HONG KONG, Jan 6 — A Hong Kong cabinet minister was sent to a quarantine camp today after he was deemed a close contact of a preliminary coronavirus case at a large party attended by other government officials and lawmakers.
Home affairs minister Caspar Tsui was among more than 100 guests at a birthday celebration on Monday evening that was also attended by city police chief Raymond Siu and head of immigration Au Ka-wang.
Tsui was classified as a close contact because he was there after 9.30pm, when a person suspected to have been carrying the coronavirus attended.
Police chief Siu had left beforehand and officials said they were still trying to work out when Au left.
City leader Carrie Lam told reporters she was “very disappointed” senior officials attended the party just three days after health officials had advised Hong Kongers to avoid large gatherings.
“My colleagues apparently have not taken the advice of the secretary for food and health, so how could they set a good example for the people of Hong Kong?” Lam asked.
Tsui issued an apology on Facebook.
Like China, Hong Kong has maintained some of the world’s strictest quarantine measures and travel curbs, which have kept the city mostly coronavirus-free but internationally isolated for about 22 months.
A small local outbreak of the Omicron variant which began with airline crew from Cathay Pacific has been detected in recent days sparking warnings, new social distancing measures and flight bans on eight countries.
At the time of Monday night’s party, banquets of up to 240 were still permitted but Lam said government officials should have “led by example” and heeded calls to avoid such gatherings.
She said an investigation by her office discovered 10 government officials attended the party—eight of whom could prove they had left before 9.30pm and therefore did not need to be sent to quarantine.
Local media reported three city legislators also attended the party, held for a member of China’s top lawmaking body.
Lam did not comment on those reports but confirmed the city’s legislature and main government offices were being disinfected.
Twenty lawmakers met Xia Baolong, Beijing’s Hong Kong and Macau affairs chief in Shenzhen, yesterday but it was unclear if the three who attended the party were among that group.
A day earlier Lam had lambasted the leadership of Cathay Pacific, saying they should take responsibility for attendants who had breached home-quarantine rules.
She said society was “paying a huge price” for the Omicron outbreak and even hinted that the city might look at legal options against the carrier.
Last year immigration head Au was among three government officials who were fined after they broke social distancing rules to eat at a luxury clubhouse. — AFP
