY hard to improve the vaccination rate, air change, infection control measures in elderly homes before the sixth wave. This requires a rapid and close collaboration between Social Welfare Department, Department of Health, Hospital authority and Electrical Mechanical Service department. 
2. We should get most of the children vaccinated before schools reopen. Remember that we have at least 0.5 million of primary and secondary school students. If only 90% are vaccinated, there will still be 50,000 unvaccinated students who may develop symptomatic diseases. Even if 0.01% or 5 of them die, this can induce another public panic.
3. We should relax more the international travel with adequate testing because the risk to us is very little when we have over 10,000 confirmed cases per day.

Q6: After relaxation in the last stage, do you think Hong Kong will still be looking at three-digit confirmed cases for a long period of time? And will there be no hope in reopening the border with Mainland China? Why?
R: The pandemic control policy of every country will always change according to the global pandemic situation. Mainland China will also change its policy accordingly. We do not need to worry about border reopening with the Mainland as long as we have done our best to reduce the number of cases. As I have said six months ago, there should NOT be any contradiction between zero policy and living with the virus. The zero policy is to allow time for every eligible person to get vaccinated. Though many of our elderly people missed the golden opportunity, we should try to help them do better before the sixth wave now before it is too late.

Media enquiries:
Communications and Public Affairs Office, HKU
Ms Melanie Wan (Email: melwkwan@hku.hk)
Ms Rashida Suffiad (Email: rsuffiad@hku.hk)