21 jab centres extend operation

September 9, 2021

Secretary for the Civil Service Patrick Nip:
We have reviewed the operation of the 26 community vaccination centres and also discussed with the medical teams of the centres and came up with the latest arrangement as announced just now. 

So the five community vaccination centres to be closed from November this year, basically, are (operated by) the private hospitals. I think the private hospitals have their own considerations and I think they have already rendered tremendous support to the Government's vaccination programme, so we expressed our understanding.

And for the remaining 21 community vaccination centres to be operated until the end of the year, I think the overall capacity (will enable us) to meet the anticipated demand for vaccination.

(To watch the full media session with sign language interpretation, click here.)

The Government today announced that five community vaccination centres (CVCs) will be closed from November, while the other 21 will continue to operate until the end of this year.

Meeting the media this afternoon, Secretary for the Civil Service Patrick Nip said that the Government decided to make the adjustments after reviewing the operation of the existing 26 centres and discussion with the medical teams responsible for the centres.

From November, the centres at Hong Kong Sanatorium & Hospital and its Eastern Medical Centre, St Paul's Hospital, Tai Po Hui Sports Centre and Tsuen King Circuit Sports Centre will cease operation.

The other 21 centres will extend their operation to the end of this year, providing first-dose vaccination services in October and November and only the second dose in December.

The opening hours of these 21 centres will also be adjusted from November. They will operate from 10am to 6pm on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays and will be closed on Wednesdays. On Saturdays and Sundays, the current opening hours of 8am to 8pm will be maintained.

All the centres will be closed between 1.30pm and 2.30pm on working days for cleaning.

Mr Nip said: "The five CVCs to be closed from November this year, basically, are operated by the private hospitals.

“I think the private hospitals have their own considerations and I think they have already rendered tremendous support to the Government's vaccination programme, so we expressed our understanding.

“And for the remaining 21 CVCs to be operated until the end of the year, I think the overall capacity will enable us to meet the anticipated demand for vaccination.”

The daily vaccination quota available at the centres from November will be 27,000 on weekdays and 41,000 on Saturdays and Sundays.

Mr Nip added that the Government has endeavoured to maintain as much as possible the operation of centres with the more popular time slots to facilitate the vaccination of citizens.