A resident gives a thumbs up at the waiting area of a Community Vaccination Centre set up in the Exhibition Gallery of the Hong Kong Central Library, on Feb 23, 2021. (PHOTO PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY)

HONG KONG – A shipment of about 300,000 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine manufactured by BioNTech in Germany arrived in Hong Kong on Friday afternoon. 

Stringent inspection of the vaccine bactch was carried out in accordance with established procedures

Stringent inspection of the vaccine bactch was carried out in accordance with established procedures to ensure that it complies with the product and cold-chain specifications, according to a government press release. The government would put the vaccine in validated ultra-low temperature freezers to ensure its proper storage in accordance with the temperature specified by the drug manufacturer.

READ MORE: HK to resume BioNTech shots on April 5, logs 13 new cases

Also on Friday, Hong Kong's Center for Health Protection (CHP) reported 19 additional confirmed cases of COVID-19 on Friday, taking the total tally to 11,499.

The new cases included seven local infections and 12 imported ones. Of the local cases, one had an unknown origin, according to a CHP press briefing.

ALSO READ: HK logs 1 new local COVID-19 case, 6 imported

According to the Hospital Authority, 123 COVID-19 patients are currently being treated in public hospitals and the North Lantau Hospital Hong Kong Infection Control Center, and nine patients are in critical condition.

Hong Kong launched a COVID-19 vaccination program on Feb. 26. As of April 1, about 466,300 people had received their first dose of vaccine, and about 54,000 had received their second jabs. 

Of 130 cases recorded in the past 14 days, including 48 local cases, 15 have an unknown origin.

A CHP spokesman said, "Given that the situation of COVID-19 infection remains severe and that there is a continuous increase in the number of cases reported around the world, members of the public are strongly urged to avoid all non-essential travel outside Hong Kong."

With Xinhua inputs