Li Ka-shing’s elder son Victor Li tests negative for Covid-19, pulls out from Liaison Office meeting

Victor Li Tzar-kuoi, the chairman and managing director of tycoon Li Ka-shing’s flagship company, has tested negative for Covid-19 after reporting symptoms, according to a statement by CK Asset Holdings on Saturday morning.

Li, who turns 58 in August, was awaiting test results after showing symptoms including “light coughing” and “hoarseness in his voice”, according to a separate statement on Friday. He will also withdraw from an online meeting that is to be chaired by Luo Huining, director of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in Hong Kong.

CK Asset, which has offered 3,000 rooms in four hotels under its management for use as isolation facilities, is rallying its resources and staff to help Hong Kong’s authorities contain the spread of the Covid-19 infections in the city, according to the company’s statement, which also cited a copy of Li’s prepared speech for the Liaison Office meeting.

The executive, Li Ka-shing’s elder son, will stay home to await his test results, and remains in good health, a spokeswoman said.

CK Asset’s offer is the largest contribution, made two days after the city’s leader asked developers and hotel owners for help to address a shortage of isolation facilities. The government has so far secured more than 20,000 rooms, double the number of additional rooms it needs for quarantine.

The four hotels still need to be inspected by the government, CK Asset’s spokeswoman said.

The company’s hotel and serviced suite operations comprise about 15,000 rooms, according to CK Asset’s latest annual report. These include the 1,100-room Harbour Plaza Resort City Hotel in Tin Shui Wai and the 800-room Horizon Suites in Ma On Shan. The company plans to convert these two hotels into two residential projects that will have a total of 5,768 flats.

The first batch of hotels is set to provide 4,400 rooms within the week. Chinachem Group will offer 525 rooms in Nina Hotel Causeway Bay and Nina Hotel Kowloon in Kwun Tong, and Regal Hotels Group will offer 1,163 rooms in Regal Oriental Hotel, iclub Ma Tau Wai Hotel and iclub Fortress Hill Hotel.

Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor conducted an online meeting with some members of the Real Estate Developers Association of Hong Kong (Reda) and The Federation of Hong Kong Hotel Owners on Wednesday and asked for 10,000 rooms for isolation facilities.

Dorsett Hospitality International said it is now temporarily converting around 2,000 rooms in five of its hotels for isolation use for patients who are asymptomatic or have only mild symptoms.

Sun Hung Kai Properties will provide a total of 1,000 rooms in two hotels, including the Crowne Plaza Hong Kong Kowloon East in Tseung Kwan O, as isolation facilities, according to a source. The company’s chairman, Raymond Kwok Ping-luen, said the company will support the city’s anti-pandemic drive and urged the public to get vaccinated.

Elsewhere, New World Development has offered 700 rooms at its Pentahotel Hong Kong in Kowloon as a community isolation facility.