Adults and children line up for vaccination against COVID-19 at the Community Vaccination Centre at Hong Kong Central Library in Causeway Bay, Hong Kong, Feb 25, 2022. (CALVIN NG / CHINA DAILY)

HONG KONG - Hong Kong residents flocked to vaccination centers on Friday to get inoculated against COVID-19 a day after the vaccine passport scheme took effect. 

The scheme requires people aged 12 and above to have at least one COVID-19 jab to access venues including supermarkets, shopping malls and restaurants.

The global financial hub reported a new record of 8,798 daily coronavirus infections on Thursday, with 50 COVID-linked deaths in the past 24 hours.

Elderly people wait to get vaccinated against COVID-19 at the Community Vaccination Centre at Hong Kong Central Library in Causeway Bay, Hong Kong, Feb 25, 2022. (CALVIN NG / CHINA DAILY)

As the number of daily cases rose exponentially, many residents also acted in line with the government's "early identification, early isolation and early treatment" strategy and took voluntary COVID-19 tests at temporary district-based testing centers. 

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As of Thursday, some 5.1 million Hong Kong people has been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 with two doses, representing 76.5 percent of the eligible population, while more than 1.5 million people have received the booster jab.

Residents line up for vaccination against COVID-19 at the Community Vaccination Centre at Hong Kong Central Library in Causeway Bay, Hong Kong, Feb 25, 2022. (CALVIN NG / CHINA DAILY)

Residents line up to get vaccinated at the Community Vaccination Centre at Yuen Wo Road Sports Centre in Sha Tin, Hong Kong, Feb 25, 2022. (EDMOND TANG / CHINA DAILY)

Residents line up to get vaccinated at the Community Vaccination Centre at Yuen Wo Road Sports Centre in Sha Tin, Hong Kong, Feb 25, 2022. (EDMOND TANG / CHINA DAILY)

Residents line up to get tested for COVID-19 in Tseung Kwan O district, Hong Kong, Feb 25, 2022. (CALVIN NG / CHINA DAILY)