HONG KONG -- Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Carrie Lam welcomed the passage of the HKSAR government's funding application of 27 billion Hong Kong dollars ($3.46 billion) for the sixth-round Anti-epidemic Fund (AEF) by the Legislative Council (LegCo) Finance Committee on Tuesday.

In a statement issued Tuesday night, Lam also tasked the relevant HKSAR government departments with implementing the various support measures at full steam.

The sixth-round AEF comprises 48 schemes which are estimated to benefit 67,000 businesses, operators of 40,000 transport tools and 750,000 individuals.

The chief executive said that with the full support of the central authorities and the cooperation of the community, the HKSAR government will stand up to the challenge with unwavering determination and strong faith to lead Hong Kong out of the COVID-19 epidemic.

Lam once again appealed to Hong Kong residents to stay confident during this difficult time, support the HKSAR government's anti-epidemic measures, and get vaccinated as soon as possible.