Chinese University researchers on Monday urged people not to drop their guard when it comes to Covid-19, even though the virus is no longer considered to pose a global health emergency.

The researchers said they surveyed 611 people in March and found that only 12 percent of them were willing to get a booster shot for Covid.

Asked if they would take a rapid Covid test if they developed respiratory symptoms, about 60 percent of those polled said they would.

One of the researchers, Professor Kwok Kin-on, said people should continue to take preventative measures against Covid, in order to reduce the burden on the city's health system.

"The protective role of vaccination against long Covid, the commonness of reinfection in the Omicron era and the high prevalence of long Covid among individuals aged 50 or more all highlight the importance of vaccination in reducing the need for rehabilitative care in an era of Covid-19 endemicity," he said.

"We urge senior citizens and individuals with weakened immune systems to receive the booster shot of the Covid-19 vaccine."

The government is still providing free booster shots for people in priority groups, such as the over 50s and those with certain medical conditions, but other people who want another dose of vaccine will have to purchase it privately.