Incoming Chief Secretary for Administration Eric Chan Kwok-ki and Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Erick Tsang Kwok-wai may not be able to attend in person the July 1 inaugural ceremony of CE-elect John Lee Ka-chiu's government after testing positive for Covid-19 yesterday.
Under the protocol of the ceremony, the chief secretary will lead the newly appointed principal officials - including Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-por and next Secretary for Justice Paul Lam Ting-kwok, three deputy secretaries and 15 bureau heads - to take their oaths before Lee and a visiting state leader, who has not been named.
Asked about the possible absence of Chan, a government spokesman told The Standard last night: "The government will closely monitor the development and make appropriate arrangements."
Chan - currently director of the Chief Executive's Office who will take office as the city's No 2 official next Friday -and Eric Tsang tested positive for Covid through nucleic acid tests, a government spokesman said yesterday.
"They are undergoing isolation in accordance with the guidelines of the Centre for Health Protection of the Department of Health," the spokesman added.
Chan last night said he has a mild cough while Tsang said he has no symptoms.
According to the guidelines, if the infected person has received at least two Covid jabs and their rapid antigen tests results are negative on day six and seven, or any two consecutive days after day seven of the home quarantine period, they are allowed to leave their premises.
Such arrangement also apply to their close contacts.
Chan has been put in quarantine since Tuesday as his wife had tested preliminary positive.
Tsang's wife, Commissioner of Customs and Excise Louise Ho Pui-shan, has tested negative in a nucleic acid test, but she is identified as a close contact and is undergoing seven-day home quarantine.
Chan and Tsang last went to work on Monday and Wednesday, respectively.
They wore masks and tested negative in their daily rapid antigen tests at work and have not traveled outside Hong Kong recently.
The offices of Chan and Tsang will undergo thorough cleaning and disinfection and their staff members will take PCR tests.
Incoming Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development Algernon Yau Ying-wah has been undergoing quarantine since Monday as a friend had tested preliminary positive, but Yau has tested negative.
The government last night also said the Permanent Secretary for Development (Works) Ricky Lau Chun-kit tested positive. He has been quarantining and working from home since Sunday after his wife tested positive.
Meanwhile, the Hong Kong Science and Technology Park yesterday issued a notice that it will be closed for two days between next Wednesday and Friday.
"All tenants, including offices and shopping arcades will suspend operation," it wrote, adding staffers and all vehicles including public transportation will be banned from entering the park in Sha Tin.
The special arrangements have fueled speculations on whether it will be visited by key guests, including state leaders.
Separately, official invitations for a "grand variety show" at the Hong Kong Coliseum at 8pm on July 1 have been sent to guests. Those who confirm their attendance in the reply slip must undergo "point-to-point closed-loop management" and receive daily PCR tests from today.
The invitation card reads: "To celebrate the 25th anniversary of Hong Kong's return to the motherland, a grand variety show is to be held at the Hong Kong Coliseum, Hung Hom on Friday, July 1, 2022, at 8pm," with a reminder for guests to dress smart casual. A reply slip was attached, requesting a reply by e-mail or fax on or before Saturday. Those who confirm their attendance will receive further details of the event by e-mail.
Some pro-democratic district council chairmen, including Tai Po District Council chairman Patrick Mo Ka-chun and Tsuen Wan District Council chairman Sumly Chan Yuen-sum, are said to have also received invitations to attend handover ceremonies, but they were not told about details of the events.
It is understood that guests invited to the handover events are required to head to the designated testing center at Leighton Hill Community Hall for daily PCR tests.
The center was visited yesterday by a number of politicians and business representatives, including former secretary for justice and former vice-chairwoman of the Basic Law Committee Elsie Leung Oi-sie, Legislative Council president Andrew Leung Kwan-yuen and Executive Council member Ip Kwok-him.
