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Apr exports value down 13%

The value of Hong Kong's total exports decreased to $338.3 billion in April, down 13% on the same month last year, the Census & Statistics Department announced today.   The value of imports of goods decreased 11.9% to $374.9 billion for the same period.   A trade deficit of $36.6 billion, or 9.8% of the value of imports, was recorded in April.   Comparing the three-month period ending April with the preceding three months on a seasonally adjusted basis, the value of exports rose 15.4%, while that of imports increased 10.7%.   The Government noted that the value of merchandise exports declined further from a year earlier in April. Exports to the Mainland, the US and the European Union all shrank and exports to other major Asian markets recorded decreases of varying degrees.   Looking ahead, it added that the weakness in the advanced economies will continue to weigh on Hong Kong's export performance, though the expected faster recovery of the Mainland economy should

Jab plans to start on Oct 6

The Centre for Health Protection today said that the 2021-22 Government Vaccination Programme and Vaccination Subsidy Scheme will start on October 6 to provide eligible citizens free or subsidised seasonal influenza jabs.   Specific groups of Hong Kong residents will in phases receive free influenza vaccination through designated public clinics under the Government Vaccination Programme.   Starting from November 1, people aged 65 or above living in the community can get vaccinated at the Department of Health’s designated elderly health centres.   From November 8, these senior citizens, as well as poultry workers, pig farmers and those involved in poultry culling operations or the pig-slaughtering industry, as referred by government departments, can have flu jabs at the Hospital Authority’s general out-patient clinics.   The centre further said that under the Seasonal Influenza Vaccination School Outreach (Free of Charge) scheme, a public-private-partnership team or a government outreach team will provide free vaccination for schoolchildren in participating schools. The service for kindergartens, kindergarten-and-child care centres and child care centres will begin on October 6 while that for primary schools will start on October 13.   At the same time, the Vaccination Subsidy Scheme will be launched this Wednesday. Hong Kong residents meeting relevant requirements can receive subsidised flu jabs at clinics of private doctors enrolled in this scheme.   Meanwhile, free/subsidised pneumococcal vaccination for eligible people will still be available under the Government Vaccination Programme and Vaccination Subsidy Scheme, the centre noted.   Those aged 65 or above who do not have high-risk conditions can receive one dose of 23-valent polysaccharide pneumococcal vaccination. Elderly people with high-risk conditions who have not been administered a pneumococcal jab before can get one dose of a 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine, followed by one dose of a 23-valent jab a year later.   It is recommended that citizens have an interval of at least 14 days between getting a COVID-19 injection and a flu or pneumococcal jab, the centre added.   Call 2125 2125 or visit the dedicated web page for further information.
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