3 senior Hong Kong officials caught up in Omicron ‘partygate’ scandal leave quarantine camp early after policy eased

Three senior Hong Kong officials who joined 200 others at an infamous birthday party attended by an Omicron patient earlier this month were allowed to leave a quarantine camp on Monday after the mandatory length of stay was eased.

Secretary for Home Affairs Caspar Tsui Ying-wai, Director of Immigration Au Ka-wang and Allen Fung Ying-lun, political assistant to the development minister, were originally ordered to stay at the Penny’s Bay facility for 21 days after being identified as close contacts of the confirmed Omicron case.

But the trio were allowed to return home for self-monitoring on Monday, after health officials announced plans the day before to extend a policy of reducing the isolation period from 21 days to 14 after the last day of exposure to more people, as the incubation period of the variant was relatively short.

It was not immediately clear how many of those involved in the party were allowed an early release apart from the trio. The Chief Executive’s Office said it had been notified that three officials had completed 14 days of quarantine. According to one of Tsui’s Facebook posts, he entered the facility on January 6.

Tsui was seen leaving the government-run camp by car at about 7.30pm without talking to the press.

He later said through his press secretary that he had received a notification from the Department of Health that he had met the required conditions for release, including negative test results for the coronavirus, and that he had returned home. Tsui must follow up with screening at a community testing centre.