Caspar Tsui will not return to work on Tuesday as scheduled: source

Secretary for Home Affairs Caspar Tsui Ying-wai, who was quarantined at Penny's Bay after attending the birthday party of Witman Hung Wai-man, won't resume duty on Tuesday as scheduled, sources said.

It is expected that he will need to take a few more days off until February 3. He is set to resume duty on February 4 after the Lunar New Year holiday. 

According to Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor, officials who attended the birthday party must obtain a negative Covid test report upon completing 21 days of quarantine and self-monitoring before they can resume duty.

Three officials were quarantined at Penny's Bay for 14 days, including Tsui, Director of Immigration of Hong Kong Au Ka-wang and political assistant of the Development Bureau Allen Fung Ying-lun.

They should have been able to resume duty on Tuesday after completing 21 days of compulsory quarantine and self-monitoring on Monday.

Au and Fung should return to work on Tueday. Tsui, who was described as "particularly disappointing" by Carrie Lam, has to "wait a little longer" and cannot resume duty at this moment, the Standard's sister publication Sing Tao Daily reported. 

His deputy Jack Chan Jick-chi has returned to work on Monday and will act Tsui's position before his return. 

Another 11 officials, who were released from Penny's Bay after fellow guest RTHK host Joyce Yeung was ruled as a false positive case, have already returned to work on Monday.

The eleven include Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury Christopher Hui Ching-yu, Police Commissioner Raymond Siu Chak-yee and ICAC Commissioner Simon Peh Yun-lu.

The others are undersecretary for constitutional and mainland affairs Clement Woo Kin-man, undersecretary for home affairs Jack Chan Jick-chi, undersecretary for Financial Services and the Treasury Joseph Chan Ho-lim, undersecretary for innovation and technology David Chung Wai-keung, political assistant to the secretary for innovation and technology Lillian Cheong Man-lei, political assistant to chief secretary Kathy Siu Ka-yi, political assistant to the secretary for education Jeff Sze Chun-fai and Deputy Director of Policy Innovation and Co-ordination Office Vincent Fung Hao-yin.

They were tested last Saturday and received negative reports on Sunday. They have not received any special instructions from the Office of the Chief Executive and went back to work on Monday. 

Lam said earlier that the government will launch investigations into the 15 officials involved, including retired former Commissioner of Customs and Excise Hermes Tang Yi-hoi, for attending the party. 

The 15 have received phone calls and emails asking about their reasons for attending the party and the circumstances. 

They were also asked about their arrival time, their action at the party, and whether they had complied with pandemic prevention rules including using the LeaveHomeSafe app and wearing masks.

Officials involved were said to have already given their replies, and the information will be reported to the director of the Chief Executive's Office Eric Chan Kwok-ki and Secretary for the Civil Service Patrick Nip Tak-kuen.

Tsui was photographed not wearing a mask when party host Hung sang into a mic while having an arm around Election Committee member Ellen Tsang Fung-chu, who is a former chairwoman of the Yelites Association. 

Tsui also stayed longer at the party than the other officials. 

It was said that most of the officials who attended the party said they attended it for official reasons.