More Vaccine-Hesitant Hongkongers Are Finally Signing Up for COVID-19 Shots. Is It Because of the Give-Aways, or the Outbreak Nearby? – By Amy Gunia (TIME) / June 11 2021
For months, Hong Kong’s leaders have fretted about the city’s low COVID-19 vaccination rates. Despite vaccines being plentiful, free and available to anyone who wants one at a slew community health centers, just 18% of the city’s 7.5 million people chose to get a shot between February and the end of May.
But, there are signs that some of that vaccine hesitancy may be subsiding. In the last three weeks, the average number of people receiving their first COVID-19 shot each day has more than doubled, and the portion of residents with at least one dose has climbed to nearly 22%.
It’s a trend that coincides with two developments.
First, businesses in the Chinese territory began giving away a diverse array of high-end prizes, totaling an estimated $15 million, for residents who get the jab. The offerings include a private party on an Airbus A321neo passenger plane, gold bars worth more than $130,000, a Tesla Model 3 Long Range and, most notably, a $1.4 million apartment—an eye-catching prize in one of the world’s most expensive real estate markets.
The other development is a COVID-19 outbreak involving the more contagious Delta virus variant across the border in the Mainland city of Guangzhou, which authorities are struggling to contain. Some Hong Kong residents have family in Guangzhou, and the cities have strong economic ties, as well.
CONTINUE > https://time.com/6071742/hong-kong-vaccine-incentives/
