Sharjah24 – Reuters: Hong Kong will start offering COVID-19 vaccines for children over the age of five, Chief Executive Carrie Lam said on Tuesday, as it tries to increase its relatively low vaccination rate amid an increase in coronavirus infections.

Lam, speaking at a weekly media briefing, said kindergartens and primary schools must stop face-to-face classes from Friday until after the Lunar New Year at the beginning of February to prevent transmissions of the fast-spreading Omicron variant.

Schools had mostly resumed in-person classes late last year after months of online teaching.

Children over five will be able to get the Chinese-made Sinovac vaccine, Lam said. Authorities have cleared the other vaccine available in Hong Kong, made by Germany's BioNTech, for children aged 12 and older.

"I am optimistic and confident we can overcome the situation," Lam said.