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Hong Kong begins vaccinating children aged 3 and above amid COVID-19 surge

As Covid-19 sweeps across Hong Kong, the semi-autonomous Chinese city aims to distribute the COVID-19 immunisation to children as young as 3. The statement came on Sunday, ahead of a new wave of cases.

On Monday, the city announced a fresh case count of 2,071 for the first time, with more than 4,500 preliminary positives expected for the next day.

The suspension of in-class teaching in Hong Kong schools has been prolonged for another two weeks, until March 6. Authorities have ordered lockdowns on residential areas where illness clusters have been found, and public dining has already been restricted after 6 pm. Only persons who have been vaccinated will be allowed in shopping malls and supermarkets, while houses of worship, hair salons, and other businesses have been instructed to close.

On Tuesday, children aged 3 and up will begin receiving vaccinations using a vaccine developed by Sinovac, a Chinese company. Previously, the minimum age was set at five years old. Hong Kong has vaccinated 73 percent of its eligible population, excluding children, to the fullest extent possible.

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Even when only a few cases are identified, Hong Kong has embraced mainland China’s ‘zero-tolerance’ policy to deal with the pandemic, which includes quarantines, mask regulations, case tracing, and lockdowns of buildings, neighbourhoods, and entire towns.

More than 25,000 COVID-19 cases have been reported in the city, with around 220 fatalities due to the virus.

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