Hong Kong authorities said on Friday residents who have been fully vaccinated can spend a shorter time in quarantine if they have been exposed to a COVID-19 patient, after thousands of people were sent to tiny quarantine quarters for up to 21 days.

The new rule comes as the city government is trying to encourage people to get vaccinated against the novel coronavirus.

Only about 14% of Hong Kong's 7.5 million people have had at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine since a campaign was launched in February.

Ronald Lam, controller of the Centre for Health Protection of the city's Department of Health, said fully vaccinated residents considered a close contact of a COVID-10 patient can do seven days in government quarantine and seven days of self-monitoring at home.

But people exposed to a virus variant would have to do 14 days in quarantine and seven days of self-monitoring, he said.

The city has some of the strictest quarantine measures globally with close contacts of coronavirus patients ordered to go to government quarantine for up to 21 days.

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