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Government updates list of places of recognised vaccination records
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     The Government announced today (May 16) that it will accept the vaccination records issued by Ecuador, Kenya, Seychelles and Venezuela as recognised vaccination records for persons arriving at Hong Kong who have stayed in overseas places. The relevant arrangements will take effect at 0.00am on May 18 (Wednesday). The Government also reminds persons travelling to Hong Kong that the COVID-19 testing certificates under the EU Digital COVID Certificate (EU DCC) mechanism can serve as a documentary proof for pre-boarding nucleic acid tests.

     The Government has concluded discussions with the governments of Ecuador, Kenya and Venezuela to accept vaccination records issued by these places as recognised vaccination records for persons arriving at Hong Kong who have stayed in overseas places. Meanwhile, the Government announced earlier that it accepts vaccination records recognised under the EU DCC mechanism as recognised vaccination records required for the purpose of boarding flights for Hong Kong from overseas places. As the European Union (EU) has recently announced the recognition of the vaccination records issued by Seychelles as being equivalent to vaccination records issued by EU member states under the mechanism, the Government will therefore also accept the vaccination records issued by the place as recognised vaccination records.

     From 0.00am on May 18, persons who hold a vaccination record in the prescribed format (if applicable) issued by the relevant authorities of Ecuador, Kenya, Seychelles and Venezuela can board a flight for Hong Kong from overseas places. The vaccines administered for the relevant travellers have to be vaccines listed on the Government's List of COVID-19 Vaccines Recognised for Specified Purposes.

     At the same time, the Government notes that the EU DCC mechanism has also recognised the vaccination records issued by Indonesia and Vietnam. Further to the earlier recognition arrangement reached with the two places, the Government will update the List of Places or Organisations of Issuance of Recognised Vaccination Records to include Indonesia and Vietnam as places issuing recognised vaccination records under the EU DCC mechanism.

     Meanwhile, the EU DCC also includes COVID-19 testing certificates, which can serve as documentary proof that the relevant laboratory or healthcare institution is recognised or approved by the relevant authority of the government of the place. That is, if the EU DCC testing certificate held by the relevant person coming to Hong Kong includes the required information, including the full name of the relevant person, that the test was conducted within 48 hours before the scheduled time of departure, that the test conducted was a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) nucleic test, and that the test result was negative, that testing certificate can be considered to have complied with the documentary proof requirement for the pre-departure nucleic acid test.

     The Government has implemented stringent inbound prevention and control measures for persons arriving at Hong Kong from overseas places. Persons who have stayed in any overseas place can only board a flight for Hong Kong if they are fully vaccinated and hold recognised vaccination records. Recognised vaccination records include (a) vaccination records issued by Hong Kong, (b) vaccination records or certifications issued by Mainland or Macao authorities or an institution recognised by Mainland or Macao authorities, (c) vaccination records or certifications issued by an authority or recognised institution of a country where its national regulatory authority is designated by the World Health Organization as a stringent regulatory authority, (d) vaccination records or certifications issued by a relevant authority or recognised institution of a country with which Hong Kong has reached a recognition agreement arrangement with its government, or (e) vaccination records issued by an organisation with which Hong Kong has reached a recognition agreement arrangement.

     The list of places or organisations that are accepted for issuing recognised vaccination records is set out in the Annex, and will be uploaded to the Government's COVID-19 thematic website.

     The Government will continue to discuss with other places on the arrangements for the recognition of vaccination records, and will update the list as recognition arrangements are agreed with these places.
 
Ends/Monday, May 16, 2022
Issued at HKT 18:48
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Annex