Following is a question by Dr the Hon Lo Wai-kwok and a written reply by the Secretary for Food and Health, Professor Sophia Chan, in the Legislative Council today (July 21):
 
Question:
 
     In response to the "Early Vaccination for All" campaign launched by the Government, quite a number of commercial and community organisations have rolled out, one after another, various vaccination reward programmes (reward programmes) to encourage members of the public to receive vaccination against the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). However, members of the public need to fill in their personal data on different electronic platforms one by one in order to participate in the reward programmes. Some members of the public consider that such arrangement is time-consuming and cumbersome, undermining the effectiveness of the reward programmes. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
 
(1) whether it will set up a unified platform to (i) enable members of the public to participate in the reward programmes they prefer by filling in their personal data just once and (ii) assist the organisations which organise the reward programmes in verifying the eligibility of the winners; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and
 
(2) given that the Summer Olympic Games soon to be held in Tokyo have aroused the attention of members of the public in sports activities, whether the Government will distribute tickets or souvenirs of local sports matches to persons who have completed a COVID-19 vaccination course, so as to enhance the motivation of members of the public to receive vaccination; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?
 
Reply:
 
President,
 
     In consultation with the Innovation and Technology Bureau and Home Affairs Bureau, a reply to the various parts of the question raised by Dr the Hon Lo Wai-kwok is as follows:
 
(1) The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government launched the "Early Vaccination for All" campaign on May 31, with the aim of building an immune barrier in Hong Kong as soon as possible by significantly raising the vaccination rate. Various sectors across the community have responded positively by rolling out various reward programmes to encourage members of the public to get vaccinated, thereby facilitating early resumption of Hong Kong's normal economic activities with concerted efforts.

     The Government welcomes the incentives actively provided by the commercial sector and organisations to encourage members of the public to receive the COVID-19 vaccination. The Office of the Government Chief Information Officer will provide technical support for the reward programmes for vaccination provided by these enterprises and organisations by assisting them in verifying winners' vaccination records to confirm their eligibility. Regarding the suggestion of setting up a single registration platform by the Government, it is noted that the details of the reward programmes for vaccination launched by different organisations and enterprises vary in terms of the launch dates, format of activity and rules, eligibility and requirements of participants and winners, as well as the personal information to be collected, etc. Moreover, some of the reward programmes also include elements such as marketing and membership promotion, etc. Taking into account the different requirements of respective organisations and enterprises, we are of the view that it is more appropriate for the organisations that organise the activity to handle their relevant reward registration. Some of the organisations and enterprises have already launched specific event websites and registration procedures for their reward programmes, and arranged related promotional activities.
 
(2) Given the epidemic, most major international sports events scheduled to be held in Hong Kong have either been cancelled or postponed since early 2020. The 2021 UCI Track Cycling Nations Cup held in May this year also had to be conducted behind closed doors. As regards local sports matches, infection prevention and control measures were observed and admission quotas were placed. In fact, most local matches offer admission at no or low charge. Therefore, the Government has no plan to distribute tickets of sports matches with a view to incentivising members of the public to receive vaccination.

     The Tokyo Olympic Games (TOG) will be held in Tokyo, Japan soon. To enhance public interest in and concerns on sports across the territory, the Government will conduct various community engagement and publicity activities during TOG for public participation free of charge with a view to cheering Hong Kong athletes on, including the setting up of Olympics Live Zones by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department at designated sports centres in 18 districts for public viewing of TOG competitions. Souvenirs will also be distributed on the spot.

Ends/Wednesday, July 21, 2021
Issued at HKT 15:38

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