Hong Kong Minister attends party, sent to quarantine
The Hindu
Lam slams officials for engaging in risky activities as the city battles COVID-19 cluster
Hong Kong’s government on Thursday reprimanded 10 senior government officials, including its Home Secretary, for attending a party as the Special Administrative Region (SAR) battles its first local cluster of Omicron cases. Chief Executive Carrie Lam said she was “highly disappointed” that the officials attended a party on Monday night, one of whose attendees later tested positive for COVID-19.
The SAR on Friday will begin implementing a raft of measures, including a 6 p.m. curfew for dining establishments and the closure of bars and gyms, after health officials said there were concerns of local transmission after months of no local COVID-19 cases. The recent local cases were traced to two members of the airline Cathay Pacific’s air crew who had violated isolation protocols. Hong Kong reported 38 new cases on Thursday, of which 5 were local cases, and the SAR currently has 348 active cases, the highest in a year.
Among the 10 officials at Monday’s event was Secretary for Home Affairs Caspar Tsui, who Ms. Lam said has been sent to the government’s central quarantine facility in Penny’s Bay for isolation after having been identified as a close contact.
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