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Asia Minute: Pace of Regional Vaccinations Varies

Yui Mok/Pool Photo via AP

More than a quarter of Hawai‘i’s population has now received at least one shot of a coronavirus vaccination. Elsewhere in the Pacific, vaccines are rolling out more slowly, but with some milestones this week.

Starting today, the general public in South Korea will be eligible for coronavirus vaccines.

So far, nearly 800,000 medical workers and high-risk groups have been vaccinated, but now the list of those eligible is growing.

Next up: those 75 years of age and older.

Government officials calculate that’s a little more than three and a half million people.

In Singapore, nearly 20% of the population has now had at least one shot.

For a little more than a week, the vaccinations have been open to people age 45 and older.

And there are some other gradual transitions underway there.

Starting next week, up to 75% of employees can be at the workplace at the same time in Singapore---that’s up from 50%.

Wedding receptions can swell to 250 from 100, as long as those who are not vaccinated get COVID-19 tests.

Japan is still moving slowly with vaccinations---those 65 and older will start to receive them in about a week and a half.

Australia’s vaccination plan is underway but is going more slowly than expected.

Last week it began to administer shots to those older than 70, and indigenous people older than 55.

The government says it’s on track with a plan to have every Australian vaccinated, but they won’t all receive their first shots until the end of October.

Bill Dorman has been the news director at Hawaiʻi Public Radio since 2011.
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