Editorial | Case of Paul Chan called for better explanation
- Government should have been more forthcoming on the return of financial secretary to city after Covid to have avoided giving the wrong impression
The coronavirus continues to affect everyone alike, as shown with the infection of Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po during a trip to the Middle East. It is therefore essential that relevant policies and restrictions apply equally.
This is especially true if there are cases of people being treated differently that raise concerns over fairness and their impact on public health protection.
The swift clarification by the government over permitting Chan to return and attend the Global Financial Leaders’ Investment Summit is to be welcomed.
An official statement on October 27 said Chan had tested positive for Covid-19 with a rapid antigen test in Saudi Arabia. He reportedly tested negative four days later and returned from Riyadh on Tuesday.
The authorities initially said Chan was considered a “recovered case” and allowed in, without saying whether he passed the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) screening upon arrival.
A late-night statement on Wednesday confirmed he had tested positive, but said his viral load was within the range of recovered patients and deemed not contagious.