Coronavirus: Hong Kong finance chief Paul Chan to work from home after helper at official residence tests positive for Covid-19
- Helper at the financial secretary’s residence test preliminarily-positive, while swab tests on Chan, his family members and other workers returned negative results
- Spokesman says helper, who last worked on Wednesday, was mainly responsible for daily household services and Chan and his family were not close contacts
Hong Kong finance chief Paul Chan Mo-po will work from home for five days after a domestic helper at his official residence contracted Covid-19, the government has revealed.
The helper at the financial secretary’s residence on Shouson Hill Road tested preliminarily-positive, while swab tests on Chan, his family members and other workers returned negative results, a spokesman for his office said on Friday.
Hong Kong is battling a raging fifth wave of the coronavirus, reporting a record number of infections, with the city’s political elite also plagued by Covid-19 concerns after a spate of cases in their midst.
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The spokesman said the helper, who last worked on Wednesday, was mainly responsible for daily household services and would occasionally stay overnight in the staff dormitory in the residence’s annexe.
“Although Mr Chan and his family are not close contacts of the domestic helper, after consulting the Department of Health, and for the sake of prudence, Mr Chan will work from home for five days until February 27, counting from the last day he had contact with the positive case,” a statement from Chan’s office said on Friday.
The office said it had thoroughly cleaned and disinfected the annexe and would arrange tests for the remaining workers.
The government also revealed on Friday that the son of Director of Electrical and Mechanical Services Eric Pang Yiu-hung tested preliminarily positive. Pang later tested negative but is under home quarantine with his other family members.
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On Thursday, Secretary for the Civil Service Patrick Nip Tak-kuen’s wife was confirmed to be infected, while he and other family members tested negative.
Undersecretary for Innovation and Technology David Chung Wai-keung was the first senior official to test preliminary-positive on Wednesday. Two chauffeurs from his bureau were earlier reported as infected.
Security minister Chris Tang Ping-keung has been undergoing home isolation for 14 days since Wednesday and will work from home after his wife and a domestic helper tested preliminary-positive.
Also on Wednesday, lawmaker Alice Mak Mei-kuen of the Hong Kong Federation of Trade Unions tested preliminary-positive after undergoing rapid antigen screening.
Last Sunday, environment minister Wong Kam-sing switched to work-from-home measures after his driver tested preliminary-positive.
Hong Kong’s No 2 official, Chief Secretary John Lee Ka-chiu, has been isolated at home since February 15 after his domestic helper tested preliminary-positive. Lee and his family returned negative results from rapid tests.
