Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor meets the press at Central Government Offices on March 16, 2021. (CALVIN NG / CHINA DAILY)

HONG KONG - Hong Kong’s Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor said the government wasn't considering mandatory COVID-19 vaccination in Hong Kong as it would not be viable in a city that treasured freedom and personal choices.

As of Monday, 166,100 people had received the first dose of the Sinovac vaccine and 39,900 had been injected with the BioNTech vaccine

Speaking to reporters before an Executive Council meeting on Tuesday morning, Lam, however, pointed out a high vaccination rate in Hong Kong could bring about a relaxation of social distancing rules and eventual resumption of cross-boundary travel.

Around 15,200 residents received vaccines on Monday. As of Monday, 166,100 people had received the first dose of the Sinovac vaccine and 39,900 had been injected with the BioNTech vaccine.

READ MORE: Vaccination with BioNTech starts, HK sees 8 new cases

Also on Monday, health authorities issued a mandatory testing notice to the United States Consulate General in Hong Kong after a couple working there, a 40-year-old man and a 41-year-old woman, tested positive.

Referring to the infections, Lam said, “Everybody is treated equal before the law in terms of our epidemic control measures, regardless of their race, their status and their identity."

ALSO READ: Nearly 230,000 register for vaccination as HK sees 14 cases

Lam said a child of the couple was also found to be infected with COVID-19. 

In a press release issued late Monday, the government said officials had liaised with the US Consulate General as soon as the infections were confirmed and Hong Kong's Centre for Health Protection had arranged treatment for the couple as per existing protocol.

"The US Consulate General in Hong Kong has been fully co-operative with the Government on all the above action items to combat COVID-19," reads the press release.