US denies diplomatic immunity claims

The United States has accused Chinese media of publishing disinformation about its diplomats in Hong Kong as it denied its staff invoked diplomatic immunity to avoid isolating after preliminary positive tests.

This comes as Hong Kong reported 18 new confirmed cases yesterday, including the US consulate couple tested preliminary positive on Monday.

State media and pro-Beijing parties, including the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong and the Federation of Trade Unions, had accused the US consulate employees of invoking diplomatic immunity.

"The disinformation campaign from Chinese-controlled media about the two positive cases among consulate personnel . . . is false," the consulate said on its Facebook page.

"We reject these efforts to spread disinformation about a critical public health issue," it said, adding that the consulate has been fully cooperative with Hong Kong authorities.

The Food and Health Bureau issued a compulsory testing notice to the consulate on Monday night, requiring staff and visitors who went to the office between March 2 and March 15 to undergo tests. The consulate was also closed for deep cleaning.

The couple have been admitted to hospital for isolation and treatment.

Among the infections yesterday were 13 local cases and five imported ones from Turkey, Pakistan, Ukraine and the Philippines, taking the tally to 11,330, with 203 deaths.

Another case with an unknown source was a 38-year-old IT engineer living at 16 Tai Hang Road in Causeway Bay. He works at iKas International company at HSBC Main Building in Central and last went to work on Monday. Authorities said the man developed a runny nose on March 10 and was required by his company to undergo the test.

Cases linked to previous incidents included a 38-year-old male police inspector who is posted to the crime wing and lives at Police Inspectorate Quarters in Ho Man Tin.

Authorities said a member of the officer's family was suspected to have come in contact with an earlier confirmed case. Another three people living at the same address as the officer - a 42-year-old woman and two girls aged 10 and 11 - also tested positive.

The Kowloon Tong Government Primary School said it has infections. The school has been closed for 14 days.

Separately, five more cases related to the super-spreader Ursus Fitness cluster were found, including one customer and four close contacts, taking the total in the cluster to 127.

Although more buildings in Sai Ying Pun were subjected to compulsory tests on Monday night, no case was found during the lockdown.

About 470 residents living at Manifold Court, Truelight Building, High Park 99 and Wing Cheung Mansion, and 240 residents of Golden Phoenix Court and Hing Wah Mansions took the test. But Central and Western District councillor Sam Yip Kam-Lung criticized the authorities for failing to provide sufficient information for expatriate residents as many of them were panicking and did not know what to do.

Meanwhile, five district councillors and former Chinese University student union leader Ernie Chow Shue-fung were each fined HK$5,000 as police busted a wedding party at Backstreet Steak House in Wan Chai on Monday night.

It is understood that the five councillors were Sha Tin's Li Chi-wang and Wong Hok-lai, Tai Po's Ken Lau Yung-wai and Chan Wai-ka, and Islands' Leunug Kwok-ho.

The door of the restaurant was closed when police arrived and officers waited outside. They entered the restaurant through a back door at around 2.45am yesterday.

Police said they received a report at around 10.30pm, saying the restaurant was still operating after 10pm.

The 41-year-old owner of the restaurant, Ma, will be prosecuted for violating the Prevention and Control of Disease Regulation. The customers - 14 men and 14 women aged between 23 to 63 - have been fined.

wallis.wang@singtaonewscorp.com