Domestic helper of John Lee Ka-chiu tests positive for Covid-19

A domestic worker who works for Chief Secretary for Administration John Lee Ka-chiu has tested preliminarily positive for Covid-19, his office announced on Tuesday.   

The helper tested positive in a rapid test on Tuesday and will submit a deep throat saliva test for confirmation.   

Lee and his family members tested negative and will submit deep throat saliva samples for further testing. To play safe, he has returned home for self-isolation. 

The city's second-highest official was supposed to attend a video conference for Legislative Council's finance committee meeting, where the government seeks lawmakers' approval to inject HK$27 billion into the Anti-Epidemic Fund.   

Measures include introducing a Temporary Unemployment Relief for the first time to provide a one-off, flat-rate relief of HK$10,000 to workers receiving a monthly salary not exceeding HK$30,000 before being laid off. Those who have lost their jobs since the fifth wave of the pandemic started and remained unemployed for at least one month are eligible for application.   

Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development Edward Yau Tang-wah will attend the video meeting in place of Lee.

Infection fears also hit the Office of the Chief Executive, where a staffer tested preliminary positive on Tuesday. 

The employee last went to work on Monday, and he did not have any contact with Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor nor the public. Other staffers will undergo tests.

On the other hand, New People's Party chairwoman Regina Ip Lau Suk-yee said her driver tested positive of the coronavirus on Monday. 

She tested negative in a rapid test, but will isolate herself at home for five to seven days. She did not attend the Executive Council meeting this morning.

Ip believed she would be fine as she wore four layers of masks during her commutation. If she tests negative again, she will return to Exco meeting next week.