In view of the evolving pandemic developments since the COVID-19 outbreak and the threat posed by mutant strains, the financial regulators and the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) have issued circulars to the institutions, intermediaries and trustees under their purview, strongly encouraging all relevant employees to get vaccinated as soon as possible.
 
     The Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury, Mr Christopher Hui, today (November 1) said that he supports the appeal of the financial regulators and the HKMA. He said, "When the relevant employees provide financial services, they often have face-to-face contact with their clients or perform critical support functions. In the face of the threat posed by mutant strains, vaccination is the best way for self-protection as well as to protect their colleagues and clients. It can also help to ensure the normal operation of Hong Kong's financial system and society."
 
     The HKMA, the Securities and Futures Commission, the Insurance Authority, the Mandatory Provident Fund Schemes Authority and the Financial Reporting Council, in their individual circulars, requested the relevant sectors to adopt the vaccination in lieu of regular testing arrangement and proactively encourage all the relevant employees to receive vaccination as early as possible. Staff who have not received the first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine by November 30, 2021, or are unfit to receive vaccination due to medical conditions can opt to undergo effective testing for COVID-19 every two weeks.
 
     Mr Hui said, "Hong Kong's vaccination rate has yet to achieve the basic target of 70 per cent and the number of people receiving vaccination per day has been fluctuating downwards. I call on all those working in the financial industry to continue to work together and get vaccinated as soon as possible, so as to provide a more stable foundation for a full economic recovery. The Government will also continue to review various anti-epidemic measures to allow resumption of the normal activities of society."

Ends/Monday, November 1, 2021
Issued at HKT 17:30

NNNN