When asked whether the three-dose requirement of the vaccine pass would be delayed, Nip said that the relevant requirements are necessary and that the government has taken the lead by requiring staffers to be triple-jabbed before entering government offices.

Nip said that at present, Hong Kong’s vaccination rate is still lacking. He hopes that the public will receive three doses of the vaccine as soon as possible so that social distancing measures can be relaxed and the public can return to their normal lives.

As of Monday, according to the Hong Kong Vaccination Dashboard, 90 percent of people in Hong Kong have received at least one dose of the vaccine, and nearly 86 percent have received a second. Only 68 percent of those aged 20 to 60 and 80 percent of those over 60-year-old have received the third jab.

Those over 12 years old have to be double-jabbed to enter venues including restaurants, shopping malls, and supermarkets, and the requirement will be raised to three doses on May 31.

Nip said that vaccination centers, private clinics, and public hospitals are capable of administering 100,000 vaccine doses per day, and encouraged the public to get all three shots as soon as possible.