Thousands More Jab Slots Open; BioNTech Booking Soon

The government said on Sunday that people would be able start making appointments to receive the BioNtech Covid vaccines by the middle of this week, as they prepared to open up thousands more appointments to receive the Sinovac inoculation.

Some 585,000 doses produced by the German firm were delivered to Hong Kong on Saturday and the remaining 415,000 doses from the first batch the government ordered are expected arrive in early March.

Meanwhile a spokesman said the booking system for the Sinovac jabs would reopen at 9am on Monday.

He said people would be able to make an appointment all the way until March 28 at eight community vaccination centres as well as 18 general out-patient clinics run by the Hospital Authority.

The government did not say how many more bookings would be available, but the Civil Service Secretary Patrick Nip said on Friday that 200,000 more appointments for Sinovac would be open soon.

Appointments are only open to priority groups, such as elderly people and key workers.

Officials said some 7,000 people received a first vaccine dose on Monday, taking the total since vaccinations began on Friday to 20,000. Some 70,000 appointment were made available for booking in the first round last week.

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