HONG KONG — Hong Kong’s leader says fully-vaccinated residents could soon be allowed to form “vaccination bubbles” that would allow socializing in larger groups during the pandemic, as part of incentives to encourage more people to get inoculated.

So far, only about 8% of the population has been inoculated since Hong Kong began its vaccination program in late February.

But the city’s chief executive Carrie Lam said in a news conference Monday that it would establish a travel bubble with Singapore, and that details would be announced soon. Similar plans for such an air bubble fell through last November following a surge of cases in Hong Kong, which led to months of stringent social-distancing measures.

Cases have since come down, and the city recorded no untraceable cases over the last few days.

Plans are also in place to allow a limited number of travelers from mainland China to enter Hong Kong without quarantine from mid-May as the mainland has achieved “zero infection."

A ban on flights from Britain will also be lifted in May, although travelers will still be required to be quarantined for 21 days at designated hotels. Quarantine restrictions for fully-vaccinated travelers from low-risk and medium-risk countries such as Singapore, New Zealand and Australia could also be reduced.