Photos of the party, showing dignitaries doing karaoke and posing without masks, had leaked to the Hong Kong press, and the head of government had ordered an investigation.
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A Hong Kong cabinet minister resigned on Monday (January 31st) after being seen at a birthday party with more than 200 people as authorities asked people to avoid gatherings to prevent the spread of Covid-19. Home Affairs Minister Caspar Tsui was one of the rising figures of the pro-Beijing establishment in Hong Kong.
On January 3, more than 200 guests attended the birthday party of Witman Hung, the city’s representative to the National People’s Congress of China, in a Spanish tapas bar. Many dignitaries, including Caspar Tsui as well as the heads of the police and the anti-corruption agency, were among the guests. “Being one of the main officials in charge of the fight against the epidemic, I did not set the best example”recognised The Minister.
Although the birthday party was not illegal, it took place three days after city health officials advised people to avoid large gatherings. The recent appearance of outbreaks linked to the Delta and Omicron variants have led to a further tightening of restrictions in Hong Kong, largely spared by the Covid-19 pandemic at the cost of a draconian policy of isolation, screening, case tracing and barrier measures. The case embarrasses the government of Chief Executive Carrie Lam, whose term, which ends in March, was marked by major pro-democracy protests in 2019 and the sweeping crackdown on dissent that followed.