HONG KONG -- The first batch of mainland-manufactured COVID-19 vaccines arrived in Hong Kong on Friday afternoon, which, as the first vaccines available here, will enable the financial hub to start inoculating its residents next week.

Produced by Sinovac Biotech, the inactivated vaccine was approved for emergency use by the government of China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) on Thursday.

Hong Kong procured 7.5 million doses of the Sinovac vaccine in total and the SAR government has said the number of vaccine doses arriving on Friday was 1 million.

Priority groups, including medical workers, those aged 60 and above, and cross-border truck drivers, will be given the first shots free of charge from Feb 26 in the first phase of the local mass vaccination drive.