HONG KONG, Dec. 30 (Xinhua) -- With the COVID-19 vaccine expected to arrive in Hong Kong in the first quarter of 2021, Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Carrie Lam called on residents to actively get the COVID-19 vaccine.

Lam wrote on Wednesday at her social media account that the government is preparing for the vaccination in a race against time.

Whether or not residents actively get the vaccine is probably crucial to Hong Kong's battle against the epidemic, she noted, vowing that the government will spare no efforts to address people's concerns about the safety and efficacy of the vaccine.

Lam called on residents to look at the vaccination from a scientific perspective and actively consider getting the vaccine.

Hong Kong has procured 22.5 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine and the first batch is expected to be shipped to Hong Kong in the first quarter of 2021. The government has said high-risk groups will be prioritized, including medical workers and elderly people.

An expert panel established recently for the vaccination convened its first meeting on Wednesday.

Hong Kong's Center for Health Protection reported 54 additional confirmed cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday, taking its total tally to 8,778.