CNBC was told Wednesday by a government advisor that Hong Kong should stick to its zero Covid strategy to ensure more vaccines are given to people.

Yuen Kwok yung from Hong Kong, which is part Hong Kong’s advisory panel on Covid-19, stated, “If 95% are getting vaccinated in full with three doses then there is a chance that we will be able to open the border.”

This target is still far away from being met by the Chinese city. On Wednesday, only 68.6% received two doses. according to government data.322,781 people (or 4.4%) have already received their third shot.

Yuen said that a vaccination passport would help increase vaccine rates. Yuen also heads the microbiology section at the University of Hong Kong.

“Perhaps so [the]He stated that Israel is the only country which can ensure a high vaccine rate. Israel is only able to issue full-vaccinated individuals. “green pass” that allows them to enter indoor venues such as restaurants, gyms and cinemas.

Yuen stated that Hong Kong’s current strategy cannot be changed. “Squawk Box Asia.”

“At the moment, it is the same. “We must keep our near-zero current policy,” he stated.

Hong Kong has strict entry requirements for people who wish to live there. quarantine for up to 21 days and take multiple Covid-19 testsYuen stated that measures are needed to address the root cause of infection.

The city’s zero-Covid strategy is not the only one. main frustration for foreign businesses operating there, an analyst told CNBC on Tuesday.

Yuen indicated that zero-Covid would not be kept indefinitely by the city, but it will only remain in effect until there are “sufficient” levels of vaccination.

It’s not possible to sustain it for longer than three years, he said. “I think that for the coming years, the government has to set a deadline when everybody have to have a vaccine pass … to go around.”

For all other purposes, vaccination is mandatory some activities in Hong KongThis is true, however the rules regarding unvaccinated persons are less strict than they were in countries like Israel and Singapore.

Since the outbreak of the pandemic in Hong Kong, 12,548 Covid confirmed cases have been reported, with 34 of them being the omicron-type variant. according to government data as of Wednesday.

— CNBC’s Weizhen Tan contributed to this report.